Over a decade ago, the term “mukbang” became popular. Essentially, it refers to the practice of streamers eating a meal during a broadcast. The activity gained quick popularity, but some streamers started consuming dangerously large amounts of food, leading to binge eating. It also clashed with certain cultures, and China even banned it. Now, the recent death of a young woman has sparked renewed debate about this practice.
A death caught on livestream. Pan Xiaoting, a former Chinese waitress turned professional mukbang star, tragically passed away in early July during a live broadcast when her body seemed to give out after consuming an excessive amount of food.
Authorities haven’t made the official cause of the 24-year-old’s death public, but according to Chinese news website Sohu, her autopsy revealed that her abdomen was deformed and her stomach was full of undigested food. Her unfortunate death should serve as a warning to other streamers.
The origin of mukbang. The mukbang practice started in Korea back in 2013. Given that people were watching video games, poker games, and concerts, the idea of watching live eating wasn’t that far-fetched. The term comes from the Korean words for eating (meokneun) and broadcasting (bandsong). Its growth was extraordinary, creating a niche with stars (the so-called mukbangers) who were raising the bar for binge-watching.
Mukbang in China. Mukbang became extremely popular in China. The reception in the country was a milestone, and the videos spread across social media. These videos featured high-caloric feasts where people ate non-stop. Some even continued eating after vomiting. As so happens in all areas of streaming, competitiveness leads to doubling the bet, and in the case of mukbangers, this urge has even led some to consume live animals.
As it turns out, this extreme practice also clashed with Chinese cultural values, and in 2020, the Communist Party banned mukbang from its platforms due to concerns about food waste and obscenity. This decision followed efforts to promote food safety and restrictions in the country.
The Xiaoting case. The restriction on extreme mukbang challenges clearly didn’t prevent the practice. The recent death of the young woman is a tragic example of the larger issue with mukbang. As various media outlets report, the woman initially started mukbang streaming as a side job, but as her audience grew, she saw it as a potential career. She finally quit her job and rented a house to use as a studio for her broadcasts.
However, in the last few weeks, as viewers’ attention spans are short, the streamer began giving herself extreme challenges. This included eating non-stop for at least 10 hours a day and consuming over 10 kilograms of food in each session. Sadly, her body couldn’t handle the strain, and she died live on air on July 14.
Other ways to promote awareness about binge eating. In the world of food streaming, there’s a variety of content, with many creators combining entertainment and education. For instance, Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram is a well-known influencer who shares her twenty-year journey as a vegan and promotes a lifestyle free of animal product consumption.
On the other hand, Adam Witt is a private chef turned culinary creator who approaches cooking in a dynamic and entertaining way. His authentic and relatable content reflects the passion he has for his profession.
This article was written by Miguel Jorge and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.
Image | YouTube | Alpha
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