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USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Mormon college student interviews on sex, alcohol are going viral. Why?
Would you rather drink a cup of coffee or a cup of cooking oil? How about hurt a puppy or take a sip of alcohol? These are just some of the questions that have gone viral on a particular corner of TikTok that features videos in which people ask students at Brigham Young University − a college in Provo, Utah owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints − about sex, alcohol and swear words. The videos have become a massive niche on the app, amassing sometimes upwards of 17 million views on a single post and prompting fascination from those unfamiliar with BYU or Mormon culture. USA TODAY has reached out to BYU and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for comment. The TikTokers who make these videos say they get wide-ranging answers from BYU students, but it's the most shocking ones that tend to go viral. Daniel Spencer, a comedian with 1.7 million TikTok followers, says he used to film man-on-the-street interviews at BYU, his alma mater, until the school sent him a cease-and-desist letter around 2023. Spencer, who grew up Mormon but left the church after coming out as gay in 2020, says he believes the videos strike such a chord because they show a culture many people are rarely exposed to − and one that's in stark contrast to stereotypes of other college campuses. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. What health & wellness means for you:Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter "It's just funny to see that it's become this kind of subculture on the internet that lives around what it must be like to attend BYU," Spencer says. "That's kind of how I felt while attending BYU. While my other friends were at colleges, drinking and partying and having fun, we were doing game nights and going to bed at 10 p.m., so it's just such a very different experience." Why is the internet so obsessed with BYU student interviews? Robert Carpenter is not Mormon and has never attended BYU, but he started filming interviews there after some of his friends from high school who attended the university invited him to visit. Carpenter says he doesn't stage his videos, but he suspects some of the students he's interviewed were likely being sarcastic or self-satirizing with their responses. Like Spencer, Carpenter says he received a cease-and-desist letter from BYU in 2023. He also makes similar videos interviewing students at Liberty University, a private evangelical Christian university in Virginia. In Carpenter's view, these types of videos have such a grip on TikTok because they showcase viewpoints contrary to that of many other college students. Most of the students who go viral say they don't drink alcohol or have sex outside of marriage. Some avoid cursing or drinking coffee. What we can learn from the BYU interviews Both Spencer and Carpenter say their videos aren't meant to disparage BYU or its students. They say most students they've interviewed have been polite and kind. Many happily agreed to answer questions as a welcome break from studying. While it makes sense these videos have drawn interest online, psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis encourages people to be mindful of their attitude when watching these videos. "If you're watching it to really get to understand how other people live, then that's different than if you're watching it to ridicule someone," Sarkis says. "I think we have to keep that in mind. Are we watching it in a way that we are curious, or is it a way to feel better than? What's our intention?" She adds it's also important to not come to judgements or conclusions about any religion or community as a whole from quick videos. "The best way to find out about somebody's life experiences is to ask them," she says. "One person doesn't speak for the entire group." The way Spencer sees it, every college has its own unique culture. In that sense, BYU is no different. "It's just a fun little gag, fun to see a different kind of culture," Spencer says. "I think if you went to any campus and delved into the deeper parts of their culture, you could find something interesting and you find something worth asking that would be probably weird to everyone else in America." Plus, not every student interviewed in these videos has the same views. Spencer recalls how one student's surprising answer actually helped her land a "ring by spring." While asking students for their favorite swear words, one girl loudly cursed, and another BYU student saw it and was impressed by her brazenness. "A guy slid into her DMs and was like, 'Hey, you seem really chill. I saw you swearing in that video.' And yeah, they ended up dating and marrying each other."
