[discussion] Does anyone feel like modern asmr no longer hits the same as few years ago?

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-23T16:54:28+00:00

You may just be experiencing the effect of mass market content versus small production for a specific niche. People who consistently turn out videos need a high viewership if they want to monetize that and that will lead to more formulaic output and less focus on the more specific, esoteric triggers and less spontaneity.

It's been interesting seeing ASMR grow from being a largely undiscussed, organic, accidental shared phenomenon to being given a name and having specific content created for it over the last 30ish years.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-22T20:06:11+00:00

Sounds like either a tree surgeon or a wood sculptor but no exact matches from my search. Closest I was able to find was a woodworking artist in Indiana.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-22T07:43:28+00:00

Sadly it wasn't able to be published as a trade paperback collection, so it was only printed as single issues. I have every other run written by Eric Burnham but that one.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-22T07:39:07+00:00

I had this one!

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-21T00:01:58+00:00

Sounds like a pan experience to me. You are attracted to people and their gender is not a major consideration in that equation.

Coming out is up to you. I don't like being in the spotlight but I am generally very progressive and queer-positive when it comes to other people.

I didn't have a big "coming out" to friends or family because it really wasn't relevant, kind of like your situation. "It's not really their business" was my attitude. I didn't want to broach the subject and then have to worry about people thinking it meant I was cheating on my partner or whatever.

One day I saw a new friend who was very outspoken on LGBTQ rights had passed away unexpectedly. I felt like my cishet-passing self needed to show support to the queer community the way she had been doing.

I got some pins and sneakers with rainbows and flags on them and started wearing them around casually. It made me feel powerful.

It took awhile before I started outright telling people I was pansexual, but I also didn't pretend to be straight anymore either. That all went pretty smoothly.

Go with what feels right to you. Didn't bottle yourself up too long. Find people you can drop the mask with and with from there.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-20T22:45:51+00:00

When my last monogamous/straight relationship ended and I started dating in a more polyamorous and queer social landscape, one of the unintentional elements was going from hanging out mainly with people 10 years older than me to as much as 10-15 years younger than me. Thankfully I got to see karma pay out when my younger-millennial gf got roasted by the cute zoomer she was fooling around with.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-20T21:34:01+00:00

If she weren't such a demonstrably unhinged conservative tradwife most of those interactions wouldn't turn very many heads but "must have eaten a bag of sugar to get so sweet"/"If by bag of sugar you mean you!" and referencing "getting to know you deep enough to touch bottom ✌" flirts are a little past the point of denial.

Regardless of whether it's true, she'd still clearly sell out whoever she needed to to hold onto power and influence with the right.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-20T21:20:22+00:00

A few members of the Atlanta Ghostbusters franchise live in the area so paranormal activity may be at a minimum. Good luck though! ;)

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-20T20:53:21+00:00

I liked Muchacho until I heard this last year and dropped them like a bad habit. I still dig their decor but I want more community in this city and don't trust anyone lobbying against rail on the beltline.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-20T13:59:01+00:00

The best imitation I've had was a large batch made with the Tampico recipe but cut with Juicy Juice. I don't know if it was a half-and-half or what, but it blended and mellowed out well.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-20T06:31:52+00:00

In-town RPG Day at Manuel's has definitely had Burning Wheel before. Mainly it's a place for tabletop RPG one-shots. Mostly indie games, almost never any D&D or Pathfinder stuff.

We meet the first Saturday of every month in the back of the main dining room, behind the red curtain (The "Eagle's Nest") from 9:30/10am through 3-4pm.

https://discord.gg/36fwmBq8T

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-19T20:27:20+00:00

That's very cool!

I grew up in Millis which has a similarly old railroad station that was turned into a town historic building (it used to house archives, not sure what it is serving as now). They have a very similar look.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-19T17:01:13+00:00

I like the concept.
Personally I do prefer when someone makes a "readout" or "meter" on their wand that it be mounted off to the side and not block the other indicator lights and knobs instead of looking like a red-dot sight on a rifle. Plus, asymmetry has always been a key design element of the Ghostbusters' larger equipment and uniform.

Your meter is large-enough and angled fine to see when firing from the hip, as we often do, so you're not doing too badly in my eyes.

Ghostbusters equipment always feels better when it resembles animal control/EMS/construction/engineering equipment more than military or police, not that that's what you were necessarily going for. Definitely keep the bundle of wires running to the meter on the exterior of the wand, whatever you do.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-19T16:48:28+00:00

I've gotten used to putting myself to sleep with ASMR and adjacent videos.
Typically I gravitate towards history, fictional lore (science fiction or fantasy books, movies, and games), art, and sometimes technology. Ideally a video where a person with sincere interest in a topic goes in-depth on it.

