When crisp, clear, so-high-they-might-reach-heaven notes are sung well, it feels like an otherworldly event. And when a guy is able to pull it off…whoa.
It feels safe to say that you better be prepared to deliver if you pick a song made famous by someone dubbed “The Voice,” and Henrique certainly did, leaving both the judges and the crowd completely stunned.
Despite being a little shy at first (plus there was a small language barrier—this was Henrique’s first time in the United States and he had a translator come up on stage with him to make introductions), once he showed off his angelic tenor tone, all bets were off. And then those high notes…holy moly.
“If Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey had a baby, it would be Gabriel!” proclaimed judge Heidi Klum. After picking her jaw off the floor, that is.
The other judges shared the same enthusiasm for the male pop diva. Sofia Vergara called his audition the moment she had “been waiting for” before granting him a Golden Buzzer.
Watch, and be amazed:
For the millions of fans who already follow Henrique online, his ace of an audition comes as no surprise. He’s certainly no stranger to American music, covering several other Whitney Houston songs, as well as other high-note icons like Christina Aguilera, Minnie Riperton and Celine Dion.
Just goes to show that music is a universal language. And Henrique’s incredible voice speaks directly to our heartstrings.
A single door can open up a world of endless possibilities. For homeowners, the front door of their house is a gateway to financial stability, job security, and better health. Yet for many, that door remains closed. Due to the rising costs of housing, 1 in 3 people around the world wake up without the security of safe, affordable housing.
Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has made it their mission to unlock and open the door to opportunity for families everywhere, and their efforts have paid off in a big way. Through their work over the past 50 years, more than 65 million people have gained access to new or improved housing, and the movement continues to gain momentum. Since 2011 alone, Habitat for Humanity has expanded access to affordable housing by a hundredfold.
A world where everyone has access to a decent home is becoming a reality, but there’s still much to do. As they celebrate 50 years of building, Habitat for Humanity is inviting people of all backgrounds and talents to be part of what comes next through Let’s Open the Door, a global campaign that builds on this momentum and encourages people everywhere to help expand access to safe, affordable housing for those who need it most. Here’s how the foundation to a better world starts with housing, and how everyone can pitch in to make it happen.
Volunteers raise a wall for the framework of a new home during the first day of building at Habitat for Humanity’s 2025 Carter Work Project.
Globally, almost 3 billion people, including 1 in 6 U.S. families, struggle with high costs and other challenges related to housing. A crisis in itself, this also creates larger problems that affect families and communities in unexpected ways. People who lack affordable, stable housing are also more likely to experience financial hardship in other areas of their lives, since a larger share of their income often goes toward rent, utilities, and frequent moves. They are also more likely to experience health problems due to chronic stress or environmental factors, such as mold. Housing insecurity also goes hand-in-hand with unstable employment, since people may need to move further from their jobs or switch jobs altogether to offset the cost of housing.
Affordable homeownership creates a stable foundation for families to thrive, reducing stress and increasing the likelihood for good health and stable employment. Habitat for Humanity builds and repairs homes with individual families, but it also strengthens entire communities as well. The MicroBuild® Initiative, for example, strengthens communities by increasing access to loans for low-income families seeking to build or repair their homes. Habitat ReStore locations provide affordable appliances and building materials to local communities, in addition to creating job and volunteer opportunities that support neighborhood growth.
Marsha and her son pose for a photo while building their future home with Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity in Georgia.
Everyone can play a part in the fight for housing equity and the pursuit of a better world. Over the past 50 years, Habitat for Humanity has become a leader in global housing thanks to an engaged network of volunteers—but you don’t need to be skilled with a hammer to make a meaningful impact. Building an equitable future means calling on a wide range of people and talents.
Here’s how you can get involved in the global housing movement:
Speaking up on social media about the growing housing crisis
Volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in your local community
Travel and build with Habitat in the U.S. or in one of 60+ countries where we work around the globe
Join the Let’s Open the Door movement and, when you donate, you can create your own personalized door
Every action, big and small, drives a global movement toward a better future. A safe home unlocks opportunity for families and communities alike, but it’s volunteers and other supporters, working together with a shared vision, who can open the door for everyone.
It’s no secret that even the most seemingly safe of public places can instantly turn dangerous for a woman. Is it fair? No. But is it common? Absolutely, to the point where more and more women are documenting moments of being stalked or harassed as a grim reminder to be aware of one’s surroundings.
