LAST YEAR, AN AMERICAN SWEETS COMPANY POSTED A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE CALLED REESE THE MOVIE.
In an orange room matching Reese’s packaging, five popular YouTubers sit around a table and whisper into their headsets about the pleasures of these peanut butter cups. They compare notes on the best way to open the sweets. (Cue amplified sounds of packets whooshing across the table and finger nails clicking on wrappers.)
The sweets topple free with the clunk of wooden blocks. The breathless council dismantles them, scooping them into cups with apple corers and smooshing them under spatulas, releasing soft, sliding squeaks. They slice them like bread, each chop cartoonishly loud. After 80 minutes, our protagonists come at last to the intended destiny of these fluted UFOs: they eat them.
This is what’s referred to, at least according to the video’s tagline, as ‘an ASMR experience’. I find it hard to gauge how well known ASMR is. In savvier digital circles, and among my teenage students, it usually elicits a familiar chuckle. But when I bring it up to my thirtysomething peers, they look at me blankly. Let’s unbox the acronym: autonomous sensory meridian response. ASMR is an umbrella under which many millions of people huddle to make and listen to amplified sounds of mundane events — bars of soap being scraped, a whisk hitting the side of a bowl, tissue paper crackling, instruction manuals read out in one prolonged whisper. Fans return to their favourite ‘ASMRtists’ for the intensely pleasurable tingles or chills these sounds produce.
Move over, Seinfeld; ASMR is truly ‘the show about nothing’.
This story is from the April 2020 edition of GQ South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2020 edition of GQ South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
58 Do's and Dont's for Getting Dressed Right Now
Is it ever OK to repeat outfits? Should your socks match your shoes? Are Henleys cool? GQ staffers weigh in on all the most pressing style questions of the day
A man of many talents
Fhatuwani Mukheli is a true trailblazer, carving a unique path in his multifaceted career. His journey is captivating story, always evolving and filled with surprises
The man who doesn't play by the rule book
CEO of Red Rocket, Matteo Brambilla is aman onamission to improve big energy
Mastering your money: Financial resolutions for the new year
Setting smart goals and resolutions for 2024 can help you achieve greater financial stability, reduce stress, and work towards the future you envision
BUSINESS CLASS TRAVEL
YOU'D EXPECT NOTHING ELSE BUT COMFORT AND LUXURY FROM A RANGE ROVER OR LEXUS. A HYUNDAI NOT SO MUCH. SO WOULD THE STYLISH PALISADE PROVE A SURPRISE? OUR MOTORING ED DIETER LOSSKARN WAS KEEN TO FIND OUT...
The Italian Stallions
Named after breathtaking Italian mountain pass roads Alfa's SUVs are not only but lots of fun to drive. GQ motoring ed Dieter Losskarn took the Tonale across South African mountain passes, and the Stelvio to De Hoop Nature Reserve attractive to look at, some spectacular
10 Perfect Summer Fragrances
Whether you're heading to a beach party, a rooftop bar, or just a casual day out, here's a curated list of scents ideal for those hot summer months
An audience with a master perfumer
Francis Kurkdjian, French perfumer and artistic director of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, shares the sources of inspiration and discoveries on his journey into the world of luxury fragrances
CURATED SUMMER ESSENTIALS
Our Fashion Director Luke Diva shares his summer checklist, from refreshing cocktails to trendy wardrobe items
Taste Makers
The Marble Group the team behind three of Johannesburg’s top restaurants, Marble, Saint and Zioux take us on an urban adventure in dining