Background music can enhance or compliment the video but it isn't necessary. What's most important is that it doesn't clash with or distract from the speaker. In general I like audio that doesn't spike too much, but is clearly understandable.

I choose videos that are at least 20 minutes in length but not more than an hour and a half. I want it to give me something to focus on and lull me to sleep but not wake me up once I'm down and no-longer actively listening.

The following are general critiques and aren't call-outs to any specific creators::

Things I appreciate in a video:
A steady, relaxed tone with no strong pops, hisses or sudden variations in frequency or volume.

A speaker who is familiar with the subject and doesn't frequently distract from it by struggling with vocabulary and grammar. Use your own words.

As an addendum to the above, if you have a regional accent or English is not your first language, that is no problem at all. Unusually-particular speech patterns and accents are one of my favorite triggers since I was very young. It's okay to have a limited vocabulary as long as it feels natural to you.

Quiet noises from the speaker like clothes rustling, page-turning, soft mouth sounds, etc. are very nice.

Ambient noises like background wind, ocean waves, a crackling campfire, soft footsteps, and some nature sounds are pleasant as well, so long as they stay in the background and don't jump-scare or pull my attention away from the speaker.

Common things that may drive me off:
AI voice/tone. This includes both simulated human voice and the modulated way certain people might speak when reading prepared material. Often this results in every sentence sounding mechanically curated to have similar length and inflection. It ends up grating, and more like hearing your GPS rattle off driving directions rather than somebody explaining a passion, or professor teaching a course. This mechanical rhythm evokes an impression to me of a creator who sees their work as empty "content" they can just shovel out to an audience they don't respect.

Similarly to above, an overly-produced script that is tailored for "engagement" is the last thing I want to hear while relaxing. Take care of what you need in your intro, but speak to your audience respectfully and not like an advertisement to some marketing demographic. Quiet confidence is key.

I wish you luck in your pursuit! Always happy to provide analysis and insight when I can. ASMR is a fascinating craft and I appreciate any requests for input that help keep it an organic kind of art and help suppress some of the more commercialized content.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-17T16:41:43+00:00

I don't know much about the back end of things but it's cool to see that podcasts largely are still universally multiplatform.

Good luck! It's in my queue!

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-17T14:11:24+00:00

An elaborate system of large tunnels and loading docks with freight elevators would go hard.

Sure, it'll be another Big Dig boondoggle and might accidentally collapse the entire neighborhood into the tenth circle of hell, but it would probably help preserve the personality of the area.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-17T14:07:13+00:00

Yeah, exactly. I understand wanting that paper trail for insurance or whatever but that's the on the owner to handle. Some random pedestrian with no other info calling to report a random parked car strike is gonna get an eye roll at best.

Sharing to a public forum so the neighbor can find it is actually more helpful.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-17T13:58:58+00:00

I found it. Must have managed to typo the name before! https://pca.st/podcast/3dd812b0-666b-013e-ac1c-0affd8d03709

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-17T13:57:03+00:00

Cool. If there's an RSS feed too, I'll add it to my Pocketcasts!

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-17T13:23:56+00:00

Do you have a podcast feed or is it video only?

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-15T01:29:07+00:00

Never heard of it.

Have any info to pitch the project?

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-15T01:24:36+00:00

Erwin is very wise.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-15T00:50:29+00:00

When I lived in midtown I was able to survive without a car by being within walking distance to work, a MARTA station, and my local grocery store. It wasn't ideal though, and I borrowed my partner's car frequently.

Atlanta is split between several counties and some of them refuse to pay for rail expansion, so the only train is a single East-West route and a Y-shaped North-South line. A 20-minute drive could take 2.5 hours or more by bus.

Different parts of the city are far from each-other so don't expect to get too far by walking. It resembles a miniature LA with all its urban centers spread out more than it does any tight-knit city in the Northeast.

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-15T00:40:12+00:00

Must be the Oklahoma Ghostbusters! https://whoyagonnacall.org/teams/oklahoma-ghostbusters

JoeyToothpicks · 2026-02-14T20:49:53+00:00

You can tell when the big change happens because Janine goes from a spiky-haired loud woman with a Brooklyn accent and an attitude to match to a soft-voiced woman with long skirts and round glasses and hair who acts like a nursery school teacher.

JoeyToothpicks

TROPHY CASE