What is Performative Eating

On the Social Web, on the leading social video sharing site YouTube, some of the most popular videos (with millions of views each) show “performative eating,” described here as “consuming food as a form of entertainment.” The performances occur in various locales and in various ways: Mukbang eating shows and their derivatives show individuals, pairs, groups, and families in feats of food and drink consumption. ASMR (autonomous [auto] sensory meridian response) eating videos show individuals and small groups eating copious amounts of food with an emphasis on listening pleasures. In restaurants, individuals and small groups take on (un)timed eating challenges. Outdoors, persons harvest food and prepare it, or they hunt wildlife and butcher the kill and prepare the animal proteins. Travel eating occurs in various locations around the world, with a focus on local specialties. The common denominator in these are spectacle. Viewed another way, performative eating videos are a form of edutainment, with positive and negative lessons.