A Beginner's Guide to ASMR

It's hard to describe ASMR (Autonomous sensory meridian response) as a sensory phenomenon, but for the sake of this post I'll refer to it as a genre of YouTube videos in which creators ("ASMRtists") use various audio and visual stimuli ("triggers") to create a pleasant "tingly" sensation, usually along your head/scalp. ASMR seems to generate one of two responses in people: either 1) you get it and you love it, or 2) you don't get it and you think it's really weird. I fall in the former camp, as I find it very soothing with or without the head tingles, particularly as a way to wind down before bed. So, if you have ever felt a passing interest in exploring ASMR, here's a guide from me to you.

A quick note before we begin: a lot of creators will recommend listening with headphones for the best experience. I find that playing videos on my phone works just fine, but playing them on speakers (linked up to my computer) gets a bit too intense. 

Start with: Celebrity ASMR Interviews

A good entry point into ASMR are interviews with celebrities who, like you, typically don't really understand ASMR but have been asked to give it a go while talking about themselves (their favorite hobby). W Magazine has a great collection of celebrities experimenting with ASMR, to various degrees of success. 

• The best versions of these are when celebs take ASMR seriously, such as Kate Hudson for W, Gillian Anderson for Netflix, and Cardi B for W. Cardi B's video, pictured above, is arguably the most successful one out there, as you can see from its 39 million views, because she herself is an ASMR fan and actually knows what she's doing in the video. 
• The worst versions of these are when the celeb acts like ASMR is completely stupid or beneath them (e.g., Jake Gyllenhaal for W). 
• A milder but semi-annoying variant of this is when the celeb plays along but clearly doesn't get ASMR, as demonstrated by their giggling their whole time and commenting on how "silly" they feel (e.g., Gal Gadot for W).

You think you might like ASMR? Now try: 

Now we're going to have you explore ASMR by ASMRtists, i.e., non-famous creators who treat ASMR as a craft. It sounds like I'm mocking them but actually I like that they take it seriously. My favorite creator is ASMR blossom, but I also enjoy Slight Sounds ASMR and Made In France ASMR. There are a million different sound triggers to check out, including: 

• Classic sounds, e.g., crinkling of paper/plastic; tapping/scratching of wood; handling objects such as a leather pouch or a wooden hairbrush
• Talking sounds, which vary from mouth sounds to inaudible whispering to repeated words. Most ASMR creators are women, as you might guess, but there are definitely male voices out there too if that makes a difference.
• Visual stimuli, e.g., face touching (the creator strokes the camera with their finger... yes I swear this is non-sexual) or neck/back massage (get ready to feel very jealous)
• Mukbang, or eating sounds. I don't personally like this so I won't link to anything, but this is very popular and there are whole channels devoted to this.
• Mic brushing, where the creator uses a makeup brush or their fingers to tap, scratch, brush, or in some other way touch their microphone such that it sounds like your ears are being scratched. It's a bit intense for me but again, some people really like it.
• Most ASMR is very slow/deliberate but I like some fast/aggressive variants, where the creator might do some high-paced tapping, snapping, etc. 

To figure out what sounds you like most, I recommend watching a video such as this which has a lot of triggers in a short amount of time. 12 minutes seems like a long time but with 100 triggers, that works about to 7-8 seconds each. You might find that you really like the sound of glass being tapped but hate the sound of foam being scratched. It's obviously very subjective and personal, and as the good people of Reddit say, YMMV--your mileage may vary. 

I think you're ready for advanced ASMR: 

Now that you're cool with basic ASMR sounds, you're ready to graduate to... roleplay videos. Yes, this sounds sexual but once again, it's not. Personally, I enjoy those crinkling and tapping sounds, but after anywhere from 15-50 minutes of tapping (yes, some videos really are that long or longer), you tend to want something different. I've found that I really like roleplay videos where the creator talks to you and pretends to act something out, whether that's giving you a haircut (I like the metal cutting sounds) or administering an eye exam (no, it's not remotely medically accurate, but that's fine).

Get ready to feel very relaxed! Enjoy!

