Would You Rather: The Question Plaguing BYU

 Pictured above is a screen capture from a Tik Tok from the account of Daniel“Danbanbam” Spencer. Spencer interviews students on the BYU (Brigham Young University) usually in the style of a would you rather game. The questions that Spencer asks typically pertain to the BYU honor code. He asks questions like the one pictured above that offer two choices, one that is either painful or absurd and another that goes in direct violation of Mormon rules. Often students will choose the more painful answer over the one that would imply that they were ‘impure’ or ‘sinners’. This surprises and concerns commenters as it gives the impression that BYU students would rather die or experience unimaginable pain than even pretend to break the rules. As shown in the bottom left corner of the image these kinds of Tik Toks tend to garner millions of views and the algorithm loves them. Comments on these videos are mixed, some are concerned or annoyed at the perceived ignorance of the students answers and other commenters will accuse Spencer of religious persecution, targeting these students to make fun of them. In the image I used the question is one of the more tame questions Spencer has asked, “Would you rather die a horrible, excruciating death  or watch a porn video?” the majority of students reply that they would rather die than watch a porn video. Not all students feel this way, in fact one girl says “Probably the second one, sorry if that makes me a sinner” another girl says “Watch a porn video, why would I die a horrible death?” The comments applaud those who pointed out the absurdity of the question but it is notable that the majority interviewees would rather die.

  Mary Douglas spends “Purity and Danger” drawing a connection between dirt and religion. She opens the book by saying “The nineteenth century saw in primitive religions two peculiarities which separated them as a block from the great religions of the world. One was that they were inspired by fear, the other that they were inextricably confused with defilement and hygiene.” (Douglas, 2002:1). Douglas discusses how concerned people are with the notion of dirt and disorder and how “There is no such thing as absolute dirt: it exists in the eye of the beholder.” (Douglas, 2002:2) Essentially meaning that this idea of right and wrong, dirty and clean, pure and impure exists entirely through people assigning meaning and definition to these ideas. Douglas says “Pollution ideas work in the life of society at two levels, one largely instrumental, one expressive. At the first level, the more obvious one, we find people trying to influence one another’s behavior. Beliefs reinforce social pressure: all the powers of the universe are called in to guarantee an old dying man’s wish” (Douglas, 2002:3). By establishing the role that other people play in an individual's actions Douglas makes clear the fact that meanings are assigned to things based on social constructs and pressures from other people, in the beginning of “Purity and Danger” Douglas points out that missionaries observe “primitive” (in their minds) religions as being fearful of defilement, however, when anthropologists have traveled to study these findings they discover that there is very little fear amongst the people of these religions. Suggesting instead that the missionaries were so confused and astounded by the ‘dirt’ or ‘disorder’ of what they saw that they assigned their fear to others.    

It’s clear that BYU students view the idea of sex or coffee or just generally anything that doesn’t fit into their idea of ‘purity’ and the most disgusting thing one can do. They’ve been conditioned to believe that the very best thing they can be is pure. However, it is clear that this behavior is taught there is nothing intrinsically wrong with having sex or drinking coffee. Millions of people do both these things every day and live completely fulfilling lives. This particular sect of christianity has ascribed an almost criminal definition to these acts to make sure that they can raise another generation to perpetuate this mindset. It’s as Douglas explains when equating dirt and disorder to purity and impurity in religion. It’s also notable that in a lot of these videos when people are asked this question in a group they are more likely to answer with the more intense choice, i.e. dying painfully or drinking cooking oil, but when individuals are asked this question they’re more likely to pick the more relaxed answer, demonstration the role that other people play in influencing one's behavior. According to the creator of this Tik Tok series, it is intended to shine a light on potential problems at BYU  and it has certainly caught the attention and the concern of the general public. 

Hale, Tenley. 2023. “BYU Students Unsure of Tiktoker’s Motive for on-Campus Interviews.” The Daily Universe. Retrieved April 5, 2024 (https://universe.byu.edu/2023/01/20/byu-students-question-tiktokers-motive-for-on-campus-interviews/). 

Anon. 2021. “Why the ‘ring by Spring’ Mantra Still Rules Life at Christian Colleges.” VICE. Retrieved April 5, 2024 (https://www.vice.com/en/article/epnv57/the-persistence-of-the-ring-by-spring-phenomenon-at-christian-colleges). 

Anon. n.d. “Make Your Day.” TikTok. Retrieved April 5, 2024b (https://www.tiktok.com/@danbanbam/video/7142998523619872046?lang=en).