In a preview clip for the upcoming NFL Film series The Timeline, Peyton and Eli Manning — the Kardashians of football — have a spat about Eli’s chewing habits. Because how else can you fill the airtime when you’re not chronicling the “defining moments in NFL history”? You give Eli some chips.
“You’re killing me with that … crunchin’,” an irked Peyton spits.
“I didn’t eat lunch,” responds Eli.
Riveting. And while it can be argued Eli isn’t known for being the most aware of his surroundings, Peyton is being a bit sensitive. Is he causing a fuss in order to “create drama” on camera (probably) or is he actually misophonic, a condition that literally translates to the “hatred of sound”? If the latter, then he isn’t alone.
Misophonia is a chronic, but relatively unstudied, condition in which specific sounds provoke an intense emotional arousal. A 2013 study found that misophonics report anxiety, panic, and rage when they hear “trigger sounds” — be it the clicking of the pen or the smack of a loud chew — exactly what Peyton goes through in this clip:
This research also found that people who are diagnosed as misophonic tend to have a strong neural connection between the limbic system and the part of the part of the brain that processes sound. The most common sounds that bothered people in this study were ones that were produced by the body like knuckle-cracking, sneezing, … and chewing.
While it would be irresponsible to armchair diagnose Peyton with the condition, he could benefit from the upsides if that was true. Sure, misophonia makes going to a buffet dinner annoying AF, but it’s been got a pretty sweet side effect: making people more creative. Go forth Eli, and chomp some more.
