Yanny or Laurel? Ellen DeGeneres, Chrissy Teigen, and other celebs take sides on the great debate of our time
Does anyone remember what we did before the internet?
If you logged on to any device Tuesday, you probably devoted a chunk of time listening to an audio clip that says “Laurel”… or it says “Yanny,” depending on who’s listening. A Reddit user shared the debate-sparking clip over the weekend, and then on Sunday YouTuber Cloe Feldman threw out the question that ended up taking over many people’s afternoons today.
What do you hear?! Yanny or Laurel pic.twitter.com/jvHhCbMc8I
— Cloe Feldman (@CloeCouture) May 15, 2018
The Verge described the clip as an “audio illusion,” which is heard differently depending on the audio frequency. “Yanny” is at a higher frequency, while “Laurel” is lower. What people hear, scientists told the website, is partly determined by the audio system playing the word. A person’s ears also affect what they hear because older people might have a tougher time hearing the higher frequencies in “Yanny.” What you expect to hear plays a part too, said Bharath Chandrasekaran, a University of Texas at Austin professor in the department of communications sciences and disorders. He noted that the meme poses the question as “Yanny or Laurel?” — automatically setting an expectation for your brain.
Well, just like the rest of us, celebrities were fascinated and frustrated by what’s being called the 2018 version of #DressGate.
it’s so clearly laurel. I can’t even figure out how one would hear yanny.
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) May 15, 2018
Literally everything at my show just stopped to see if people hear Laurel or Yanny. I hear Laurel. https://t.co/efWRw1Gj0L
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 15, 2018
c’mon Ellen… it’s Yanny https://t.co/NKzHjG9lhm
— Cloe Feldman (@CloeCouture) May 15, 2018
“Laurel? Yanny? All I hear is the SONG OF THE SUMMER.” pic.twitter.com/cxRvOB7doL
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) May 15, 2018
Yanny vs. Laurel is starting some real fights
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) May 15, 2018
I truly do not understand where Laurel comes from. I only hear Yanny. This is not a bit, I am so confused https://t.co/1rdGD3r5cZ
— Ike Barinholtz (@ikebarinholtz) May 15, 2018
IT’S DEFINITELY LAUREL
— The Laurel Laurel Show (@latelateshow) May 15, 2018
Yanny and Laurel is like a deep ghost whisper. https://t.co/BImYfuERYh
— Emmy Rossum (@emmyrossum) May 15, 2018
If you wanted to know whether I hear Yanny or Laurel here’s your answer. 😎? pic.twitter.com/xnrIby2kmd
— Kyle MacLachlan (@Kyle_MacLachlan) May 15, 2018
Let the battle rage on.
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