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- USA Today
Do you have a 'living room kid' or a 'bedroom kid'? What it says about your family dynamic
Yvette Henry was in her kitchen fixing up dinner. So were all four of her kids. 'Ya'll, we have almost 4,000 square feet here and you're all right here. Right here,' she said on the "How Married Are You?!" podcast that she hosts with her husband, Glen Henry. But then she remembered a TikTok video about 'living room kids' and 'bedroom kids,' and realized she and her husband had built a home dynamic where their children felt emotionally safe in shared spaces. 'I don't think that I always appreciate what I have in this situation,' Henry said in the podcast clip that hit nearly 1 million views on TikTok and was posted elsewhere on social media. 'Like the gift of all this togetherness that we are going to look back on one day and say, 'oh my gosh, I miss that.'' 'Living room kids' and 'bedroom kids' are not terms established by behavioral science but have gained popularity online as parenting influencers talk about their household dynamics and their own past upbringings. A living room kid refers to a child who spends much of their home time in shared spaces such as the living room, kitchen or dining room. A bedroom kid refers to a child who spends most of their free time in the privacy of their bedroom. No matter what kind of person you are, if you're a parent, pay attention to your children's needs and what rooms they gravitate to. There's nothing inherently wrong with either. Although it might result in more messes, parents should feel proud knowing that living room kids feel comfortable and safe when congregating with family, said Whitney Raglin Bignall, associate clinical director of the Kid's Mental Health Foundation, a nonprofit promoting children's mental health. 'Safety could play a role,' she said. If there's a lot of family conflict, a child might spend more time in their room to avoid that stressor. What health and wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter. Why some kids prefer living rooms over bedrooms It's not just about safety, Raglin Bignall said. There are other factors at play, such as culture, age and personality. Some children are naturally more introverted than others, she said. Other children prefer quiet and solitary activities, like reading. Families may designate specific playrooms for children and adult spaces for parents to unwind. Children also tend to spend more time in their rooms as they enter their pre-teen and teenage years, said Dr. Thomas Priolo, a child psychiatrist at Hackensack Meridian Health. "A teenager will want to be more independent and feel responsible for themselves, and having a space for themselves in their room allows them to take control," he said. "As children get older, it becomes more important and more of a conscious decision." The time children spend in their room may also depend on the time of year, Priolo said. During the school year, kids are more socially stimulated by school and extracurricular activities, so they may want more time to unwind in their room alone. Why it's OK to be a 'bedroom parent' It's not necessarily a bad thing for children to spend more time in their bedroom, but he said parents should be wary if an ordinarily "living room" kid suddenly starts isolating in their room. This could be a sign that there's something wrong. "Rather than viewing it as 'living room' versus 'bedroom kids,' the best way to view it is as a house and making sure that kids feel safe no matter where they are," Priolo said. Riglin Bignall also reminds parents that having 'living room kids' can sometimes be overwhelming. It's OK to be a 'bedroom parent' every once in a while to recharge. 'Everyone needs breaks. You can't have people around you all the time,' Riglin Bignall said. 'It's great to have communal and family time and build family belonging but it's also important to think about when are you making sure you have time to fill your cup.'
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Is there a ‘gay voice'? Why this student's controversial thesis went so viral
Is there a 'gay voice'? Why this student's controversial thesis went so viral Is there such a thing as a "gay voice"? And if so, what constitutes it? A linguistics student at the University of Oxford recently investigated this topic for her undergraduate thesis − and went viral in the process. When Erin Broadhurst explained her thesis in a TikTok video interview on Oxford's campus, she became a viral sensation, getting over 8 million views, 1 million likes and thousands of comments from people curious about the controversial, and complicated, intersection of language, gender and sexuality. Broadhurst says this intersection − an area of academia known as "lavender linguistics" − is one she's been passionate about for a while. It's also one that, she believes, warrants more research. Given the massive response online to her thesis, it's clear others feel similarly. "As a bisexual girl myself, I was interested in the queer side of linguistics," Broadhurst says. "Whether we are correct or not, we do form impressions of people's sexuality from their voices. But what is it within their voices that we are thinking sounds 'gay'?" 'A tiny piece in a massive puzzle' Prior research on "gay voice," Broadhurst says, has primarily focused on gay men's vowel duration and sibilance, or the way they pronounce "s" and similar consonants. So, when Broadhurst brought her thesis idea to her supervisor at Oxford, he suggested she look into word initial voice onset time, something that hasn't been heavily researched in regard to gay people. Broadhurst describes this as the amount of time between a stop consonant − such as an unvoiced "t" or "p" sound − and a sound that requires the vocal folds to vibrate. Do gay people exhibit a shorter or longer voice onset time than straight people do? And, if so, could that affect how their consonants sound, thus contributing to "gay voice"? Broadhurst wanted to find out. What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter To do this, she analyzed the speech patterns of a pair of identical twins and prominent YouTubers: Sammy and Niki Albon. Sammy is straight, and Niki's gay. The fact that they're twins, Broadhurst says, helps limit confounding variables, such as regional dialect and upbringing. Plus, because they're YouTubers, there's plenty of high-quality audio of them talking available online for analysis. Coming out isn't actually over. Here's why. Broadhurst compared the twins' voice onset times to each other, hypothesizing that Niki, the gay twin, would have a longer voice onset time than Sammy, the straight twin. She found the opposite − Niki actually had the shorter voice onset time. That's not all. Broadhurst also compared how each twin spoke when talking with straight people versus gay people. She found that both twins adjusted their voice onset times to match that of the person they were speaking to. When Niki and Sammy were speaking with a gay person, both twins' voice onset times got shorter. When they were speaking with a straight person, both their voice onset times got longer. Broadhurst thinks this might have to do with something called "accommodation theory," which posits that people unconsciously mirror the speech patterns of who they're speaking with. After all, "if you want to build rapport with someone, you will kind of unconsciously make your voice more similar to that person," she says. 