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Two lovebirds tied the knot at 30,000 feet on a Southwest flight last weekend, forcing other flyers to attend the surprise wedding. A viral TikTok video shows the bride walking down the narrow aisle before she and her man exchanged vows while blocking the front bathrooms. It was admittedly kind of cute, but some would have rather jumped from the plane than sit through that. Southwest passengers become a captive wedding audience Over the second weekend of January, TikToker @katrinabadowski posted footage of the sky-high ceremony to her account. The video gained over 10.4 million views in less than a week. “That one time I witnessed a wedding on a Southwest flight,” the caption reads. Passengers got to be witnesses whether they liked it or not. While they didn’t have to do anything, they also had to hope nature didn’t call during the vows. “Please remain seated as a courtesy to the bride and groom, and if you do have to use the lavatory, please use the one in the back of the aircraft,” said the flight attendant and/or officiant. The woman who married them made sure to acknowledge the audience, speak of them as though they were all willing participants. “Tina and Roger, today is a day unlike any other,” she said. “Not only are you embarking on an adventure of marriage, but you’re doing it amidst the clouds, surrounded by 136 passengers turned to newfound friends.” After the kiss, Tina tossed the bouquet back down the aisle before they passed around a guestbook. Upon landing, the couple walked down the gate decorated with streamers and hearts to a cheering crowd, then drove off in an airport cart with a “just married” sign affixed to the back. Southwest Airlines has long billed itself as “the love airline,” which is apparently what you do when you can’t call yourself “the good airline.” @katrinabadowski Congratulations Tina and Roger ?? @Southwest Airlines #loveisintheair #wedding ♬ Wedding March – Felix J L Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Helmuth Brandenburg Paging Madison Humphrey If Tina and Roger did this for attention, mission accomplished. Much of it was, however, rather negative. On both TikTok and Reddit, many commenters envisioned themselves as one of those passengers and experienced vicarious horror. @katrinabadowski/TikTok “I’ve never seen a wedding hostage situation,” said TikToker @suzsanlane. “’Thank you all for being here’ as if they had another choice,” @avarmajor pointed out. Now everyone’s just waiting for the Madison Humphrey recreation. @katrinabadowski/TikTok “Madison Humphrey on the phone with southwest trying to book a whole plane and terminal,” joked @bxb.les. Shockingly, Redditors on the inevitable r/TikTokCringe repost were more forgiving. “I’ve got mixed feelings,” wrote u/molehunterz. “On one hand I agree, anything that passes the time because flights bore the hell out of me.” “On the other hand, a wedding where I don’t even know people? Would also bore the hell out of me.” u/good-night_moon via Reddit “I’d 100% take this level of cringe over the unsolicited worship and preaching,” said u/good-night_moon. Some, however, had questions about the extremely unenthusiastic groom. “Dude looks like an undercover air marshal who got in too deep,” u/butt-barnacles observed. The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here. Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online. The post “Wedding hostage situation”: Southwest passengers forced to attend surprise mid-flight wedding at 30,000 feet appeared first on The Daily Dot.

Pamela Anderson says the fallout from Pam & Tommy is still very real for her—so real, that sitting near Seth Rogen at the Golden Globes made her “feel yucky.” Speaking on Andy Cohen Live on Friday, Anderson opened up about lingering hurt over the Hulu series, which dramatized the theft of her sex tape without her consent or involvement, and which Rogen produced and starred in without consulting her. The Anderson-Rogen beef continues Speaking with Cohen on SiriusXM radio, Anderson said she felt “yucky” being in close proximity to the man who helped make the miniseries about her relationship with Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. The show centered around the release of their sex tape, which was stolen from their home in 1995. “He was in the pit at the Golden Globes,” said Anderson. “We were close. I felt like, I’m not chopped liver over here. I felt weird about it.” Pamela Anderson wants Seth Rogen to apologize for the "Pam & Tommy" series. https://t.co/3P3WgB7oTG pic.twitter.com/uO7YOplyhQ— TMZ (@TMZ) January 15, 2026 Her reaction stems from the accusations that nobody involved with making Pam & Tommy sought her consent or even consulted her beforehand. Some critics slammed the showrunners for exploiting a woman’s public trauma after its release in 2022. Anderson has similar thoughts about the show. “How can someone make a TV series out of difficult times in your life?” she asked Cohen. “And I am a living, breathing human being over here.” “When you are a public person, they say you have no right to privacy. But your darkest, deepest secrets or tragedies should not be fair game for a TV series. That pissed me off a little bit.” The Canadian-American actress repeated her hope that Rogen would someday apologize to her, though she added, “not that it matters.” “The world owes her the biggest apology” A lot of people still agree with Anderson and other critics that those involved with Pam & Tommy owe her an apology. Multiple X users pointed out that Rogen did reach out to Tommy Lee, but not his ex-wife. @ShutupToshi9227/X “The fact that he talked to Tommy and not her is the exact problem and it’s weird that you don’t see that,” wrote @ShutupToshi9227. “Oh, well, he talked to the man in the relationship, so it’s all good,” said @joshuarolson with clear sarcasm. The story also brought out Rogen haters from all sides, few of whom could spell his last name right. @MrStevenSteele/X “To be fair, anyone would feel yucky sitting next to Seth Rogen,” joked @MrStevenSteele. “Agreed, always loved Rogens stoner humor, but he seems kind of insufferable,” wrote @MartinaMarkota. Among her fans, the prevailing opinion is that the owed contrition should extend far beyond Pam & Tommy. @whotfisjovana/X Popular “meme creator” @whotfisjovana said that “the world owes her the biggest apology.” The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here. Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online. The post “I’m not chopped liver”: Pamela Anderson says she “felt yucky” being near Seth Rogen at the Golden Globes, wants an apology appeared first on The Daily Dot.

