Janine Borger
Have you ever been intrigued by something disgusting? You know that it’s wrong, but you just can’t look away? I know it has happened to me. I’ve been hooked on a YouTube show for the past several days. It’s a show you’ve heard of: Epic Meal Time.
For the few of you that have never heard of it, Epic Meal Time is a group of college guys who take the concept of the unhealthy diet to a whole new level. It’s a horrible excuse for a cooking show. Ninety percent of the food is made up of, wrapped in, covered in, cooked in, and/or flavoured with bacon. The other 10 percent consists of processed cheeses, pork, fries, fat, candy, and, of course, Jack Daniel’s…
I have but one question: why do people watch the crew of Epic Meal Time cook these gross “meals” (the burger they made in one video had over 100,000 calories—enough to last the average person 50 days)? Moreover, why do people stay to watch the same guys stuff their faces with the stuff afterward?
My theories:
- Seeing this kind of food being eaten makes people feel better about their own diets. Imagine eating two burgers, a large side of fries, a huge Coke, and washing it all down with a Dairy Queen Blizzard. This isn’t uncommon in today’s society (I’ve witnessed it too many times myself). The agony you suffer after such a meal can be alleviated with a simple click on your smartphone. Just watch the guys from Epic Meal Time (EMT) stuff their mouths full of grease and bacon! Comparatively, your junk food feast was a tiny snack. Suddenly, you’re feeling great again.
- People are bored. They have nothing better to do than to watch other people harm themselves by consuming garbage. Apparently, Epic Meal Time is wildly entertaining compared to doing something actually productive. People love to be entertained, especially by the grotesque. Watching shows like this satisfies our vicarious need for “trashtainment”. Our love of trashy TV has even sustained the Jerry Springer Show into its twenty-first season, despite it having been named the “Worst Show Ever” by TV Guide.
- There are people out there sick enough to actually eat the things Epic Meal Time cooks. I don’t have an explanation for this one.
Check out Epic Meal Time’s channel on YouTube. It is solidly entertaining for about three videos, at which point I start to think, “Isn’t there something better I could be doing right now?” There is a huge list of things I could be doing, the first of which is to watch the other new YouTube show I’ve just heard of…