One of the most common and frightening experiences many women can relate to is being followed by a strange man. It’s scary because it’s difficult to tell the difference between a random passerby who just happens to be walking in your direction and someone who has malicious intentions. At least, at first. But sadly, most women have learned how to pick up on the clues.
Lacie (@lacie_kraatz) is one of those women. In April of 2023, she was out on a run when she noticed a man in front of her displaying suspicious behavior.
Things got especially dicey when the man somehow got behind her. That’s when she pulled out her phone and started filming, partially to prove that it wasn’t just her imagination, and also out of fear for her safety.
“Hello. I’m just making this video so that women are a little more aware of them,” she begins in the video. “See this gentleman behind me? Yeah, this is what this video’s about.”
Here is exactly what happened on that run
According to Lacie, the two were initially running in opposite directions. But at some point after seeing her, the man stopped in the middle of the trail and waited for her to pass so that he could follow her path from behind.
“Now, I know what you’re thinking, ‘Why are you suspecting that he’s following you?’” Lacie continues. “Well, let me tell you. I was just walking like this, and I look up, and he’s in front of me, and he just keeps doing a ‘peek’ like this behind him, over and over again.”
Lacie added that at one point, she even made an illegal crossing when “do not walk” sign was still up in an attempt to put some distance between herself and the man. After looking over her shoulder, she noticed that the man was visibly “speeding” to keep up.
In case there is still any doubt, Lacie then begins to run to see if the man will follow suit. Sure enough, he does.
Luckily the man eventually seems to give up, though he still seems to be watching her from a distance. Lacie ends up safe back home, but she didn’t even accomplish what she set out to do that afternoon.
“I couldn’t even finish my run,” she concludes. “I only ran like a mile and a half. I wanted to do 3 miles, but no, creepy men just had to be creepy f****** men today.”
Women in the comments had plenty to say
Countless women empathized with Lacie in the comments section. Clearly, this was not a unique circumstance.
“What I do when I’m being followed is act feral,” yet another person shared. “Like I’ll bark and growl really loud and flail my arms around. If you look crazy, you’re doin’ it right.”
Another added, “Man, nothing pisses me off more than men who make me feel uncomfortable doing things that I NEED to do for my health and well-being.”
Others tried to give their own tips for handling the situation, from finding nearby police or fire stations to using a variety of running trails to simply notifying the first visible passerby of what’s happening and asking to stand with them.
And of course, the resounding advice was to use the public space, and modern-day technology, to one’s advantage.
As one person wrote, “Girls we have got to normalize turning around and yelling at people following us. Let them know you know, take pictures of them, scream, make a scene.”
What experts say you should do
Experts say the most important thing is to stay in a populated area as long as you’re being followed. If you can pop into a store, do it. And always let a trusted friend or loved one know where you are. Giving a family member access to Find My Phone or a similar tracking app could be a lifesaver.
It’d be nice if these kinds of unsettling interactions didn’t exist. But here we are.
Some estimates say around 75% of women have been followed by a stranger at some point in their lives; a shocking, tragic statistic. They’re also around four times as likely to be continuously stalked compared to men. It’s not fair that women and girls have to deal with this, and that they’re forced to develop a keen instinct for when danger is present.
At the very least, it’s good that women are speaking up more so that these situations are easier to spot early on and women can know how to navigate them in the safest way possible.
And as for Lacie, she went on to join the US Coast Guard and regularly posts updates about her life in the military. Safe to say she has no problem taking care of herself these days.
This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.
Just when you think you’ve heard every amazing “Bohemian Rhapsody” cover imaginable, from standout AGT performances to spontaneous crowd sing-alongs to haka renditions, this one literally comes out of nowhere. And it’s every bit as exciting, magical, profound, and inspiring as the OG.
On the streets of Paris, window shutters open to reveal three women clad in white who begin to sing, “Is this the real life…” in a way that can only be described as heavily Disney-coded. A pianist appears seemingly out of nowhere. Then another singer from another window. And another. Then, a blonde man in a horse drawn carriage comes down and belts out “Mama, just killed a man…” so good you just know it made Freddie Mercury smile wherever he is now.
Oh, and did we mention the 11-year-old who absolutely shreds a guitar solo??
Meet the 30 performers who made this happen
These are just some of the 30, yes, 30 musicians and singers that came to deliver a truly epic flash mob performance of Queen’s signature rock ballad. The performance was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which Queen first released in October 1975. Really, this was something between a flash mob and immersive theatre. Wow.
