‘Chiz with his cheese’: Squishy hype reaches Senate impeachment trial

STRESS-RELIEVER. Senate Impeachment court presiding officer Chiz Escudero holds a squishy toy during the trial.

RAPPLER SCREENGRAB

Escudero has been spotted fiddling with a squishy toy during the impeachment trial

Participating in an impeachment trial is stressful, but presiding over one? A totally different story.

Senate Impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero appears to have found a way to manage courtroom pressure of overseeing the proceedings: a bright yellow, cheese-shaped squishy toy.

Much to its name, squishies are soft, squeezable toys designed to slowly return to their original shape after being compressed. They come in various shapes, sizes, and textures, with some offering a crunchy or resistant feel. The toys have been trending on social media, with some content creators making hauls or autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos.

During the impeachment trial, Escudero was repeatedly seen fiddling with a bright yellow, rectangular squishy resembling a cheese. At one point, he even delivered a ruling on a prosecution slide that had briefly appeared on the screen while playing with his squishy.

“Can the clerk kindly check with the tech what was flashed and upon whose authority it was flashed,” Escudero said.

Squishies may be marketed as toys for children, but they can also be great stress-relievers for adults.

And with Escudero celebrating his birthday on Saturday, October 10, a great gift idea, perhaps, could be another squishy! – Rappler.com