I'm obsessed with Old Time Hawkey's soothing ASMR videos—they instantly relax me and lull me into a kind of chillax zone. Old Time Hawkey, also known as "Fritz," is from Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where he lives with his dogs in a cabin. Fritz began making online content in Spring 2020. Fritz explains:
Our videos try and highlight the simple joys of life; bonfire cooking, camping, or staying in for a night of retro video games. Our goal has always been to inspire others to not only get outside and explore the great outdoors, but to simply relax and enjoy yourself – no matter the adventure.
In a typical video, Fritz invites the viewer into their space—sometimes it's a cabin, sometimes it's a seat next to a cozy bonfire in the woods. After welcoming the viewer with a friendly "Well, Hello Buddy!", Fritz proceeds to cook a delicious meal or prepare a delicious drink, while narrating the steps in a mellifluous voice.
Check out Fritz making a club sandwich, chicken noodle soup, Blake's hard apple cider bread, a milkshake, and paper birch tea.
It's hard to describe exactly what's so appealing about the videos, but I absolutely love this very accurate description of Old Time Hawkey's entire vibe, from Neon Splatter:
Old Time Hawkey is an utterly bonkers collision of disparate aesthetics, sub-genres, and niches that shouldn't work—but it is insanely delightful and completely charming. Most of his videos find him offering up a nice can of ginger ale, preparing some sort of meal (often a recreation of some fast food or simply a comfort dish) using local ingredients and whatever rough tools he has in his log cabin in the woods, and enjoying it while also flashing over to some sort of retro piece of technology (like a GameBoy Color or a boombox). That is a massive amount of blending of cooking show, cottagecore aesthetic, ASMR, nostalgia, and more. But it miraculously doesn't feel janky or incongruous; instead it comes off like the sincere interests and talents of a genuine person. It's absolutely a cultivated persona, but it's such a welcomed dollop of sweet chill that it is all good.
To see more, check out Old Time Hawkey's TikTok.
