ASMR Simlish Is The Soothing Trend That's Creeping Us Out
Next time you want someone to whisper sweet nothings in your year, why not have them say "Za woka Geneva" down a microphone? If you're wondering what on Earth we're on about, a viral video of ASMR Simlish has us confused and soothed in equal measure.
Since the release of the OG version of The Sims in 1999, we've never really questioned the bizarre nonsense they spout from their mouths.
Much like Star Trek's Klingon or Game of Thrones' Dothraki, Simlish has taken on a whole language of its own. However, with there being no rhyme or reason to how it's spoken, it can be a little hard to pick up.
What is Simlish ASMR?
Doing the rounds on YouTube, YouTuber Gibi is raking in the clicks with her ASMR Simlish video. In the lengthy 17-minute sketch, she's speaking soothing Simlish with a variety of accompanying sounds and even a colander. In this scenario, Gibi imagines a final-stage interview in Simlish
The video's description explains how she thought it "would be hilarious to make a really 'serious' concept, AKA, the final round of a very important interview, and turn it into the goofy Sims style… kind of like when you're nervous in a high-pressure situation, and it's like they aren't speaking a language you know".
Our favourite bit is the G-Fuel Simlish sponsorship, which pokes fun at your standard YouTube video sponsor with a load of gobbledygook. Gibi's video features her getting dressed in Sim style and then flicking through a notepad of popular Sims symbols. Our Simlish is a bit rough, but it looks like she's talking about romance, babies, and (what looks like) buried treasure.
What are the origins of Simlish?
If you thought this was the origin of a bizarre trend of Simlish ASMR, Gibi points out that someone already got there before her. Back in 2019, YouTuber HayleyJean did an ASMR makeup video conducted entirely in Simlish. Elsewhere, Katy Perry famously sang "Last Friday Night" in Simlish in 2012.
As for the language of The Sims, we recently covered how Simlish is completely made up. Unlike some languages that take words and alter them, Simlish really did start out life as a bunch of nonsense. These days, some phrases like "sul sul" (hello) and "chum-cha" (pizza) have been adopted as real Simlish, but back in the day, the voice actors said whatever they wanted. Apparently, Simlish was created as a workaround for having to dub the game in multiple languages.
Be careful spouting your Simlish though. As Gibi rightly said, "I am PRAYING I didn't say anything offensive in another language lmao but I just went into the Sims and dictated a bunch of words I heard them say". Her YouTube is known for her ASMR videos, but they're definitely less risqué than Twitch creators like Kaitlyn "Amouranth" Siragusa's NSFW ASMR streams.