I've never heard a note from pop singer Sabrina Carpenter that I can tell, but she stirred up a little bit of a fuss (and spawned a meme) during her set at Coachella last weekend. Carpenter heard what she said was "yodeling" in the audience and flirted with Islamophobia by calling it "weird." We've since learned that a fan did a zaghrouta, and it was weird, since the fan did it during a piano ballad.
Carpenter posted an apology to X a day later, saying she couldn't see the fan and that she "could have handled it better" now that she knows what a zaghrouta is.
It really was non-controversial, but the BBC saw it as an opportunity to educate its British viewers on Arabic culture.
BBC reporters make Arabic tribal sound to ‘educate’ their viewers after Sabrina Carpenter called it ‘weird’ at Coachella.
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) April 20, 2026
“Sabrina Carpenter called it ‘yodelling’ but actually it’s from Arabic culture.” pic.twitter.com/t2RjSOajFj
The BBC certainly employs a lot of women who are experts on Arabic culture.
— Mao Zedong's Small Shlong (@MaosShlong) April 20, 2026
The point was that someone was doing it during a quiet piano ballad. It was idiotic, annoying and disrespectful.
— m o d e r n i t y (@ModernityNews) April 20, 2026
“Sabrina called it ‘yodelling’ but actually in English it’s called ‘fucking obnoxious noise, stop doing that, asshole!’.”
— Adrian Stone (@adrianstone) April 20, 2026
You can literally smell the left wing liberal bigotry in that office through your screen.
— Paz49 (@BritisherPaz49) April 20, 2026
Imagine paying the BBC licence fee for this.
— Salopian (@ThatSalopian) April 20, 2026
This constitutes news or a good way to spend licence fee money nowadays? 🤦🏼♂️
— askelly1984 (@askelly1984) April 20, 2026
Aaaaannnnnd it STILL doesn't belong at an AMERICAN music show, in America, by an American artist, during a quiet song.
— Sunny Elizabeth Dale (@SunnydaleDreams) April 20, 2026
— Paul Brown (@PaulBro72701423) April 20, 2026
They also do it to celebrate terrorist attacks.
— Peninnah Bloom (@PenninahBloom) April 20, 2026
Imagine caring.
— Bacon Overlord (@BaconOverlord) April 20, 2026
I distinctly remember there being a movement to ban applause and replace it with the snapping of fingers in order to be respectful of those triggered by loud noises. Imagine someone letting loose with a zaghrouta next to such a person.
Recommended
Carpenter's big crime was saying, "I don't like it." This is the U.K., and you will learn to like it.
***
