Did 'Toy Story' Accidentally Invent ASMR?

The Toy Story (1995) movies have always been incredibly smart and perceptive. As the franchise has grown, the movies’ commentary on the evolution of toys, like in Toy Story 3 (2010), and the prevalence of technology, like in Toy Story 5 (2026), have proved as much. As it turns out, Toy Story 2 (1999) is even aware of ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) before it became the phenomenon that it is now. It popped online in 2007, and Jennifer Allen coined the term in 2010. Still, Toy Story 2 was released a decade before all of that. 

In the sequel, a sequence where Woody (Tom Hanks) is fixed features some incredible ASMR, without even knowing it. Because how could it? The term didn’t exist as it does now. The movie couldn’t have catered to the phenomenon. Still, it tapped into something that so many viewers, myself included, find satisfying. In retrospect, I think that scene is one of the many reasons why Toy Story 2 is at the top of my Toy Story ranking. I love it even more as an adult. I can appreciate the animation’s quality, the nuances of the storytelling, and the differences between The Cleaner (Jonathan Harris) and Al McWhiggin (Wayne Knight) even more now.

Why Is the ‘Toy Story 2’ Cleaner So Memorable?

Al is the kind of character who sees the bottom line when he looks at toys. Not only does he sell them through Al’s Toy Barn, but he also collects rare toys to sell at even higher prices. He respects Woody (Tom Hanks), Jessie (Joan Cusack), Bullseye, and Prospector Pete (Kelsey Grammer) for what they can give Al in the long run: money. If Al can make the sale to the Konishi Toy Museum, he can have the kind of money that Al’s Toy Barn dreams of accruing. 

So, when The Cleaner enters Toy Story 2, there’s a clash of energy. Al is a frantic, messy man, and The Cleaner is a calm, older man who respects the toys differently. He’s careful and considerate. It’s about restoring the details to make Woody look so pristine that he appears brand new. Sadly, that means removing any character built through Woody’s time with Andy (John Morris), including the latter’s name written on the former’s boot. As a fan, of course, it’s tough to watch every part of Andy and Woody’s life together be essentially erased. Still, The Cleaner’s process is so personal that Woody has a chair and his hat has a stand. 

The scene is about taking the time, which is why The Cleaner responds, “You can’t rush art,” when Al asks how long the restoration will take. Fixing Woody is an art that respects the toy’s original form, rather than what it becomes when a kid plays with it. So, in a lot of ways, The Cleaner gives Woody what he’s been toying with (pun intended) for a while, an idea of what his life would look like if he continued to pull away from Andy. It would look like Woody standing still in a glass box to preserve impersonal details, being admired and appreciated from a distance.

Does ‘Toy Story 2’ Have an ASMR Scene?

So, yes, that sequence is critical to Woody’s journey in Toy Story 2, but it also has a larger cultural significance. Despite it coming from a minor character in a blockbuster’s sequel, the “Fixing Woody” scene is beloved for its calming aesthetic and actions. From the moment that The Cleaner rings Al’s doorbell, the scene focuses on sound. There’s the sound of Al opening the door, as well as the noise The Cleaner’s wooden toolbox makes as it’s set on the table. 

There are so many clicks and squeaks as The Cleaner prepares to clean Woody. There’s an organized, meticulous set-up to the scene that is already satisfying. Then, when The Cleaner pulls Woody into the scene, it’s with a gentle touch and excited eyes, emphasized by the soothing click of glasses being put on his face. It’s all so seamless that even the drawers of plastic eyes and rubber arms and feet (meant for other toys, of course) aren’t jarring. Instead, that title belongs to Al, who leans into the scene and breaks the soothing sounds with his voice. 

Al’s question about time interrupts the flow of the sequence, but it doesn’t ruin it. Toy Story 2 folds back into it with a montage that restores Woody alongside a sensory calm. It’s relaxing to hear The Cleaner use needle and thread to repair Woody’s arm, as well as all the other small sounds that come together to make that sequence shine. So, just as the Toy Story franchise has been quite perceptive in predicting the trends of toys, this Toy Story 2 scene suggests that the franchise could even anticipate something as niche as ASMR. It’s unlikely that it invented ASMR, but it’s certainly one of the earlier, unforgettable examples of such in an animated film.