The "mukbang" is global, but Indonesia has localized it through the Jajanan Kaki Lima (street hawker) aesthetic. Channels like Rujak Cingur Juragan (1.2M subs) focus on excessive chili consumption ( pedas ). The video's popularity hinges on the "ASMR of the kaki lima "—the sizzle of minyak goreng , the crunch of kerupuk , and the host's audible slurping. Critically, the video always includes a shot of the abang (seller) smiling, reinforcing a narrative of gotong royong (mutual aid) despite the exploitative potential of poverty tourism.
Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous nation and a majority-Muslim archipelagic state, has a complex entertainment history. From Wayang kulit shadow puppets to the blockbuster Warkop DKI comedies, Indonesian media has always navigated between traditional morality and modern spectacle. However, the advent of cheap smartphones and unlimited data packages (e.g., Indosat’s “YouTube On” bundles) between 2015-2025 has fundamentally altered the ecosystem.
Today, "popular video" no longer refers solely to primetime television. It includes 15-second TikTok dances, livestreamed Pengajian (Islamic sermons), and hour-long Let’s Play videos of Mobile Legends . This paper asks:
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Future research should examine the mental health impacts on creators who must maintain the "hustle" of daily uploads, as well as the legal gray areas of filming strangers without consent. For now, the video viral remains Indonesia’s most honest cultural mirror.
Many popular videos function as public shaming forums. Videos of KRL commuters not queuing or drivers ignoring palang pintu kereta (railroad crossing) garner millions of views. This "digital ronda " (neighborhood watch) replaces formal policing but often leads to cyberbullying. Creators exploit emosi publik (public emotion) rather than factual reporting.
The Digital Lens: A Study of Indonesian Entertainment and Popular Videos in the Post-Streaming Era