One of Twitch’s new experiments is allowing people to eat meals in front of their audience. The streaming service is called this “social eating”, and there’s some pretty strict (and hilarious) guidelines about what people allowed to do.
You can browse through what people are eating by surfing this tag. Right now, it appears someone is trying to eat 100 McNuggets “or bust”. Good luck, buddy!
Twitch has since published a detailed FAQ about social eating, not long after someone streamed themselves eating, um, cat vomit and another one ate… poop.
While the whole thing is worth reading, I’ve pulled some highlights.
Q: Am I required to interact with my viewers during my Social Eating broadcast?
A: Yes, you must be interacting with your audience for the duration of your Social Eating broadcast. Interaction could include reviewing the food being eaten or talking about games. Discussions unrelated to food are also acceptable.
Q: Am I required to show both myself and what I am eating during my Social Eating broadcast?
A: Yes, both you and the food you are eating must be visible for the duration of your Social Eating broadcast.
Q: I am primarily broadcasting a game, but I need to have a quick snack. Do I need to switch my category to Social Eating?
A: No. If you plan to eat a quick snack and want to continue broadcasting games or Creative content, you could do so while broadcasting a game or on a break, but your channel should stay in the game or Creative directory when doing so.
My favourite part of the FAQ, however, is what you can’t do on social eating.
- Primarily eating junk food, such as candy, condiments, or energy food.
- Primarily drinking alcoholic beverages, such as taking shots, drinking games, binge drinking, or drinking parties.
- Eating items or food not meant for human consumption, such as pet food, toxic substances, bodily fluids, refuse, or inedible objects.
- Eating foods or in a manner that might inflict harm upon yourself or lead to vomiting.
- Eating food or in a manner intended to disgust, shock, or offend others.
- Food challenges or contests, such as chugging, snorting, or binge/speed eating.
- Food challenges or contests involving the exchange of money, goods, or services, such as eating or shots, for dares or for money.
- Feeding others, such as pets or babies.
- Broadcasting from a moving vehicle, such as travelling to/from a grocery store, market, restaurant, or drive-thru.
- Broadcasting videos or content from other sites while eating, such as browsing video sites/services or social media.
I wonder what this means for “Face stuffing w/ Lord Mayo“?
Comments
9 responses to “Don’t Eat Pet Food (And Other Very Serious New Twitch Rules)”
I don’t entirely understand the appeal of this. Though I guess Kotaku US could use it for their Snactaku videos with Fahey?
Man, some of the rules are taking all the fun out of it. Whats the harm in video game related drinking games, or junk food reviews?
It seems the goal is to avoid any categories that could promote unhealthy or dangerous eating behaviour. If you’re going to stream eating, a video of you sampling a hundred different kinds of chocolate is something twitch would probably rather distance themselves from.
That’s it. Go home. Peak Internet.
I don’t understand the internet any more.
I used to think the same. I didn’t get cosplay and I’m still not into it but found a way to relate something I get enjoyment from to it. For the record though I still don’t understand cam eating and can’t help but think all the viewers are getting some sort sexual gratification from it, one day I might find a way to relate but until then to each thier own.
This is a HUGE thing in South Korea… called Meok-Bang and a whole heap of money is made off it. Supposedly something more of a cure to loneliness and the decline of social eating. Not sure if Twitch is trying to cut into the Korean market or expand the idea abroad though.
This is the thing – if you give 10,000 people a loaded gun, at least one of those will shoot themselves in the head, I guess they’re trying to prevent that from happening
Looks like LA Beast won’t be changing over to twitch.
No breast feeding… que all the angry Australian women…”we can breast feed wherever we want!…”