In almost all of Jake Shane\u2019s videos, someone is giggling in the background. If the 23-year-old TikToker (perhaps better known by his handle @octopusslover8<\/a>) was on any other platform, the laughter \u2014 courtesy of his roommates, Brett Chody<\/a> and Julia Mervis<\/a> \u2014 might come across as strategic, a directorial laugh track inviting viewers to join in on the fun of their Los Angeles apartment. But this doesn\u2019t feel like that. Neither robotic nor expertly timed, this laughter is natural, friendly, and riveting \u2014 just like Shane\u2019s videos, which have earned him 2.1 million followers and 116.8 million likes on TikTok. Only a year after graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in PR, Shane has become TikTok\u2019s latest obsession, a frequent guest star in every friend circle\u2019s group chat.<\/p>\n Best known for his comedy skits and historical reenactments, Shane\u2019s account is flooded with new comments daily, requesting that he act out scenarios like \u201cDiet Coke\u2019s reaction to Coke Zero<\/a>\u201d and \u201cAbraham Lincoln\u2019s bodyguard<\/a> the day of the assassination.\u201d His content is genuinely unique, a rarity on TikTok, where trends tend to dominate\u00a0\u2014 and the giggling that surrounds him is only part of his appeal. <\/p>\n When Shane came to Elite Daily\u2019s office in early June, I let slip that I heard \u201cMaroon\u201d live on the Eras Tour. He freaked out, Celsius can forgotten and arms waving. \u201cI actually don\u2019t even want to hear it. You were in the room?\u201d he asked, before begrudgingly saying, \u201cAt least you got to experience it. I\u2019m happy that I\u2019m sitting with someone that got to experience it.\u201d I only half believed him. But later, when the interview was over and he was midphotoshoot, he called out to me, \u201cGuess what I\u2019m playing in there? \u2018Maroon,\u2019\u201d and I got that little glowy feeling that comes with connecting with someone for the first time.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a feeling that Shane\u2019s followers, whom he affectionately calls \u201cPussies,\u201d know all too well. His videos are like one elaborate inside joke, and everyone \u2014 from the Jonas Brothers<\/a> to Lea Michele<\/a> \u2014 wants to be in on it. Below, Shane opens up about TikTok, his comedy, and, of course, Taylor Swift.<\/p>\n Elite Daily: Originally, your account started as funny reviews of octopus dishes. How did you transition from that to comedy skits\/historical reenactments?<\/strong><\/p>\n Jake Shane:<\/strong> I was posting octopus reviews on TikTok, and it was moving the needle, but not really. Then, I saw Julia Fox do a TikTok where she replied to people\u2019s comments, acting out what they said. I decided to try it. I remember the first one was Bill Clinton denying<\/a> his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Before filming it, I was Googling how to speak like him. I didn\u2019t know how I was going to do it, but it was midnight, so I was like, \u201cF*ck it.\u201d I just acted as I would act if I was Bill Clinton in that situation, and people thought it really funny. With TikTok, I throw stuff at the wall and see if it sticks even slightly. In this case, it really, really stuck, and I hope it continues to stick.<\/p>\n ED: At this point, your comments section is full of suggestions for your next videos. How do you choose which ones to do?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> Most of the time, my roommates and I will scroll through comments and bounce ideas off each other. Sometimes, I\u2019ll see a comment, and an idea will come to me immediately. Other times, I have to sit on it to figure out how to make it work. Occasionally, I just feel it. I know I\u2019m ready to act and be funny in the moment, so I just go for it.<\/p>\n ED: Do any of their suggestions surprise you?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> People get really, really creative. The situations they come up with are so niche and so funny. Someone commented, \u201cCan you do the sun finding out sunblock blocked them?\u201d My roommate, Brett, and I were together, and she\u2019s like, \u201cOK, we should do it as if you were blocked on Instagram.\u201d<\/p>\n The only thing I\u2019m thinking about is making my friends laugh. I\u2019m so focused on that. I don\u2019t have the mental capacity to laugh myself.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n ED: Do you ever ignore any suggestions?