The White House posted a meme on Jan 15 that appropriated Stardew Valley’s style to promote its “whole milk” initiative. The tweet read, “Whole milk is back. ” and included a partially AI-generated graphic. @WhiteHouse/X The image shared by the White House showed President Donald Trump as a Stardew Valley-style character in a barn. Meanwhile, AI-generated scenery filled the background. Icons appeared on the left side of the image, including an American flag, a police badge, and a MAGA hat, among others. Stardew Valley fans slammed the “AI slop” image Soon after, someone reposted the image to the r/StardewValley subreddit. Although moderators later removed it for being political, the comments piled up quickly. People expressed anger, confusion, and mockery in equal measure. Whole milk is back. ? pic.twitter.com/kHf51s5qwX— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 15, 2026 Critics accused the administration of taking from artists without legal clearance. Many online argued that this happened because officials assumed they would not get approval, or because they did not view the arts as a legitimate profession. “Jesus….this is so bad… and it’s AI slop too. ” u/Sigma_Male_69420 wrote. u/DeafnotDeath added, “They absolutely did not. F*cking freaks running the White House PR have been stealing countless artists’ work, regardless of size.” Mockery followed as well. “You know this clown would exclusively pick the Joja run too,” u/Derpykins666 joked. @acxtrila/X @PizzaRoll999/X Some people fixated on the gold count, which read 45464748. u/Dumi2e asked if it was a dog whistle, to which u/Unaccomplishedcow responded, “45 (he was the 45th president) 46 (he thinks he won 2020, making him the 46th potus) 47 (he won 2024, making him 47 right now) 48 (he wants to serve a third term)” Elsewhere, @BrennenWilde tagged Stardew Valley creator Eric, aka ConcernedApe, on X. “Hey, the Trump admin is currently using AI generated art of your game for their propaganda,” they wrote. So far, Eric had not responded. Critics questioned the “whole milk” messaging While fans debated art theft, others questioned the message itself. “Is this an agriculture campaign?” @RocketGPT asked. However, several users pointed to darker associations. X user @eggploont connected the meme to past extremist symbolism. They wrote that whole milk had served as a white supremacist dog whistle. They shared a New York Times article describing geneticist Dr. John Novembre’s 2018 conference talk about whole milk’s ties to white supremacy. The article explained that white nationalists had chugged milk in 2017 to promote adult lactose tolerance. “In most of the world,” the article explained, “the gene that allows for the digestion of lactose switches off after childhood. But […] a chance mutation that left it turned on [in Europe] provided enough of a nutritional leg up that nearly all of those who survived eventually carried it.” Because that trait appeared more often in white Europeans, extremists used it to push racist ideas. Given the Trump administration’s hardline stance on immigration, some people on social media questioned whether the “whole milk” messaging carried a more troubling subtext. The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here. Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online. The post “It’s AI slop, too”: The “Stardew Valley” fandom pushes back after White House “whole milk” meme appeared first on The Daily Dot.

