A mukbang or meokbang (, ), also known as an eating show, is an online audiovisual broadcast in which a host consumes various quantities of food while interacting with the audience. The genre became popular in South Korea in the early 2010s, and has become a global trend since the mid-2010s. Varieties of foods ranging from pizza to noodles are consumed in large quantities in front of a camera. The purpose of mukbang is also sometimes educational, introducing viewers to regional specialties or gourmet spots.
A mukbang may be either prerecorded or streamed live through a webcast on multiple streaming platforms such as AfreecaTV, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch In the live version, the mukbang host chats with the audience while the audience type in real-time in the live chat room. Eating shows are expanding their influence on internet broadcasting platforms and serve as virtual communities and as venues for active communication among internet users.
Mukbangers from many different countries have gained considerable popularity on numerous social media platforms and have established the mukbang as a possible viable alternative career path with a potential to earn a high income for young South Koreans. By cooking and consuming food on camera for a large audience, mukbangers generate income from advertising, sponsorships, endorsements, as well as viewers' support. However, there has been growing criticism of mukbang's promotion of unhealthy eating habits, particularly eating disorders, animal cruelty, and food waste.
Etymology
The word mukbang () is a portmanteau of the Korean words for "eating" () and "broadcast/show" (). It would thus be morphologically comparable to "eatcast" or "eatshow".
Historical background and origins
Prior to the 21st century, Korea had traditionally had a food culture based on healthy eating practices and strict Confucian etiquette. However, a new food culture since the late 2000s has emerged in South Korea characterized by internet eating culture (mukbang). It was first introduced on the real-time internet TV service AfreecaTV in 2009, it now has become a trend in cable channels as well as terrestrial broadcasting. This form of programming emphasizes the attractiveness of the person who prepares the food. Eating and cooking shows are becoming effective programs for broadcasting companies as production costs are lower than reality entertainment programs.
Academics have also attributed the origins of mukbang in South Korea as being a part of widespread anxiety, loneliness and unhappiness in many South Koreans with their hypercapitalist country's socioeconomic situation and society, which they deem as "hellish" and "hopeless", known as Hell Joseon (). Consequently, mukbang gives them an opportunity to relieve some of these stressors.
In each broadcast, a host will interact with their viewers through online chat rooms. Many hosts generate revenue through mukbang by accepting donations or partnering with advertising networks. The popularity of mukbang streams has spread outside of Korea, with online streamers doing their own mukbang streams in other countries. In 2016, Twitch introduced new categories like "social eating" to spotlight them.
Articles about mukbang have also appeared in The Huffington Post and The Wall Street Journal. The Korean word for eating show, "mukbang," has been widely adopted in other types of eating shows, such as those featuring ASMR on platforms such as YouTube. This eating performance from South Korea has also rapidly spread in influence and popularity to other Asian countries, such as Japan and China. In China, mukbang is called "Chibo"; hosts make their content into short videos and vlogs and upload them onto social media platforms like Weibo.
Culture
Mukbang (먹방) emerged from a solo-eating population in South Korea, that found entertainment in watching actors and actresses eating in TV shows and movies. The contrast to the traditional eating culture that revolves around eating from the same communal dishes at the family dinner table has been acknowledged.