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> No. My favorites section has hundreds and hundreds of comments that are funny but I\u2019m unsure about. I just scroll through there, write stuff down, and bounce around some ideas. I never ignore them, though. I just have to take them through my brain to see if they work. <\/p>\n The one suggestion I notice the most is Jackie Kennedy reacting to Marilyn Monroe singing \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d to John F. Kennedy. I am so scared to do it. The ones that get requested so much are the ones I get anxious about. But once I come up with a really good idea, I\u2019ll do it.<\/p>\n ED: How often \u2014 if ever \u2014 do you break character?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> Not often. I did in the bologna video<\/a> [where bologna finds out how it\u2019s pronounced] because it was just so stupid, and my friends and I were so high. But I rarely do because I have the worst anxiety, so while I\u2019m filming, the only thing I\u2019m thinking about is making my friends laugh. I\u2019m so focused on that. I don\u2019t have the mental capacity to laugh myself. Even when I watch my videos back, I have the straightest face.<\/p>\n ED: Your comedy is really smart without being mean. Was that on purpose?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS: <\/strong>I\u2019ve never subscribed to the mean stuff. I can be mean to myself, and I handle that by making fun of myself on the Internet so I can feel better about it. For example, the way I speak about anxiety<\/a> and OCD, I laugh about it, which doesn\u2019t work for everyone. But for a lot of people, they\u2019ll DM me and be like, \u201cOh, my God, I also feel this way.\u201d<\/p>\n ED: Are there any DMs in particular that really stick out to you, good or bad?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS: <\/strong>I got this message the other day that was like, \u201cMy friend passed the other week, and you\u2019re the only reason that I\u2019m laughing today.\u201d I have a hard time crying because I\u2019m on antidepressants. I\u2019m very numb to the world, but those messages make me cry. It also really puts things into perspective because when you have all these followers, it\u2019s hard to visualize them.<\/p>\n ED: You have a lot of different catchphrases, from \u201cPussy PSA\u201d to \u201cTents Up.\u201d How did you come up with them?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS: <\/strong>Can I be completely transparent? I was super high in bed, and I literally just came up with it and texted my friends, \u201cI have something for us to do tomorrow\u201d because it\u2019s a call-and-response thing. I was just making sh*t up as I went.<\/p>\n ED: Do you remember the first time you went viral? What was your initial reaction?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> It was the video where Paul Revere tells people the British are coming<\/a>. I did it as if he was inviting George Washington to a party, and George Washington asked him, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me the British were coming?\u201d<\/p>\n I remember the week that I went viral, I was just with my friends the entire time, so I was able to feel normal. I celebrated each milestone with them, and they helped me maintain this sense of normalcy.<\/p>\n ED: Was there a particular moment where you realized you had made it?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS: <\/strong>I went to the TikTok Vanity Fair<\/em> party [in March 2023]. It actually happened because I met a TikTok rep at Erewhon that same week. The next day, she invited me to the party. I didn\u2019t process what it was until I got there and was like, \u201cWhy is Maggie Rogers here? What\u2019s happening?\u201d At that moment, I realized, \u201cOK, things are going to be a little different now.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m more scared about being in a room with 10 people looking at me, as opposed to millions of people following me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n ED: Oh, wow. What\u2019s it like navigating the influencer scene in L.A.?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS: <\/strong>I navigate it like it\u2019s work. It\u2019s important to make personal relationships in any new space you\u2019re entering, but by keeping my best friends that I\u2019ve had for five years, it really doesn\u2019t feel as intimidating. It\u2019s more of a cool experience that we can do together.<\/p>\n ED: What has been the most surprising thing about becoming a creator and building a following?