The sound of humans smacking as they eat food is the worst. The sound of animals smacking their food is absolute music to my ears. I don't make the rules. That's just how it is.

Animal ASMR is one of the best things on the Internet. — Read the rest

I've had a really stressful day, so I'm going to spend some time this evening watching bottle breaking ASMR videos and let my brain have a well-deserved break from working overtime.

I recently discovered a TikTok account run by a creator named "Yo G Chill" that features videos of beer bottles, glass jars, and other similar items rolling off a platform and crashing onto the concrete below. — Read the rest

This dog crunching and munching is the perfect way to manage your crushing existential crisis.

It's been a whirlwind of a week in the news, particularly in the world of politics, so if you're feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated and need to give your brain a brief respite, check out Hazel, whose human describes her as "a Chihuahua Dachshund mix with the most attitude, living her best life." — Read the rest

Have you ever heard a ferret snoring? I hadn't until very recently when I stumbled upon "FerretTok" and discovered TikTok user "Ferret Daddy," who describes himself as "Just a streamer with 3 ferrets Twitch: Zennvin."

Ferret Daddy posts adorable videos of his ferrets playing, eating, and just generally being cute. — Read the rest

Here's a new video genre I can't get enough of: echidna puggle ASMR. Check out this adorable puggle named Milly absolutely going to town on a bowl of yummy goodness. Listen to Milly slurp it up as fast as Keeper Deb can dish it out. — Read the rest

Here's three minutes of capybara ASMR to give you a quick relaxation break. The footage was shot at Nagasaki Biopark, and features over ten capybara eating a giant pumpkin. The Biopark YouTube page cleverly describes the "action":

We gave capybara a huge pumpkin.

If you need a break from all of the stress of the holidays, take a minute and watch these adorable 'goats in coats' munching away on snacks—it's the perfect animal ASMR. 

These rescued cuties live at the Graceful Farm Sanctuary in Barnegat, New Jersey, and are cared for by Jessica Soto, who also posts ridiculously cute videos of them on social media for us to enjoy. — Read the rest

If you like learning about leftist books and ideas, and also like ASMR, you're going to love this YouTube channel, where "political education meets cozy tingles." Meet Lý Luan, who runs a channel devoted to teaching leftist content through ASMR. — Read the rest

This adorable opossum crunching on an apple is music to my ears. This may be the best "ASMR" video I've ever heard (and seen). I want the audio as an MP3!

I'm normally not a fan of any type of chewing noises, but this particular crunching sound is so satisfying to listen to (especially because the creature responsible for the sound is so cute). — Read the rest

Meet a cute and curious beaver named Maple. She lives at 2^nd Hand Ranch and Rescue, a home-based wildlife rehabilitation center and animal sanctuary run by founder Nancy Johnson and many volunteers. On their Facebook page, the sanctuary posts all kinds of sweet and funny creatures, but Maple caught my eye, and I found this video of her pilfering Ritz crackers from the cupboard adorably hilarious. — Read the rest

I love the Oregon Zoo Instagram page—it's chock full of terrific photos and videos of all of their adorable creatures. My favorite videos are of their beavers, though—the zoo affectionately calls them "branch managers"—and regularly posts footage of them gathering sticks and branches, swimming and playing, and eating crunchy vegetables. — Read the rest

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. — Read the rest

Wow, the ASMR triggered by this stunning close-up video of a cat audibly lapping up milk is something to behold. Beautifully shot from under a glass table and posted by TikTok's furryfritz, I'm still basking in its aftereffects 10 minutes later. — Read the rest

Here's a new-to-me kind of ASMR: rug cleaning. I stumbled upon Arcadia Rug Spa's YouTube channel, which features satisfying and relaxing videos of rugs getting rinsed, soaped, brushed, and more. It's really quite mesmerizing. 

Arcadia Rug Spa is in Cheshire, England, and, according to their YouTube channel, it's:

The place to go to for expert knowledge in caring, cleaning and restoring your rugs.

If you've ever attended a comic book convention and happened across artist alley, you know that it's the heart and soul of the gathering. Irrespective of which avenue of interest drew you to the convention center, the artists that spend their days dutifully sketching for fans helped create the worlds that stoke the passion of billions of geeks worldwide. — Read the rest

My latest obsession, my new favorite YouTube video genre, is animal ASMR. I've been so stressed out lately, what with the latest SCOTUS decisions, COVID still raging, the Jan 6 hearings, and on and on and on ad nauseam. So, to help me block out reality momentarily, I take breaks and watch animals eating things. — Read the rest

When I first heard about ASMR, I couldn't believe it was as popular as people claimed. Then I took a look at the various subgenres, channels, and subscribers that float around the ASMR community, and I was blown away. ASMR, autonomous sensory meridian response, has become a staple genre within the YouTube scene. — Read the rest

In this curious clip, the host attempts to tickle your ASMR fancy by "recalibrating your settings" which involves clicking buttons on your face.

As one YouTuber commented half-jokingly (?), "She be coding us like robots."

And if you're turned hip to the ASMR stim scene, here's Wikipedia's explanation:

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), sometimes auto sensory meridian response, is a tingling sensation that typically begins on the scalp and moves down the back of the neck and upper spine.

If you're like me and can't stand the wet, cavernous mouth-sounds of mainstream ASMR videos, give this one a try: a teeny-tiny little baby kitty chilling in the grass, getting the pets it deserves, and spending time with mom.

Fox "News" and the like chalked up Joe Biden's press conference whispers on Thursday as "creepy" and "bizarre." Although it was definitely an unusual way for a US president to deliver a press conference, I prefer the Daily Show's alternative description: a feel-good, spine-tingling ASMR trigger. — Read the rest