How ASMR Porn Stimulated the Internet by Lisa
In my apartment, the temperature is soaring. Nica Noelle, a woman I met just 45 minutes ago, is lavishing attention on my feet. As a porn director and actress, she has made the seven-hour journey from Massachusetts to my home in Queens, New York, to provide me with this unique foot massage. As she unbuttons her shirt, revealing her breasts despite the sweltering August heat, she uses my foot to caress her bare skin. Her genuine admiration for my “little toes” makes me reconsider my previous insecurities about them. However, Noelle’s words are not really meant for me, but for you, the viewer.
This month, Noelle, who claims to have a golden touch when it comes to turning porn studios into gold mines, is venturing into a new realm of internet videos: the rapidly growing erotic subgenre of autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR. We are currently filming one such video together. ASMR refers to the sensation of tingling on the scalp and neck triggered by various stimuli, such as whispering, tapping fingernails, or brushing hair. This phenomenon gained popularity a few years ago when people who could experience ASMR realized they were not alone, leading to a surge of ASMR videos on platforms like YouTube. A typical ASMR video features a person, usually a woman, looking directly at the camera and whispering or role-playing scenarios like a nurse, doctor, or massage therapist. While many insist that the sensation is not sexual, some viewers admit to experiencing sexual pleasure while watching these videos.
It’s not hard to see why some people refer to ASMR as “whisper porn,” which triggers a ”brain orgasm.” ASMR artists, or ASMRtists, are often young, attractive women with flawless makeup and manicures. “Watching an ASMR video can be a very intimate experience,” says Paige Towers, a writer and ASMR enthusiast who is currently writing a book on the subject. “Even ASMRtists who don’t consider their videos erotic often have that element. For example, ‘Sweet Seductive ASMR’ has been making supposedly non-erotic videos for years, but she’s very attractive and speaks in a sweet voice. It’s hard to deny the sexual undertones.”
Personally, I don’t experience the characteristic ASMR tingles when watching these videos. However, there’s something about watching a woman flirt with the camera using a feather, a makeup brush, or just her glossy lips that sexually arouses me, regardless of the video’s intended purpose. So, it’s not surprising that I feel a similar sensation as Noelle, a youthful-looking 45-year-old with long, messy blonde hair, whispers flirtatiously to the camera. The debate within the community about the distinction between “non-erotic” and “erotic” ASMR may be missing the point. Regardless of your reaction, ASMR seems to be a biological shortcut to releasing the brain’s most powerful drug. “Endorphins are likely the main cause of the tingles and mild euphoria of ASMR,” says Dr. Craig Richard, a professor of biopharmaceutical sciences at Virginia’s Shenandoah University. ”This immediate release of endorphins also happens between closely bonded individuals, such as family members and romantic partners, as well as during grooming behaviors in animals. The brain perceives stimuli like the soft voice of a clinician or the gentle touches of a hairdresser as safe and trustworthy, triggering the release of endorphins.”