To say the clip has gone mega-viral would be an understatement. In under 24 hours, it received over 30 million views across TikTok and Instagram and has since been viewed over 600 million times. Of course, most viewers expressed more than a little FOMO.
“Could you imagine seeing this? Like omg I’d be freaking out.”
“This is tremendous, and I am so envious of those who witnessed it in real life.”
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Julien Cohen, the pianist in the video and mastermind behind this epic flash mob, was able to pull off such a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration. After all, his entire social media is dedicated to outstanding duets with talented musicians…many of which have also gone viral. And, if someone invites you to come to Paris to be part of a “Bohemian Rhapsody” flash mob, are you really gonna say no?!
Among the star-studded line up are Michael Spence, aka Mickey Callisto (lead singer) and Olly Pearson (second guitar), both of whom competed onBritain’s Got Talent. Fittingly, Callisto often got compared to the late, great Freddie Mercury by BGT judges. Pearson also played Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” while on the show.
Other performers include:
DDKN: A French pop group consisting of sisters, Stella, Nounée, and Anouche, known for angelic harmonies. They were the first three singers.
Aside from being such an auditory delight, part of what makes “Bohemian Rhapsody” so incredibly compelling is how it brings people together with connecting threads of pure, raw emotion. This group handled both those elements so well, and the result is not only a celebration of one of Queen’s most beloved works, but of humanity as a whole, how good it feels to create with one another, and to physically witness art being made. Truly, this could not have come at a better time.
Excuse me…off to go listen to this for the 20th time.
This article originally appeared one year ago. It has been updated.
Robin Williams was notorious for making his scene partners crack up and break character with his off-the-cuff antics. However, one costar remained eternally stone-faced: Sally Field.
In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Field recalls working with Williams on the set of Mrs. Doubtfire, where he would constantly try, and fail, to elicit even a polite giggle from her.
Much to his disappointment, “I would never laugh, ever,” quipped Field, even when “ everybody else was laughing and carrying on.”
One might assume that a consummate professional like Field perhaps felt the constant jokes were inappropriate or overly distracting. But no. They just weren’t her cup of tea.
“It wasn’t funny. It just wasn’t funny,” she told Colbert while chuckling. “Robin was always trying something different to make me laugh. It was so unfunny. I can’t begin to tell you.”
The one joke that actually made Sally Field break
Field remained Williams’ white whale throughout the entire production, which “drove him mad.” And to really add insult to injury, Pierce Brosnan successfully made her lose it with a simple fart gag.
“We were sitting at a table at the restaurant, and [Brosnan] made a fart noise on his arm. And I was gone. That was it. I laughed so hard they had to redo my makeup.”
Why their chemistry in Mrs. Doubtfire still feels so real
Knowing their behind-the-scenes dynamic adds a whole new layer of authenticity to Mrs. Doubtfire, doesn’t it?
In the movie, Field and Williams are a divorced couple. Miranda, portrayed by Field, constantly feels like she is having to bear all the responsibility of raising their three children while Daniel, played by Williams, seemingly never takes anything seriously.
That said, Williams and Field still seemed to have a genuine friendship.
In 2024, she told Vanity Fair that her father had passed away during filming.
“I was of course beside myself,” Field shared. “I came on the set trying with all my might to act. I wasn’t crying. Being extremely “sensitive and intuitive,” Williams picked up that something was wrong, and even made arrangements for Field to leave filming to make arrangements.
“Robin came over, pulled me out of the set, and asked, ‘Are you OK?’” she told Vanity Fair. When Field answered, Williams replied, “Oh my God, we need to get you out of here right now. And he made it happen—they shot around me the rest of the day.”
So, while Williams might have never made Field chuckle, it feels safe to say that he nevertheless won her respect and admiration.
Field stars in the upcoming film adaptation of Remarkably Bright Creatures. While she hailed her costar Lewis Pullman as “one of the best leading men” she’s ever worked with, she didn’t say anything about him making her laugh either. Regardless, her warmth, humor, and emotional depth are just as magnetic today as they were during her unforgettable run alongside Williams.
Mrs. Doubtfire has been a comedy favorite for Millennials and many other generations since 1993. The movie starred Robin Williams and Sally Field as divorced parents, with Williams dressing in drag as the older Mrs. Doubtfire to work as a nanny and spend time with his children.
Given the wacky hijinks of the film, many fans have wondered what it must have been like for the stars when the cameras were off. It turns out they fired up a Nintendo to play The Legend of Zelda between takes.
