TikToker Jake Shane announces new podcast during SU event

TikToker Jake Shane spoke at Syracuse University on Friday, Dec. 1. Hosted by the University Union, the event titled, “A Conversation With Jake Shane,” sold out the Goldstein Auditorium located in the Schine Student Center.

On social media, Shane is known as an octopus enthusiast. His TikTok username is @Octopusslover8 and his Instagram handle is @PassThatPuss.

UU incentivized the first 500 students to arrive with stuffed octopus plushies.

“We got there an hour early and there were still people ahead of us, but we did not mind waiting because we all wanted the stuffed octopuses,” creative writing senior Katie Ludwig said.  

The Q&A was moderated by UU’s public relations director Allie D’Angelo. D’Angelo began by asking Shane to share his online origin story for those unfamiliar with his work.  

“Me and my friends would always call octopus, ‘puss.’ We would send photos to each other and be like ‘puss, puss, p—y,'” Shane recalled. “I was like, that is so funny, what if I made something out of this.” 

This is what sparked him to create his octopus empire.

When he was an intern during his junior year at the University of Southern California, the company told him to contact them in a year. This time allowed Shane to figure out what he really wanted to do. During his last year of college, Shane did what he knew best and ate a lot of his favorite food, octopus.  

Now, Shane has gone on to do far more than review octopus, although it’s still the forefront of his brand. Most people know him from his “Pussy PSA” segments on TikTok, where he updates his followers on his life in a public service announcement format.  

With 2.6 million followers on TikTok, he is still perceived as grounded, humble, relatable and genuine. D’Angelo emphasized these qualities and inquired about how Shane’s life changed during his rise to fame. 

“I still live with all of my best friends, so really, not much has changed,” he answered. “We were always making videos, and doing funny things, but now instead of just trying to make them laugh, I am trying to make all of you guys laugh.” 

Shane’s segment “nyming” –  “acronyming for short” – has gained recent popularity. The viral trend has people making their own shortened phrases and pushing them into the zeitgeist.  

Shane says it all started when his friend Julia was under the weather. She continued to say that she was “SFS” or “So F—ing Sick” – on repeat.

“It got funny and we kept doing it,” Shane said. The crowd was chock full of nyms, with phrases like, “JAGS: Jake For Graduation Speaker,” a term created by Ludwig. Fans posted on their Instagram stories, tagging Shane so he would repost their creation.

Shane’s college friends are as much a part of his brand as octopus itself. They appear in his videos, fangirling beside him. Their rapport and banter are part of what makes his content come across as the full package: funny, entertaining and relatable. He admitted his friend group of five spends every weekend together. They “PAD: Pack A Duffel” and stay at his apartment. Shane’s friend Payton even traveled with him to SU.   

Before bed, Shane and his friends “GTC: Go Through Comments,” and brainstorm content. Many of Shane’s videos are parodies based on historical events that fans request in his comment sections. Requests range from Paul Revere and his famous warning to Diet Coke finding out about Coke Zero.

His unique and comedic impersonations of these situations allowed him to carve out a new segment of the saturated internet for himself. The inspiration for his bits comes from his comments. It’s a way to bring his audience into his content and let them be a part of the process instead of just engaging externally.  

Shane admitted that doing in-person events and connecting with his audience is what he enjoys most. This led to an exclusive announcement of his new podcast “Therapus” where he’s taking his “Tell Me What’s Wrong” segment to the mic.

“With the launch of my podcast – and I have not even said this anywhere yet – I really want to take it on the road as a live show,” he said.

“Therapus” will give fans the chance to vent to Shane and “make therapy fun again.” Shane says he strives to give back to his supporters with comedic relief.

Photo by Rachel Meller

Jake Shane addresses the audience during Friday’s Q&A session.

Students got a sneak peek of the podcast as he gave advice to the crowd. When asked about what he would tell college students right now, he said, “Everyone cares about themselves more than they care about you, which means they forget about everything.”

He further emphasized that people shouldn’t worry about others’ perceptions, especially when something negative or embarrassing occurs.

This is a coping mechanism Shane uses in his own life when dealing with regrettable moments. He acknowledged the roller coaster that is college, sharing, “it beats you up and spits you out, but I had the time of my life.”

Shane was recently listed on Forbes‘ 2024 30 Under 30 Social Media. Something he jokes would be his top accomplishment if he hadn’t been named People’s “Sexiest Swifties of 2023” next to Miles Teller and Travis Kelce. As Taylor’s biggest fan, he said, “it was the best moment of my life.”

Shane ended the night screaming “Hi pussys,” in which the crowd responded “Hi Jake, tents up!”

“Shane had such a contagious energy which the crowd matched perfectly. ILJS: I Love Jake Shane,” marketing junior Emma Harby said following the show.