TikTok’s latest wellness trend has users joking that they’re “becoming Chinese,” a phrase that might raise cultural appropriation concerns at first glance. But many Chinese creators are not only driving the trend, they’re openly celebrating it. From eating soup for breakfast to embracing traditional Chinese wellness principles, Americans on TikTok are adopting habits long rooted in Chinese culture, with Chinese users cheering them on for finally prioritizing hydration and nourishment. TikTok is “becoming Chinese” Last week, TikTok videos about “becoming Chinese” began to go viral. Those conscientious of the ills of cultural appropriation probably tense up a little at that phrase, but it’s Chinese TikTokers themselves who are fueling this trend. @sherryxiiruii i am here for you in this very chinese time in your life. #chineseamerican #americanbornchinese #chineseculture #chinesecuisine #chinesefood asian tiktok, asian american, you are chinese, chinese point in your life, chinese girl, sherry hot water, asian girl ♬ original sound – sherry “Tomorrow, you’re turning Chinese,” said Sherry (@sherryxiiruii) in a video that’s gained 1.7 million views since last Monday. “I know it sounds intimidating, but there’s no point fighting it now—you are the chosen one.” This isn’t like the “I Think I’m Turning Japanese” craze from the 1980s. People of all races and nationalities are exploring traditional Chinese medicine, common eating habits, makeup styles, and clothing. There are a lot of tips for keeping warm in the winter, which is perfect for Northern Hemisphere residents right now. @igobychichi/TikTok Black Women in particular appear to be embracing the trend in droves, sharing their “morning routines since becoming Chinese.” The trend stretches back into 2025 with popular videos riffing on an iconic line from Fight Club. @gabisupernova/TikTok “You’ve met me at a very Chinese time in my life,” they declare. How to get a little Chinese with it Much of the “becoming Chinese” trend focuses on wellness. China has a long history of medical innovations that predates the existence of the U.S. by centuries. Their physicians were likely the first to practice the precursor to vaccination, called variolation, to inoculate people against deadly viruses like smallpox. A significant part of their approach to health focuses on avoiding exposing one’s body to unnecessary shocks, such as sudden cold. That’s why becoming Chinese pretty much requires drinking hot water instead of iced. Since the internal human body already rests at a high temperature, the theory is that consuming hot drinks causes it less stress. @sherryxiiruii/TikTok Outside of teas and hot water with lemon, boiling apples, red dates, and goji berries is a common practice in China. Sherry likes to add a few dried goji berries to her hot water thermos to sip throughout the day. Hydration is also key. Hot soups are a big deal in China for a reason. Another favorite is eating a big breakfast. Forget the cold yogurt or single bagel—your body needs real fuel to wake up, so commit to that first meal of the day. @invalidusernamesorry/TikTok Combine that with the focus on hydration and heat, and you get soup for breakfast. TikToker @invalidusernamesorry has a high-protein recipe with eggs, bone broth, tofu, miso paste, and baby bok choy. Douyin-style makeup tutorials are also doing serious numbers this week. @.ephxnyyl/TikTok The cultural appropriation question White people in particular may find themselves hesitating to become Chinese. Debates around cultural appropriation got intense in the 2010s, and many remain confused on what the term means. To cross the line into appropriation, many definitions stress that the adoption of elements of a culture to which you don’t belong by birth must be disrespectful and exploitative. These terms themselves are subjective, but interested parties can take comfort in the fact that many Chinese TikTokers are welcoming the “becoming Chinese” trend.…

A mother found herself at the center of a heated TikTok debate after sharing that she had her children use Christmas money to buy dinner at McDonald’s. TikToker Katie King (@katehomelearns) recorded her two kids sitting down for their meal with a text overlay that read, “Yes they eat McDonald’s. Yes I made them pay for it with their own money they got for Christmas.” In the caption, she noted, “This is home education.” The video reached more than 1.2 million views. Some commenters were judgmental, while others accused King of poor parenting and questioned her motives. Critics slam mom for having kids pay for their meals Soon after the video was posted, folks passed judgment on her parenting style in the TikTok comments section. One viewer asked, “Girl you wanted them in this world but now you don’t want to pay for their damn food?” Another wrote, “This is so wrong.” @katehomelearns This is home education. #homeed #homeeducation #parenttok #mumsoftiktok #fyp ♬ Capture Everything – Chad Gerber Others echoed similar reactions. “‘Why don’t my kids come to visit me anymore?’ Food is a basic essential thing, it’s a necessity, not something they should pay for at that age,” one person commented. Then another added, “Not the flex you think.” One critic also argued, “As their parent you should be providing then, not making them pay.” “Do people think this is normal? genuine question,” one more curious person asked King. “This is so sad in my opinion, taking them to buy a small toy or a small sweet etc will also teach them the value of money, making them pay for there own food? That’s a teenage lesson no?” The mom said the meal was a lesson, not a punishment When responding to the criticism, King stressed that the choice belonged to her kids. “Why is there an age on learning the value of food?” She asked. “This was their choice. They had the freedom to choose between a home-cooked meal ‘free’ meal at home, or McDonald’s paid for by them. What’s the issue?” King said her family practiced home education. Because of that, she tried to incorporate real-life lessons daily. “Teaching value of money and money management is very important and this was one of those times,” she told the Daily Mail. Additionally, King shared that her children received a weekly allowance for chores, and so they were already familiar with managing money. “We teach them the importance of saving some, spending some, and in the future investing some,” she said. She also shared an example involving her son. When he asked for Pokémon cards or candy, she often reminded him he could buy them himself. Then, she said, he frequently paused and decided not to spend the money. @katehomelearns Replying to @89nicole wanted to throw this out there ? #homeed #homeeducation #parenttok #mumsoftiktok #fyp ♬ original sound – KateHomeLearns Although the comments upset her, King admitted the criticism was hard to read. “It’s okay to not agree and ask questions,” she said. “But personally attacking someone and name calling will never be okay.” In the end, she added, “Them spending $4 and $7 on a meal really isn’t a big deal for them.” @katehomelearns did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email. Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online. The post “Not the flex you think”: Mom who made her kids use their own Christmas money for McDonald’s fires back at critics appeared first on The Daily Dot.