Modern-Day Teen Adaptations of Literary Classics

Modern adaptations of classic literature are basically fanfics, if you think about it (#modernAU). They succeed because the story is familiar and the structure is sound, but the modern twist gives it new life. Although I love adaptations such as Bridget Jones’s Diary (based on Pride & Prejudice, of course), teen-centric adaptations are especially clever because really, what setting has more drama, farce, and tragedy than high school?

Here are some of my favorites: 

1. Clueless (1995) - Emma, Jane Austen 

• One of my all-time faves. I think Alicia Silverstone’s Cher perfectly exemplifies the spirit of Emma: confident and well-intentioned but sometimes insensitive due to her wealth, privilege, and popularity. 

2. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) - The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare

• Another one of my all-time faves. I’m not familiar with the play, unfortunately, but it’s been criticized as misogynistic (a lady is a “shrew” who has to be “tamed” by a man. Gee whiz.) I would argue that the movie gives a pretty good representation of “white girl” girl power, i.e., entry-level feminism.

3. She’s The Man (2006) - Twelfth Night, Shakespeare

• Very funny, shockingly underrated movie that I almost forgot about when making this list. I also haven’t read or watched this play (I need to take Remedial Shakespeare 101) but the plot is a bit convoluted. The comedy in the movie is more physical than cerebral but hey, it’s a fun time with a young Channing Tatum.

4. She’s All That (1999) - Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw (aka My Fair Lady)

• Popular jock Freddie Prinze Jr. accepts a bet to turn dorky art student Rachael Leigh Cook into the next Prom Queen. Yes, I rightly criticized it for its unnecessary makeover, but I still find it entertaining.

On-the-fence mentions: 

• Romeo + Juliet (1996): This retains the original Shakespearean dialogue so it doesn’t feel very modern.

• Easy A (2010): This is less adaptation and more explicit reference to The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, if I recall correctly. 

Problematic mentions:

• Cruel Intentions (1999) - Les Liaisons dangereuses, Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

• This movie did not age well, tbh: a lot of problematic sexual manipulation.

• Sierra Burgess Is A Loser (2018) - Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand

• Although Cyrano is inherently deceptive, the non-consensual elements of the love story are extra problematic and have been correctly criticized. I wouldn’t recommend this movie for that reason.

• The Half Of It (2020) - also Cyrano de Bergerac

• Not nearly as problematic as the former but the basic Cyrano premise is still not ideal.

Fantastic Tropes and Where to Find Them

These are some of my favorite tropes and examples of them in movies. Gotta give credit to the website TV Tropes for doing a lot of the legwork.

Here are 3 of my favorite tropes:

1. Childhood Friends to Lovers: One of my favorite Tumblr text posts states: “i wish my life was a childhood sweethearts slowburn friends to lovers 200k fic”. Even though the “enemies to lovers” trope is far more common in popular media (à la Pride and Prejudice), I think we would all rather live the childhood friends to lovers experience (à la Emma), right? 

• Best examples: 13 Going on 30, Always Be My Maybe, Forrest Gump

• These arguably qualify: Moonlight, Spider-Man, Sweet Home Alabama

2. Unlikely friends / Family of choice: In this trope, people who have no business being in the same room together end up being a chosen family. 

• Best examples: The Breakfast Club, Sister Act, Zombieland, Guardians of the Galaxy (and probably more of the MCU but I haven’t seen any Avengers movies)

• These arguably qualify: Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings 

3. Women working hard montage: I like a good montage of women working hard to achieve their life/career goals. My favorite is of the “who needs men?” variety.

• Best examples: Legally Blonde, Little Women, Brittany Runs A Marathon

• These arguably qualify: Mulan, The Parent Trap 

As a bonus, here are three of my least favorite tropes: 

1. Love triangle: It’s a tale as old as time and it’s tired. I don’t know about you but I’m over all the Team This Guy and Team That Guy talk.

• Notable offenders: Too many to count but the recent biggies are Twilight and the Hunger Games. 

2. Unnecessary makeover: Nerdy/weird girl gets a makeover (read: takes off her glasses); turns out she was beautiful all along.

