Now the internet is truly full of everything under the sun, and this YouTube channel full ASMR videos eating live Octopus takes the cake, and it has upset viewers across the globe.
ASMR YouTuber Ssoyoung has been courting controversy for some time. If you didn’t know, The South Korean creator takes a very interesting approach to making her autonomous sensory meridian response, or as many of you may know it, (ASMR) content.
Rather than provide quiet commentary and distinct background noise, she actually creates ASMR mukbang videos and they rack up a TON of views online. ASMR can range from anything that involves the typing of a keyboard, chewing gum, and to this case, large quantities of food. The issue many people take with Ssoyoung’s videos relates to what, precisely, she is eating. Somehow even though she has hundreds of millions of views on the platform, she is now getting attention and backlash for her practices.
The practice of consuming live animals has upset many of Ssoyoung’s viewers and has now put her on the radar of h3h3Productions’ Ethan Klein. Typically, Ssoyoung’s live animals of choice are aquatic. In her videos she actually features a lot of live octopi, squid, and prawns. Overall she shows everything from start to finish from unboxing the creatures to even drowning them with salt. A lot of viewers have pointed out that the “entertainment aspect” of the video comes from flailing tentacles and writhing bodies.
Ssoyoung has sparked concern among members of the YouTube community who perceive her videos as animal abuse. Some have even called out YouTube for its lack of action and claim the platform is doing nothing to regulate the massive channel.
Recently, thanks to Klein, the outcry among commenters has gained even more attention. The 34-year-old YouTuber uploaded a video on April 9 titled “ASMR Has Gone Way Too Far.”
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Klein highlighted Ssoyoung’s most popular video, titled “Dancing Live Squid.” The video, which currently sits around 25 million views show Ssoyoung removing six live squid from a water-filled casserole dish, chops off their fins and mantle, and then transfers their still-squirming bodies to a griddle. Eating raw and live seafood, especially octopus, is common practice in South Korea.
However, live octopus is typically chopped into small pieces for a dish called san-nakji. When eaten in large pieces or whole, live octopus can be a choking hazard, as its tentacles can latch onto the mouth or throat.Later in the video she actually pours soy sauce over the squid, which prompts them to squirm and wriggle uncontrollably. According to commenters, this reaction is caused by the soy sauce.
“The soy sauce that she puts on the squids is absorbed and causes muscle contractions, which basically means that the poor squid is having muscle spasms until it passes away,” Other comments online read:
Klien makes a not that Ssoyoung has a tendency to zoom in on the animals in her videos after they’ve been partially prepared for consumption, which can be hard to watch on it’s own.
“She highlights the brutality of the act,” he said. “I think she knows that if she wasn’t acting at least a little squeamish and nervous about it, then she would be seen as a total sociopath. But she clearly loves torturing animals, there’s no question about it.” Throughout his video, Klein emphasizes the intelligence of many of the creatures Ssoyoung consumes.
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