The phrase “15 minutes of fame” has taken on even greater significance in the age of viral YouTube videos. Jayci Underwood’s 15 minutes began when her husband, Matt, posted a YouTube video of her coming out of anesthesia after having her wisdom teeth removed.
Matt Underwood, an opposite hitter for the Brigham Young University men’s volleyball team, had been advised by his in-laws that when his wife came out of surgery, he should have the camera rolling. When Jayci woke up, Matt had the camera ready, and Jayci delivered.
In the video, which Matt posted on Oct. 21 and has more than 3.5 million views, Jayci expresses her frustration over not being rapper Nicki Minaj and her desire to be on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Two weeks later, Jayci’s wish to appear on 'Ellen' was granted.
Jayci and Matt are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have found that viral-video stardom carries with it a certain degree of pressure and responsibility. From choosing a modest dress to wear on national television to deciding how to respond to negative YouTube comments, Jayci said she has tried to “represent a young LDS woman in the best light.”
“I had a conversation with my dad ... and one of the first things he said was, ‘Ellen is going to say, 'Provo, Utah,' and people are automatically going to assume that you’re LDS,’ ” Jayci recalled. “I’m wearing a BYU shirt in the video, and my husband plays for BYU, so people are going to start putting all this together and say, ‘This couple is Mormon.’ "
In her local LDS congregation, Jayci leads girls ages 12-18. She thought about these girls and the importance of setting a good example for them as she chose a modest outfit to wear on "Ellen."
“It was really important to me to not only represent the church but represent myself,” Jayci said. “I wear my garments. I value my body. I respect it, and it was important to me to show people that no matter who you are, no matter what crazy experiences in life you have, you can dress modestly, and you can still look cute, and you can still have fun.”
She has also learned the importance of showing kindness even when others are less than considerate. Some people called the video a fraud. Jayci finds it funny that people think she would plan for 3 million people to watch her in a swollen state with gauze in her mouth.
“Everyone was like, ‘You’re just trying to get on the Ellen show,' ’ Jayci said. “And I’m like, ‘Well, first of all, who wouldn’t want to go on the Ellen show? … Even when I’m not coming out of anesthesia, I would tell you that I want to go on the show.’ But I can’t fathom faking that. If that was fake, then I deserve an Oscar because that was embarrassing.”
Others commented on YouTube and called her “fat” and “ugly.”
“There is always going to be someone who thinks it’s fake or who thinks it’s dumb ... or who thinks I’m fat or ugly,” she said. “And it was really important to me that I respond in a positive light and be Christlike. ... Sometimes you want to be like, ‘You don’t know me. You’re so mean,’ but at the end of the day, it’s not going to benefit anyone.”
While Jayci has enjoyed the perks of fame (she called appearing on “Ellen” the opportunity of a lifetime), she says the couple's intent was never to become famous; they just wanted to share a good laugh.
“Honestly, it wasn’t in our minds to try to capitalize on this and make money and become famous or popular,” Jayci explained. “We’re not trying to do anything other than have fun and laugh at it and let it kind of ride its course. Next week, there will be another viral video that everyone’s laughing about, and no one will care about mine anymore.”
Email: mjones@deseretdigital.com