'We're all overcompensating': Why so many LGBTQ community members struggle with body dysmorphia All this warrants more research, Broadhurst says, but she hopes it continues to get people thinking about voice onset time and how it may contribute to what people think of as "gay voice." "There have been tons and tons of people doing all sorts of research into that area," Broadhurst says. "What I did was just kind of a tiny piece in a massive puzzle of what people are trying to work out." Why her viral thesis struck such a chord Broadhurst has received thousands of comments − both positive and negative − about her thesis. Many find it fascinating. Others say it reinforces offensive stereotypes. Some worry it might give people with bad intentions more ways of discriminating against gay people. Broadhurst understands these concerns but says her thesis was motivated by her love for the queer community and her desire to understand it better. She also says that the topic of "gay voice" is deeply complicated, involving sociological, cultural and interpersonal factors. In her view, attempts to understand these nuances aren't reductive, but, rather, help reveal the complex nature of language itself. More: The infuriating ambiguity of 'fine' Broadhurst has since graduated from Oxford and is now pursuing a masters in forensic speech science at the University of York. She hopes to one day get a PhD. She's enjoyed reading comments from people with suggestions on where research into lavender linguistics should go next. Overall, she hopes her viral thesis has encouraged more people to embrace their curiosity. "I love that this whole thing has just had loads of people commenting their ideas," she says. "To any little girl or boy or whoever who's just constantly told that they're asking 'why' too often and asking too many questions, don't stop asking questions, because you can learn such cool stuff if you foster that curiosity within yourself."
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
John Cena's cancer diagnosis was 'sobering.' Here's what he wishes he had known sooner.
John Cena's cancer diagnosis was 'sobering.' Here's what he wishes he had known sooner. Show Caption Hide Caption John Cena opens up about his past skin cancer diagnoses WWE icon and Hollywood star John Cena has opened up on making two cancerous spots removed in the past. Bang Showbiz John Cena never thought it would happen to him. But then he got the call – twice. The spots on his skin were cancerous. Cena's first skin spot was discovered on his chest – in the area of his left pectoral muscle – during a routine visit to the dermatologist. It was promptly removed and sent for testing. His second spot was noticed a year later on his back, in the area of his left upper trapezius muscle. 'I received the phone call twice, 'Hey, you've got to come back, because the biopsy came back cancerous,'' Cena recalls. 'That information is sobering, and it right there prompted me to change my life.' The 17-time WWE world champion, who is now the face of the new Neutrogena campaign for Ultra Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 70, says he had always 'neglected' SPF. But he quickly integrated applying sunscreen into his daily routine, calling it his way of showing 'gratitude' after his cancer scare. 'Skin care is a more palatable and accepted term and subject matter amongst women,' he says. Discussions between men can be more difficult to initiate. But it doesn't have to be that way, he argues. 'Men especially are becoming more conscious of self-care. … I just think we need to make it more commonplace.' This scan detected Dwyane Wade's cancer. Should you get one? What health & wellness means for you: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter Cena wants to close the 'gender gap' in SPF usage Women are more than twice as likely as men to wear sunscreen, but by age 50, men are at a greater risk of melanoma than women. And at any age, men are more likely to die from melanoma than women, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Only 12.3% of men – compared with 29.0% of women – age 18 years or older always used sunscreen when outside on a sunny day for more than 1 hour in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The lowest percentage of men who always used sunscreen was among those age 18-29 years (8.2%); that rate rose to 13.7% among men age 30-44. Data from a 2025 survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Neutrogena, with a sample of 500 Hispanic Americans and 500 general population Americans split evenly by generation, found that nearly a third of respondents never visit a dermatologist or health professional for skin-related checkups, and women were more likely to be advised to wear SPF every day as opposed to men (27% vs. 18%). 'SPF is more common in the vernacular of women, and that's because it is directly correlated with beauty,' Cena says. More young people are getting cancer Many young celebrities have recently announced they have (or had) cancer. James Van Der Beek. Jenna Fischer. Olivia Munn. Princess Kate. Elle Macpherson. The list goes on. There's no exact cause known for the rise in cancers among young people, according to experts, but researchers are trying to figure it out. But as a silver lining, people have been less likely to die from cancer over the past few decades despite the increasing incidence rate. For those worried about their own risk – wearing SPF is a good place to start. Regular use of SPF 15 sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by about 40%, and lower your melanoma risk by 50%, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. John Cena warns media, he will ruin wrestling, he is the last real champion in WWE After making history at WrestleMania 41, John Cena warns the media that he will ruin wrestling and he is the last real champion in WWE John Cena's final advice for men He doesn't care why someone is prompted to use SPF – whether it be for beauty or health – just so long as they use it. 'If someone uses SPF, because they don't want to get wrinkles, it's like someone going to the gym saying, 'I want to be ripped.' But being 'ripped' is essentially making healthier choices,' he explains. 'So you can go to the gym for aesthetic purposes, but the reward of training goes far more than just aesthetic beauty. I think SPF is in the same lane.' Cena knows that people need to be "proactive enough" to make substantial changes to their routine, but says it's "super easy" to be more conscious of your skin. "I've done some pretty aspirational things in the strength and health department, as far as nutritional choices and training regimens, and that's really complicated, difficult stuff," he says. But wearing SPF is just like "brushing your teeth." His vision for the future is for men to start keeping a tube of sunscreen right next to their toothpaste – and remember to use it daily. "My perspective on life has changed, but it took some real sobering news," he says. "I don't want anybody to get there, so I'm just trying to use my platform to get ahead of that one." Contributing: David Oliver
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
John Cena's cancer diagnosis was 'sobering.' Here's what he wishes he had known sooner.