Field was interviewed to promote the film Remarkably Bright Creatures alongside her co-star Lewis Pullman. The interviewer, Jake Hamilton, asked Field about her favorite memory working on the set of Mrs. Doubtfire with Williams. Field answered that one of her favorite memories was Williams coming to her rented apartment to play The Legend of Zelda together.
Playing games, making movie memories
Williams was known to be a Zelda enthusiast. What wasn’t widely known is that Field became just as big a fan. In fact, she currently has a Nintendo Switch 2 to keep playing the games.
“We’d play the early games of Zelda together. Zelda, the computer game, that I still play with my grandsons,” said Field. “Even when my grandsons aren’t there, I pretend they are there. I play them.”
Field then asked her younger co-star Pullman whether he played the games. She playfully chastised him when he admitted he was missing out.
“What the hell is the matter with you?! It’s so fun,” she said with a laugh.
Williams’ connection to The Legend of Zelda
The Legend of Zelda is a Nintendo video game franchise that has released 21 games in the main series. Most of the games focus on the young warrior Link as he battles monsters and solves puzzles to rescue Princess Zelda. The series has continued to produce new entries since its debut in 1986.
Williams became a fan of the original game when it was released in North America in 1987. He enjoyed it so much that he named his daughter after the titular character. When the developers of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time released the game for the Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo had both Robin and Zelda Williams star in heartfelt commercials for the game together.
After his death, fans of the games found a possible reference to Williams in the The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom games. While it hasn’t been confirmed by Nintendo, gaming fans believe that the non-playable character Dayto is a tribute to him because of the facial and vocal resemblance between the two.
Video games are a medium for all ages
Field’s connection to the The Legend of Zelda franchise reinforces how video game fandom is becoming increasingly cross-generational, with many older people picking up a controller to play with their families and on their own. In the end, you can never know what a person is into based on appearances. As many gamers just discovered with Field, you don’t know what you might have in common with someone unless you ask.
Beauty and the Beast is a fairytale-turned-Disney movie that virtually everyone on the planet is familiar with. But very few know that it was said to be based on a true—and deeply tragic—story.
A boy taken from his home
In 1537, at just 10 years old, a boy named Pedro Gonzalez was taken from his home in the Canary Islands and presented to King Henry II of France as a novelty gift because of his genetic condition, known today as congenital hypertrichosis, which causes the entire body to be covered in hair.
Despite his “wild” appearance, Gonzalez seemed docile, inspiring the king to experiment with turning the supposed savage into a gentleman under the revised Latin name Petrus Gonsalvus.
Gonsalvus grew up to be an educated, respected member of the court. At least, as respected as a man with his condition could be. However, there would be one more experiment awaiting him.
That moment would arrive in his twenties, after his protector, Henry II, died in a jousting accident on July 10, 1559. Ownership of him now belonged to the infamously cruel Catherine de Medici.
Medici arranged a marriage between Gonsalvus and another Catherine without ever mentioning her soon-to-be husband’s condition to the bride.
Hypertrichosis has dominant traits and therefore easily passes down to children, which the Gonsalvus family soon discovered. The pair had seven children, four of whom were covered in hair.
It wasn’t long before the “wild family” became a traveling sideshow of sorts, fascinating onlookers, painters, scientists, and nobles throughout Europe. Portraits of the family circulated among royal courts, where they were studied less as people and more as curiosities. Sadly, the Gonsalvuses would eventually be separated as, much like their father, several of the children were sold or gifted away as oddities.
Gonsalvus and his wife died within six years of each other, in 1618 and 1623, respectively, in Italy, though their graves were never located.
How their story may have shaped a classic fairytale
Fast forward to 1740, when a French author by the name of Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve published La Belle et la Bête (French for Beauty and the Beast) in a collection of stories titled La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins (The Young American and Marine Tales).
While Villeneuve never explicitly confirmed Gonsalvus as an inspiration, historians have pointed out striking similarities between the real-life family and the famous tale: a gentle, intelligent man judged almost entirely for his appearance; a woman unexpectedly placed into a marriage she did not choose; and a relationship that slowly grew through familiarity and understanding.
The Disney version then transformed the story into one filled with singing teacups, enchanted castles, and a hopeful ending. As we now know, the real history behind it paints a far sadder picture of how society once treated people who looked outside the norm.
Centuries later, the story of Petrus Gonsalvus continues to fascinate people because it reveals just how easily humanity can blur the line between curiosity and cruelty. Beneath the legend, the paintings, and the fairytale comparisons was simply a family navigating lives shaped by exploitation they never asked for.
