In YouTube creator GentleWhispering's most recent video , she emerges from behind a curtain clad in a flight attendant uniform. As she goes through the motions of directing you, the passenger, to the nearest exits, a soft spoken recording plays overhead. This plane's destination? Described by those in the business as "tingles", this pleasant, cloudy feeling occurs towards the back of your skull and is reported to be an involuntary reaction to soothing sounds such as light tapping, crinkling, and whispering. ASMR, while not a scientifically recognized phenomenon, isn't universal. Like a widow's peak, you have it or you don't, but judging by the view count on GentleWhispering's most popular video , at least 11 million people do. In these videos, the 'ASMRtist', as he or she but most often, she is called, will perform these gentle and, frankly, mundane tasks for anywhere from ten minutes to two hours. Two hours of a pretty woman stroking, whispering and gazing at the camera, but the endgame is relaxation. It's not sexual. If you find this hard to believe, you're not alone.
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ASMR — which stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response — is a term coined by the community of Internet users who experience a particular tingling sensation in response to certain auditory, visual, or haptic stimuli. The sensation often originates in the scalp and travels down the spine and is reported to be immensely pleasurable, as well as relaxing. This essay draws on affect and performance studies to conduct an analysis of these YouTube videos — using specific examples from the ASMRtist Olivia Kissper as case studies — in order to explore how media infrastructures produce the incarnation of sexuality through the process of mediated intimacy. Ultimately, it works towards a radical redefinition of sexuality that is more centered on affect than on bodily gestures, and suggests that through this lens the consumption of ASMR videos can be seen as a sexual practice and the configuration of ASMRtist, viewer-listener, and digital technology can be seen as a sexual relation. The cheerful blond woman smiles brightly.
Jude Dry. As film festivals pivot to the ever-shifting landscape of distribution and sales, the way we consume independent film is changing more dramatically than anyone could have predicted. Audiences can now experience a wider variety of films online, opening a world of possibilities that will hopefully benefit smaller films. Most filmmakers begin to craft their voices with shorts, and given the significance of making a strong first impression, the format encourages creative risks. While mainstream Hollywood struggles to address human sexuality in any meaningful way, these four recently-released short films explore sex and desire with a refreshing playfulness. Lead actress Amy Rutherford embodies her frisky businesswoman with an empowered girlishness, communicating everything from desperate lust to soulful longing with nothing more than a few subtle looks.
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