CBS Anchor Stating Cardinals Are 'Rawdogging' Conclave Without Their Phones Stuns Users: 'Never Use That Phrase Again'

A CBS anchor stunned viewers during live coverage of the papal conclave by joking that cardinals were "raw-dogging it" without their phones, leaving some social media users amused and others calling for a ban on the phrase.

The Vatican officially began its papal conclave on Wednesday, following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

As part of centuries-old tradition, cardinals are completely cut off from the outside world during the process — no phones, internet, or media — to prevent outside influence on the selection of the new pope. This digital lockdown is enforced through military-grade signal jamming inside the Sistine Chapel, Mediaite reported.

While covering the conclave on CBS, host Tony Dokoupil used the term "rawdogging it" to describe how cardinals would endure the phone-free proceedings. The comment drew laughter from the panel but quickly gained traction online due to the term's origin as slang for unprotected sex.

"Really sorry I lived long enough to hear someone say 'rawdogging' on national news," one user lamented. Another added, "Why we gotta say that."

Though now sometimes used more casually to describe enduring something without modern comforts, its use during solemn Vatican coverage struck many as jarring.

Online reaction was swift, with some users amused by the generational culture clash and others pleading with news anchors to "never use that phrase again."

The moment also drew broader attention to how modern slang is increasingly crossing into mainstream broadcast journalism, sometimes with awkward results.