Close your eyes and think back to some terms that you heard at a party in the Y2K era. If someone in 2026 genuinely asked, “Do you want to get crunk with that guy wearing bling or is he a scrub?” they’d seem like they were living in the past, right?
It goes down just as well as greeting someone with a “Wassup!” from the 1999 Budweiser commercials, or referring to someone’s hat as “fly.”
Slang terms seem to have a shelf life of a couple of years before they fizzle out, and are a clear line of demarcation between who’s young and cool and who’s not. The interesting thing is that the term “cool” has never really gone out of style. It was used to describe James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause in 1955 and in 2025 to describe singer Charli xcx.
According to sociolinguist Dr. Erica Brozovsky, Ph.D the term “cool” has been used to describe someone who’s incredibly calm for over 500 years. But it really took off in the jazz era, when Black musicians used it to inspire a style and sound.
The birth of ‘cool’
“From Anna Lee Chisholm’s ‘Cool Kind Daddy Blues,’ to Miles Davis’ Birth of the Cool, the word was used to describe a certain kind of musicality, but also a type of personality, laid back, competent, and confident,” Brozovsky said. “By the late forties, The New Yorker noted the term’s rising popularity. ‘The bebop people have a language of their own, their expressions of approval include, cool,’” Brozovsky said.
The term has endured for decades, from the definition of cool, Arthur Fonzarelli in the ‘70s, to actor-comedian Eddie Murphy in the ‘80s, to Snoop Dogg in the ‘90s, and Bad Bunny in the modern era. The question remains why “cool ” has stood the test of time while terms such as “swell” or “wicked” have fallen into the cultural dustbin. Brozovsky believes it has to do with a linguistic quirk in which humans tend to repeat metaphors with sensory elements more often than those without.
It makes sense. “Cool” is something you can feel while “swell” is not.
Why is it that ‘cool’ has stuck around?
“A 2015 study tracked the popularity of various words and phrases over time and found that terms that evoke a sensory experience are more likely to persevere than those that don’t. For instance, sharp increase became a more popular way to say sudden increase and a bright future became more common than a promising future,” Brozovsky says.
“In fact, the study found that people were 50% more likely to remember a list of metaphors if they contain sensory words,” she continues. “Perhaps swell with its convoluted origin was just too abstract to compete with the physical sensation of cool, but it seems to me that the history of the word outweighs its semantic appeal.”
In a world where styles in clothing, music, and vocabulary are constantly changing, it’s nice to know that some things cut across the generations. Whether you’re 70 or you’re 12, you know what it means to be cool. You probably don’t agree on who fits the bill, but vibe is forever.
“I had to cut my hair out because of you!” Singer Natalie Jane’s reaction when her childhood bully showed up at her concert with flowers and an apology.
What she didn’t expect was a sign that would stop her mid-performance.
“What does that sign say?” Jane asked into the mic, squinting to make out the words in the dark theater. The camera panned to reveal a big white sign with a simple question: “Do you remember me from 2nd grade?”
Curious, Jane responded, “I can’t see. Who are you?”
The fan flipped the sign over. The back read: “I put gum in your hair.”
Jane let out a shriek. “Benji! I hate you!”
The crowd erupted. The camera found Benji in the audience, and Jane wasn’t done. “I had to cut my hair out because of you,” she yelled, pointing straight at him.
Benji’s response was simple and sincere: “You were in town. I had to come by and say I’m sorry for many years ago.”
Then, from somewhere in the crowd, a bouquet of roses appeared. The audience went wild. Someone handed the flowers to Jane, and her face lit up with a mix of nostalgia, surprise, and what looked like genuine forgiveness.
“Benji, you are forgiven. Thank you. I love you,” she said into the mic. “Shout out, Benji!”
She galloped across the stage, whipping her long blonde hair around (the hair that Benji once put gum in, apparently), and continued the show.
Jane posted the moment on Instagram on March 28, and people immediately started imagining it as the plot of a future rom-com. The comments were full of people joking about wedding invitations and asking if this was staged (it doesn’t appear to be).
But beyond the rom-com potential, there’s something genuinely touching about someone tracking down a person they wronged as a child and making the effort to apologize decades later. Benji could have just stayed home. Instead, he showed up to her concert, made himself vulnerable in front of hundreds of people, and gave her something most of us never get: actual closure on a childhood hurt.
Jane walked off that stage a little more healed than when she walked on. And honestly? That’s probably the best kind of encore.