• Notable offenders: She’s All That, The Breakfast Club, The Princess Diaries
  
• These arguably qualify: Grease, Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire

3. The Chosen One: Only one person (usually a boy/man) can save the universe. The weight of the world is on this lone (wo)man’s shoulders. Sigh. As we all know, in reality no one can do anything meaningful alone. 

• Notable offenders: Harry Potter, Star Wars, The Hunger Games

An extra special bonus, b/c I'm trying to add more visual aids to punch up these posts:

Photo Source

Genres of Music I Listen to While Working

Most of the time, I can’t listen to anything when I’m doing any work that requires real concentration, such as reading or studying. Even when I’m doing more mundane things such as responding to an email, I have to turn off music with lyrics, or else I will be hugely distracted. However, there are some cases where instrumental music provides me with the perfect level of background noise, such as making a PowerPoint prettier (am I the only one who obsesses?) or finding citations for an academic paper. In those instances, these are the genres I turn to: 

1. Downtempo/trip hop 

1. The artist: Emancipator

1. The album: I have a very distinct memory of writing my undergraduate honors thesis to Soon It Will Be Cold Enough (2006) in the college music library, which was tucked away and quiet but also close to a cafeteria.

2. Song to start with: The titular song or “When I Go” (some lyrics)

2. The artist: Blue in Green

1. The album: The Break of Dawn (2011). This was actually a discovery on Pandora back when Pandora was a thing… so, early college? 

2. Song to start with: “Voyage” or “Rainy Streets”

2. Electronic music (IDM) (all Pandora discoveries as well!)

1. The artist: The Glitch Mob

1. The album: Drink The Sea (2010)

2. Song to start with: “Fortune Days,” which is a great pump-up song.

2. The artist: Ronald Jenkees

1. The album: Disorganized Fun (2011)

2. Song to start with: The titular song or “Stay Crunchy”

3. Classical guitar

1. The artist: Baden Powell, Brazilian guitarist

1. The album: Three Originals: Tristeza on Guitar / Poema on Guitar / Apaixonado (2014) - Another college discovery. I’m seeing a trend.

2. Song to start with: “Canto de Ossanha” or “Dindi,” both of which remind me of my college music group and make my heart spill over.

2. The artist: Andrés Segovia, Spanish guitarist

1. I actually don’t have a go-to album or songs for him, but they’re all good.

4. Instrumental film soundtracks 

1. The artist: Jóhann Jóhannsson

1. The album: A friend of mine really likes the Arrival soundtrack but it’s too weird and dissonant for me. My go to is The Theory of Everything (2014), which is very traditional and super pretty. 

2. The artist: Yann Tiersen

1. The album: Amelie (2001). I cannot stress enough how much I adore it. Since the titles are in French and all are instrumental anyway, it’s hard to pick a stand-out song but I promise they’re all beautiful. 

2. Next album: Goodbye Lenin (2003). FYI, we watched this movie in German class in high school and it’s solid. Daniel Brühl is always good.

5. Piano covers of pop music

1. The artist: Maxence Cyrin

1. The album: Novö Piano (2010). I loved this so much I bought the album ages ago on iTunes, I think? Idk how to even access those files any more.

2. Song to start with: “Where Is My Mind” or “D.A.N.C.E.”

2. The artist: Henry Smith

1. This is the first of the list that I discovered a) post-college (just this year, I think) and b) on Spotify rather than Pandora! Wow, folks. Again, I don’t have a go-to album or song but he’s got covers of Beyonce, Adele, Ed Sheeran, etc. You’ll find your thing.

6. Other instrumental music 

1. The artist: Studying Music Group

1. The album: This is another odd Spotify discovery because I don’t know if this is an actual “group” or just a collection of songs put together by Spotify. Anyway, the generically named Study Music (2014) album was my background music when working on my Master’s thesis, I believe.

2. Song to start with: "Heaven on Earth," although I admit a lot of them sound similar.

2. The artist: Lavinia Meijer, harpist

1. The album: Voyage (2015). I love Debussy and Yann Tiersen so her performances of both on this album are just perfect for me.

2. Song to start with: “Clair de Lune” or any of the songs from Amelie.

Update as of 6/18/20: Spotify links have been added to all of the above!

