User:Kpere039/Jake Shane

Jake Shane, also known online as Octopusslover8, is an American influencer and comedian. He originally started TikTok in 2021 to give reviews of different meals that included octopus but then in 2023, his TikTok videos featuring humorous reenactments of historical events went viral. One of his most famous reenactments was "What if people got drafted into World War I via spam text?" Also in 2023, he was nominated for a Streamy Award and appeared on TikTok's inaugural LGBTQ+ Pride Visionary Voices List and the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Shane signed with United Talent Agency at the end of 2023. Jake Shane now has gained a following of over 2.8 million followers. His followers include big-name celebrities like the Jonas Brothers and Charli and Dixie D'Amelio.

Early Life
Jake Shane was born and raised in New York. His mother, Helaine Olen, is an author and columnist for The Washington Post. He has described himself as "a closeted kid". He has stated that he did acting as a child, performing in his school's production of Thoroughly Modern Millie in sixth grade, but had to quit due to his insecurities after switching schools. He also took improv lessons at the Gotham Comedy Club while attending high school in Washington Heights. He attended the University of Southern California, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in Public Relations in 2022.

Rise to Fame
Shane started his social media career in 2021 as an Instagram food critic of octopus, using the handle @passthepuss. In February 2023, Shane became known for his TikTok videos, in which he humorously reenacted historical events per requests in his comments, starting with the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal, which gained him 100,000 followers within one week of its posting. Other reenactments included dinosaurs seeing a comet, the Last Supper, John Hancock signing the United States Declaration of Independence, Moses parting the Red Sea, and a President who did not make it onto Mount Rushmore. According to Elle, he signed with WME in March 29, 2023; by then, his account has amassed at least 4.9 billion views, and had gained over 1.3 million followers.

Shane was nominated for the Streamy Award for Breakout Creator at the 13th Streamy Awards in 2023, though the award was won by Dylan Mulvaney. He was also included on TikTok's inaugural LGBTQ+ Pride Visionary Voices List in May 2023. In September 2023, he signed with United Talent Agency for representation in all areas. He was featured on the 2024 Forbes30 Under 30 list and had more than two and a half million followers on TikTok by December 2023.

Shane's podcast, Therapuss with Jake Shane, in which Shane responds to listener questions in the style of a therapy session alongside a different co-host each episode, launched in January 2024. Shane's first podcast introduced his best friend from college Julia Mervis, how they met, and where their friendship started.

Personal life and public image[edit]
Shane frequently posts on social media about his mental health, specifically regarding his experiences with anxiety and obsessive–compulsive disorder, which he has stated he has struggled with since age seven and was diagnosed with as a teenager. He also often posts videos about his being a Swiftie. Shane has been adamant about not letting the fame take away from his college friendships, Shane continues to post videos with them very often and also continues to live in an apartment with 3 roommates Julia Mervis, Brett Chody, and Payton Purther.

Geoff Weiss of Business Insider wrote in 2023 that "no TikToker [had] reached mass consciousness" like Shane since fellow influencer, Alix Earle became popular on the platform the year prior. For Variety, Julia MacCary wrote, "Perhaps no one better embodies the app's ability to quickly catapult someone into stardom than Jake Shane." Queerty 's Carson Mlnarik described him as a "short and sassy queer content-creator" who "skyrocketed to viral fame" in 2023.

Shane was seen at Sofia Richies infamous wedding and questions rose on how he was there. It might seem like an unlikely crossover but Jake Shane and Sofia Richie were actually friends before he found his Tik Tok fame. Exactly how he knows Sofia is still unclear but there are speculations that he is a cousin of her new husband.

Shane expressed in a Rolling Stones article "I have the worst imposter syndrome ever" and "I convinced myself the day that I make it, I'm going to be the most secure person. I'm gonna feel so beautiful and then I'll get a guy and this that and the other. But I showed up and was like 'Oh my god, I still feel like a kid. I feel the exact same.' Nothing about my self-confidence has changed."

He was featured on TikTok's debut LGBTQ+ Pride Visionary Voices list.