Scroll, Watch, Feel: The sensory politics of embodied spectatorship in 'oddly satisfying' content

Short-form videos, often described as ‘oddly satisfying,’ have evoked unexpected pleasure in viewers for years, featuring multisensory stimuli, such as perfectly fitting objects, mesmerising paint mixing, and contrasting textures. This article examines 'oddly satisfying' content on Reddit and Instagram, exploring how these videos introduce new modes of ‘embodied spectatorship’ and sensory-driven consumption. Drawing on theories of embodied spectatorship (Marks, 2000, 2002; Sobchack, 2004), the article develops a theoretical framework addressing the subject matter through concepts such as ‘material haptic visuality’ and ‘empathetic materiality’. Methodologically, the study employs (1) an inductive content analysis approach, conducting systematic browsing of oddly satisfying content on Reddit and Instagram, and (2) conducting an aesthetic analysis. The article finds that textures and consistencies are the main components of ‘oddly satisfying content. In conclusion, the article discusses how oddly satisfying content reinforces existing notions of labour and gender, and how platform politics shape the seemingly apolitical content.