We’ve all been there. We’ve discovered the perfect Airbnb, maybe a little cottage in the mountains, or a condo with stunning beach views. And the price is right in our budget. Hallelujah! Then, unfortunately, when we get to the booking page we realize our total cost is far higher than expected. Why? It’s the dreading cleaning fee.
Airbnb defines its notorious cleaning fee as a “one-time charge” set by the host that helps them arrange anything from carpet shampoo to replenishing supplies to hiring an outside cleaning service, all in the name of ensuring guests have a “clean and tidy space.”
One host decided to try something different
But as many frustrated Airbnb customers will tell you, this feature is viewed as more of a nuisance than a convenience. According to NerdWallet, the general price for a cleaning fee is around $75, but can vary greatly between listings, with some units having cleaning fees that are higher than the nightly rate (all while sometimes still being asked to do certain chores before checking out). And often none of these fees show up in the total price until right before the booking confirmation, leaving many travelers feeling confused and taken advantage of. It’s certainly a case of sticker shock if you’re used to staying in hotels.
However, some hosts are now opting to build cleaning fees into the overall price of their listings, mimicking the strategy of traditional hotels.
Rachel Boice runs two Airbnb properties in Georgia with her husband Parker—one being this fancy glass plane tiny house (seen below) that promises a perfect glamping experience.
Like most Airbnb hosts, the Boice’s listing originally showed a nightly rate and separate cleaning fee. According to her interview with Insider, the original prices broke down to $89 nightly, and $40 for the cleaning fee.
But after noticing the negative response the separate fee got from potential customers, Rachel told Insider that she began charging a nightly rate that included the cleaning fee, totaling to $129 a night.
It’s a marketing strategy that more and more hosts are attempting in order to generate more bookings (people do love feeling like they’re getting a great deal) but Boice argued that the trend will also become more mainstream since the current Airbnb model “doesn’t feel honest.” Which is funny, because if anything listing the cleaning charge is more transparent! But users tend to feel duped because they can’t see the full price when they’re browsing the listings.
“We stay in Airbnbs a lot. I pretty much always pay a cleaning fee,” Boice told Insider. “You’re like: ‘Why am I paying all of this money? This should just be built in for the cost.’”
Since combining costs, Rachel began noticing another unexpected perk beyond customer satisfaction: guests actually left her property cleaner than before they were charged a cleaning fee.
Her hypothesis was that they assumed she would be handling the cleaning herself.
“I guess they’re thinking, ‘I’m not paying someone to clean this, so I’ll leave it clean,’” she said.
This discovery echoes a similar anecdote given by another Airbnb host, who told NerdWallet guests who knew they were paying a cleaning fee would “sometimes leave the place looking like it’s been lived in and uncleaned for months.” So, it appears to be that being more transparent and lumping all fees into one overall price makes for a happier (and more considerate) customer.
The psychology behind why it works
This phenomenon has been studied by economists across many different fields. A blueberry farmer once considered charging customers for grazing on blueberries as they walked until an economist told him paying the fee would just encourage people to eat even more. Daycares who charge parents fees for picking their kids up late often find the fee increases the number of late parents instead of decreasing it.
It comes down to the “cost” of a decision. If you pay the same cleaning fee no matter what condition you leave the property in, a lot of people will find it’s just not worth their time to tidy up after themselves. When the cost of leaving the place filthy is more nebulous, or human (forcing another person to do it), people are more willing to help out.
These days, it’s hard to not be embittered by deceptive junk fees, which can seem to appear anywhere without warning. These can include surprise overdraft charges, surcharges on credit cards and the never convenient “convenience charge” when purchasing event tickets. Junk fees are so rampant that certain measures are being taken to try to eliminate them outright in favor of more honest business approaches.
And now, the rules are changing for everyone
Speaking of a more honest approach, Airbnb has gone even further since 2022. As of April 2025, Airbnb eliminated the opt-in toggle entirely and made total price display, including all mandatory fees before taxes, the automatic global default for all users. The change was driven partly by the FTC’s Junk Fees Rule, which took effect May 12, 2025, requiring short-term rental platforms to clearly display the full price upfront.
As for Boice, business is booming. After her story went viral on TikTok, she decided to expand her property business with another glass house.
Users were thrilled, especially ones who live in Georgia, within shouting distance of her properties. And after all the viral exposure, she’s still not charging cleaning fees. Although, there’s not much she can do about those pesky “Airbnb service fees.” Oh well. You can’t win ’em all.
This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.
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