Internet sensation Jake Shane had a change of scenery this past week when making the trip from LA to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, March 26, laughter erupted throughout the Weis Center as students participated in and listened in on a Q&A with the celebrity guest. While tickets were sold prior to the event, students staked outside up to two hours before to get seats closest to the stage.
Shane has been generating his following of Octopussies (“Pussies”) since 2022 and has now grown across various platforms as an internet comedian. Most popular now on TikTok, he has accumulated over 2.8 million followers on his account, @octopusslover8. Famous on the platform for octopus reviews, skits, nyming (acronym-ing), popsicle revealing and amusing followers in dozens more ways, he was a natural for keeping the audience entertained.
With questions ranging from Shane’s college life to his influencer life, students got an inside look at his social media journey with many laughs along the way. Ally Mulvaney ’25 was selected to moderate a majority of the Q&A allotting fifteen minutes at the end for questions from the audience directly.
Relating topics to a majority of audience members, Mulvaney posed questions about Shane’s experience as a college student as well as the transition to working before pursuing social media. Shane explained that he was a student at the University of Southern California until 2022. As a student, he also interned at a record label. With the label giving him a full-time offer following his graduation he was working as an executive assistant when he began to post more frequently on TikTok and Instagram.
Reflecting on the origins of his internet presence, he explained that it all started on Instagram. His posts began as Octopus reviews which led him and his friends to coin one of his famous slogans “PASSTHATPUSS”. It is from his love for Octopus that he has derived many of his slogans and centered his brand around.
As he moved his content to TikTok, Shane kept Octopus as a central feature of his account while exploring many other content types. He shared some of his favorite skits and the processes behind them. Shane’s followers are familiar with his constant use of nyms (acronyms). Sharing some of his favorite and most used he said HH (hate her) and MAP (make a plan). He attributed many of his ideas and creative processes for skits and nyms to the time he spent brainstorming with his two roommates, both of whom had some fans in the audience as well.
During the Q&A Mulvaney highlighted Shane’s authenticity and transparent attitude that attracted many to his content. He emphasized that his authentic self is what he prides himself on maintaining online.
Continuing on the topic of transparency Mulvaney highlighted his openness to discuss mental health on his platform. Shane spoke about the topic with a very light, upbeat and passionate attitude that he consistently held throughout the show. He explained that he began all of his content as being his real self, showing him taking his medication and not hiding anything. As he was working and continuing TikTok, he noted that he questioned if he should still share these aspects of his life. He ultimately decided to stick with his initial decision of being unashamed to share aspects of his life regardless of the stigma around them.
With many loyal followers of Shane in the audience, students were wearing merch, holding signs with references and shouting things Shane loves most. He dove into some of these topics, highlighting his love for Taylor Swift, Jersey Shore, Girls and the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. The event radiated a genuine atmosphere for students, engaging in a conversation with Shane about his favorite things. Sharing insider information about his podcast “Therapuss,” he let the audience know that Glen Powell will be a new upcoming guest.
As the audience loved and was even able to anticipate some of his answers, Shane spotlighted how well-connected he felt with his fans. “The Pussies are my best friends,” he said. “Sometimes I feel like the Pussies know me better than I know myself.”
Students on campus noted and praised Shane’s passion for interacting with his fans. Bucknellians caught him in many parts of Lewisburg where he stopped to chat, take pictures and film videos. While many people were posting their Shane sightings on social media, his Instagram story was flooded with reposts. Such a high volume of fan interaction is a characteristic rare to find with many influencers in Shane’s position. Students were very aware of this and it generated more excitement throughout the day for his event.
Gwen Scopelliti ’24, a follower of Shane, stated “Jake’s enthusiasm for being at Bucknell and meeting students made the day so exciting! I’ve never seen anything like it, especially with the previous celebrities that have visited Bucknell. It really helps to make him more relatable.”
Bringing Shane to campus was made possible by the Student Lectureship Committee. Each semester the committee brings a guest to campus to be featured at a student lecture.
Elli Eisman ’26, a member of the Student Lectureship Committee shared her thoughts on having Shane at Bucknell, “As a committee, we were always eager to have Jake Shane come to Bucknell but it was a pleasant surprise to us how interactive he was with students. He met so many Bucknellians walking around Lewisburg the day of the event which brought a lot of anticipation to the show, and to the committee’s benefit, was great advertising.”
When deciding on a guest, the committee typically sends a poll to all students to be able to vote on the potential options. This semester the committee sent a poll in January with celebrities such as Jennette McCurdy, Brenda Song, Micheal Oher and more. When Shane became available after the poll had been completed, the committee weighed student opinion and potential attitudes towards Shane as a guest. The students of the committee witnessed the success of selecting Shane with an almost sold-out show on Tuesday.
After the event, Shane featured a video of the Bucknell audience on his TikTok and Instagram along with a poem he wrote about his 24-hour adventure to Lewisburg. With the amount of laughs, pictures and videos students had it was clear many “Pussies” enjoyed his visit. JSABWA! (Jake Shane At Bucknell Was Amazing)