John Cena never thought it would happen to him. But then he got the call – twice. The spots on his skin were cancerous. Cena's first skin spot was discovered on his chest – in the area of his left pectoral muscle – during a routine visit to the dermatologist. It was promptly removed and sent for testing. His second spot was noticed a year later on his back, in the area of his left upper trapezius muscle. 'I received the phone call twice, 'Hey, you've got to come back, because the biopsy came back cancerous,'' Cena recalls. 'That information is sobering, and it right there prompted me to change my life.' The 17-time WWE world champion, who is now the face of the new Neutrogena campaign for Ultra Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 70, says he had always 'neglected' SPF. But he quickly integrated applying sunscreen into his daily routine, calling it his way of showing 'gratitude' after his cancer scare. 'Skin care is a more palatable and accepted term and subject matter amongst women,' he says. Discussions between men can be more difficult to initiate. But it doesn't have to be that way, he argues. 'Men especially are becoming more conscious of self-care. … I just think we need to make it more commonplace.' This scan detected Dwyane Wade's cancer. Should you get one? Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter Women are more than twice as likely as men to wear sunscreen, but by age 50, men are at a greater risk of melanoma than women. And at any age, men are more likely to die from melanoma than women, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Only 12.3% of men – compared with 29.0% of women – age 18 years or older always used sunscreen when outside on a sunny day for more than 1 hour in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The lowest percentage of men who always used sunscreen was among those age 18-29 years (8.2%); that rate rose to 13.7% among men age 30-44. Data from a 2025 survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Neutrogena, with a sample of 500 Hispanic Americans and 500 general population Americans split evenly by generation, found that nearly a third of respondents never visit a dermatologist or health professional for skin-related checkups, and women were more likely to be advised to wear SPF every day as opposed to men (27% vs. 18%). 'SPF is more common in the vernacular of women, and that's because it is directly correlated with beauty,' Cena says. Many young celebrities have recently announced they have (or had) cancer. James Van Der Beek. Jenna Fischer. Olivia Munn. Princess Kate. Elle Macpherson. The list goes on. There's no exact cause known for the rise in cancers among young people, according to experts, but researchers are trying to figure it out. But as a silver lining, people have been less likely to die from cancer over the past few decades despite the increasing incidence rate. For those worried about their own risk – wearing SPF is a good place to start. Regular use of SPF 15 sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by about 40%, and lower your melanoma risk by 50%, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. He doesn't care why someone is prompted to use SPF – whether it be for beauty or health – just so long as they use it. 'If someone uses SPF, because they don't want to get wrinkles, it's like someone going to the gym saying, 'I want to be ripped.' But being 'ripped' is essentially making healthier choices,' he explains. 'So you can go to the gym for aesthetic purposes, but the reward of training goes far more than just aesthetic beauty. I think SPF is in the same lane.' Cena knows that people need to be "proactive enough" to make substantial changes to their routine, but says it's "super easy" to be more conscious of your skin. "I've done some pretty aspirational things in the strength and health department, as far as nutritional choices and training regimens, and that's really complicated, difficult stuff," he says. But wearing SPF is just like "brushing your teeth." His vision for the future is for men to start keeping a tube of sunscreen right next to their toothpaste – and remember to use it daily. "My perspective on life has changed, but it took some real sobering news," he says. "I don't want anybody to get there, so I'm just trying to use my platform to get ahead of that one." Contributing: David Oliver This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Cena was shocked by his skin cancer. He has a message.