10 Non-Musical Film Soundtracks I Listen to Most

Here I’m listing non-musical film soundtracks I love where the songs stand on their own, separate from the movie. So, the emphasis here is really on a great collection of pop songs that predate the movie, rather than original music. I’m also making the tough decision to exclude soundtracks that are mostly instrumental (e.g., Amelie, Little Miss Sunshine). Disclaimer: the following is what I listen to most; by no means am I saying these are the “best” soundtracks.

1. A Walk to Remember

1. Perfect match of scene & song: "Dancing in the Moonlight" by Toploader. “You’re straddling the state line.. you’re in two places at once.” (clip) 😭

2. Other stand-out songs: "Mother, We Just Can't Get Enough" by New Radicals. Also all the Switchfoot songs tbh.

2. 500 Days of Summer

1. Perfect match: "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oates, when Tom (JGL) dances in the street with a flash mob (clip).

2. Other stand-outs: "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap and "Mushaboom" by Feist. I listened to both of these a lot freshman year of college.

3. The Parent Trap (1998)

1. Perfect match: "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles as Hallie (as Annie) bonds with her mother in London, who she's never met before. (clip) 😭

2. Other stand-outs: The movie starts with “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole and ends with “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” by his daughter, Natalie Cole. How perfect is that?

4. Booksmart

1. Perfect match: “Slip Away” by Perfume Genius as Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) swims in the pool at the party, finding a bit of joy in her freedom. (clip)

2. Other stand-outs: "Nobody Speak" by DJ Shadow feat. Run the Jewels and “Cold War” by Cautious Clay which has been stuck in my head all week. 

5. 10 Things I Hate About You

1. Perfect match: "F.N.T." by Semisonic when Patrick (Heath Ledger) and Kat (Julia Stiles) play paintball and kiss for the first time. (clip)

2. Other stand-outs: "Cruel to Be Kind" and "I Want You To Want Me" by Letters to Cleo, also known as Ben Wyatt's favorite band.

6. Garden State

1. Perfect match: "Let Go" by Frou Frou when Zach Braff kisses his love interest (Natalie Portman) at the end. (clip) Barely a spoiler given that it’s a rom-drama.

2. Other stand-out: Ok, Zach Braff did not single-handedly make The Shins famous, but he kind of helped. I am one of the many who fell for “New Slang” after seeing this movie.

7. Shrek series (1, 2, 3)

1. Perfect match: If you didn’t sing along word for word to “All Star” by Smash Mouth at the start of the first movie, you are lying. (clip)

2. Another perfect match: Same with “Accidentally in Love” by The Counting Crows at the start of the second movie. (clip)

3. Other stand-outs: The third movie was not great but featured my favorite songs of the series: "Best Days" by Matt White and "Other Ways" by Trevor Hall.

8. Angus, Thongs, & Perfect Snogging

1. Explain yourself: I know you’re judging me already but hold up. "Girls and Boys in Love" by The Rumble Strips plays as Georgia (Georgia Groome) and her friends stalk the new boys in town who are already their crushes. It is a fun time.

2. Other stand-outs: "She's So Lovely" by Scouting For Girls and "Toothpaste Kisses" by The Maccabees.

9. What’s Your Number

1. Explain yourself: This otherwise forgettable rom-com that I watched years ago secretly has a great soundtrack. It's got good party songs ("Jungle Flames" by The DNC) as well as quieter love songs ("Wicked Way" by Benjamin Taylor). 

2. Other stand-out: "Chit Chat" by Hannah Georgas which I recently found out has less than 750K streams on Spotify.

10. The Graduate

1. Explain yourself: It’s Simon and Garfunkel. Need I say more? 

2. Stand-out songs: “The Sound of Silence,” "Mrs. Robinson," and "April Come She Will”.

I screwed up, this should have made the list: Charlie's Angels (2019); Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Honorable mentions: Birds of Prey; Black Panther; Call Me By Your Name; Dirty Dancing; Fifty Shades of Grey (sigh); Juno; Love, Simon, Step Up; The Perks of Being a Wallflower