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> Honestly, when celebrities interact with my stuff. I\u2019m such a pop culture fanatic that I get so excited every time. Zooey Deschanel dueted<\/a> my stuff, and I freaked out. I also really, really freaked out when Emma Roberts followed me on Instagram. I was like, \u201cWhat the f*ck is happening?\u201d<\/p>\n ED: That\u2019s so exciting. Do you feel like you\u2019re \u201cused to\u201d it yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever get used to it. I always feel like a fish out of water. I have the worst impostor syndrome. I always have. For me to just graduate college and then have this happen is a double whammy. But I\u2019m definitely gaining more confidence in entering spaces. At first, I was so scared. I always want people to laugh with me, but I\u2019m scared of them laughing at me.<\/p>\n When I\u2019m posting, it\u2019s easier to throw that mindset away, because it\u2019s an invisible stage. It\u2019s like you\u2019re putting yourself out there to millions and millions of people, but you can\u2019t see them. I\u2019m more scared about being in a room with 10 people looking at me, as opposed to millions of people following me. I don\u2019t know why.<\/p>\n ED: So far, you\u2019ve made videos with some pretty big names. Can we talk about Sofia Richie<\/a> first? How was the wedding<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS: <\/strong>The most beautiful ceremony filled with so much love and happiness. <\/p>\n ED: What about your connection with Alix Earle<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS: <\/strong>We talked a lot the week I went really viral. Some of the stuff I\u2019m experiencing, she\u2019s also already gone through. I\u2019ll text her about it if I ever have anxiety, and she\u2019s always so sweet and so kind. It\u2019s nice to talk to someone who really gets it.<\/p>\n ED: And the Jonas Brothers<\/a> collab? How did that happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> That actually happened completely organically. I woke up one morning to Nick Jonas dueting<\/a> me as if he was in the skit. He played the other soda, but there were a few characters left. I knew I wanted Joe and Kevin to play the other characters, so I DMed Nick, \u201cThank you for dueting my stuff. We got to find a Scott.\u201d [Scott was one of the characters\u2019 names.] It was just me throwing him a bone and hoping that he would do it. The next day, he was like, \u201cScott video incoming from Joe,\u201d and then Kevin hopped on. And the rest is history.<\/p>\n ED: You post about Taylor Swift a lot, and I know you went to the Eras Tour<\/a> in Las Vegas. Will you go again in L.A.?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS: <\/strong>Yes. I really want the surprise songs to be \u201cDaylight\u201d on the piano and \u201cCall It What You Want\u201d on the guitar.<\/p>\n ED: Do you have a favorite era of hers, or one you identify with the most?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> I think I\u2019m a Midnights<\/em> sun, a 1989<\/em> rising, and a Reputation<\/em> moon. (My actual signs are Scorpio sun, Gemini rising, Gemini moon \u2014 I know, I\u2019m sorry.) But my favorite era of hers is Evermore<\/em><\/a> because it\u2019s my mom\u2019s favorite album. We\u2019d listen to it together during COVID. It was just such a period of uncertainty, but I remember the one thing that I was sure about was how much I loved Taylor Swift. I know that sounds so silly, but I would listen to the entire album, start to finish, on a two-hour walk every single day.<\/p>\n ED: Are you on Eras Tour TikTok? What other rabbit holes do you go down on the app?<\/strong><\/p>\n JS:<\/strong> Every other video on my FYP is either Taylor Swift\u2019s surprise songs or the Renaissance<\/em> Tour<\/a> \u2014 Beyonc\u00e9 singing \u201cHeated\u201d and Blue Ivy dancing<\/a>.<\/p>\n My deep, deep dives are always and forever Taylor Swift. But I also started watching movies on TikTok. They\u2019ll post Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and so on. I\u2019ll go find the next and the next. The guy who breaks bottles on the stairs<\/a>, too! Oh, my f*cking God. It\u2019s my favorite thing in the entire world. I hope that guy is making a bag off of that, because the number of bottles he is breaking?<\/p>\n![\"TikTok's](\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/image\/2023\/6\/26\/67c723fe-894b-4835-a7f8-b0008b534a6f-edxjs1200-edit.jpg?w=1320&h=1903&fit=crop&crop=faces&auto=format%2Ccompress)
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