The Yanny and Laurel debate tears the internet apart, a sponsored post from Kim Kardashian West is called “toxic,” a cardboard cutout of Danny DeVito as a prom date captures attention, and more stories taking over the web this week…
Yanny and Laurel Tear the Internet Apart
“What do you hear? Yanny or Laurel.” This seemingly simple question posted alongside an audio clip by social media influencer Cloe Feldman this week is tearing the internet apart, even surpassing 2015’s #TheDress debate. Claiming to clearly hear one word or the other, #TeamYanny and #TeamLaurel are continuing to grow in numbers and brands are joining in on the viral discussion: On Twitter, Warby Parker introduced their latest optical addition, #Yanny in Tea Rose Fade, Sony posted a picture of headphones with the caption, “Hear so much more than “yanny” or “laurel” with these,” and Captain Morgan tweeted “Laurel? Yanny? All I hear is Captain.” Experts have explained that the enigmatic audio clip can sound different depending on the frequency or pitch. It has also been revealed that the clip originally comes from Vocabulary.com’s recording for the word “laurel” (sorry #TeamYanny).
Kim Kardashian West’s #Ad Sparks Backlash
Kim Kardashian West experienced backlash from her followers and the entire internet this week after posting a #ad for appetite-suppressing lollipops—a move that body-positivity champion and The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil described as “toxic.” The sponsored post—which was deleted by the platform accidently but has not been reposted—showed West enjoying a lollipop with the caption, “You guys…@flattummyco just dropped a new product. They’re Appetite Suppressant Lollipps and they’re literally unreal.” Followers flooded the comment section calling out the ad as “disgusting” and “irresponsible” among other things, but it was Jamil’s response that received the most attention. In a tweet with over 60,000 likes, Jamil stated, “You terrible and toxic influence on young girls..this family makes me feel actual despair over what women are reduced to.”
Cardboard Danny DeVito Steps in as a Prom Date
Seventeen-year-old Pennsylvania teen Allison Closs is reaching viral status after bringing a cardboard cutout of actor Danny DeVito to her prom as her date. Closs, who says she “struggled socially in high school,” has gained confidence through her YouTube channel and wanted to take hold of the “opportunity to really do something.” After she “couldn’t find a date in real life or an actual human,” she went to Amazon to purchase the $100 cardboard cutout and a square scooter to wheel it around in. She contacted local news about her plan, but the story has now extended beyond its original reach, even capturing the attention of DeVito himself. Through his publicist, he responded: “Never been invited to Prom… Happy I got to go PS: I spiked the punch!” Closs is not the first to go viral with this ploy: Michael B. Jordan and Bernie Sanders also got to go to prom via cardboard cutouts.
The Viral Photo of An Armed Kent State University Graduate
A graduation photo of a Kent State University student is gaining traction in the news because it features an AR-10 and a graduation cap that says, “Come and take it.” Kaitlin Bennett posted the picture of her on campus with the caption, “Now that I graduated from @KentState, I can finally arm myself on campus. I should have been able to do so as a student- especially since 4 unarmed students were shot and killed by the government on this campus. #CampusCarryNow.” The tweet garnered over 24,000 likes and 10,000 comments. According to her, the intention was to go viral: “I wanted to draw attention to the gun policies on campus that allow guests to open carry, but not students.” The university confirmed that the move was legal since Ohio is an open-carry state and restrictions are placed on attending students. It is a move that has been widely covered by the news, and despite receiving negative attention as well as positive, Bennett says she has no regrets.
Links We’re Passing
Senior pranks have been taken up another level, the royal wedding this weekend is a big deal (unsurprisingly), and if you want another audio clip to debate, here you go.
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