SO THIS HAPPENED.

[tishaturk]

I try to keep this journal focused on research-related stuff rather than teaching stories, but I think that once you read this story you will see why I am making an exception.

So last week in Fan Cultures & Fan Creativity we were talking about representations of fandom—we had groups looking at posts from as_others_see_us and OTW’s news of note—and Orlando Jones came up in conversation, as he is wont to do.

One of my students decided to tweet him to let him know, and despite our classroom’s crappy WiFi, she prevailed! And then this happened:



WHUT.

But then she didn’t get a response! So today in class she tried again. I cannot adequately describe the hilarity of this scene—she's composing away on her laptop, reading out her hashtags as she types them, and everyone in the room is exhorting her "COME ON COME ON" "OMG" "HAS HE RESPONDED YET"...



#wecanthandlethis is a pretty accurate description of class at that point; we were essentially having a 25-person meltdown. There was actualfax shrieking, some of it from me. The collective sleep deprivation did not help (Dear students: GET SOME SLEEP), but I suspect that even if we’d all been well-rested we would have been LOSING OUR MINDS. And then, as we were sitting there, he favorited the tweet. At which point I dismissed class, because I could not top that. We were done.

BEST LAST CLASS EVER.

Of course I had to post.



And he favorited that tweet too. BRB DYING.

AND THEN when I logged into Tumblr I found that another one of my students had followed up on Tumblr:



Her tags: #I didn't make any shrill noises when I got this notification #oh no #not at all #orlando jones is my favorite

I just. I HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO CAN, as the kids say these days. I still don't have the faintest idea how he found out about the class, but I do not fucking care, because this is the most surreal and hilarious thing that has happened to me in I don't know how long, and I LOVE IT. And the class was in absolute hysterics. AS YOU CAN PERHAPS IMAGINE.

I fucking love my job. BEST STUDENTS EVER. Also, ORLANDO JONES GETS HIS OWN TAG.

Comments

[oyceter]

OMG BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!

[renenet]

I think Orlando Jones may really be a sorcerer. He certainly has demonstrated fandom/social media powers far beyond the ken of most mortals in Hollywood.

Well, I guess any concerns you had about how to make the last day of class meaningful beyond the course evaluation forms were unecessary. Whew!

[grammarwoman]

Holy crapballs, that's AMAZING! Vindication, thy name is Orlando Jones! :D :D :D

[kass]

asdfkjadsf;lkasjdf;laksdjf;asldkfjasd;lkfjasd;lfkjads;lfkjasdf;lkajsdf;lkasdjf

::endless glee::

[cofax7]

OMG that's hysterical. The fourth wall, it is well and truly broken.

[such_heights]

This is the actual best thing omg. HOW IS HE REAL?! I DON'T UNDERSTAND.

[sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com]

That man is a treasure made of awesome and win. I've been following him on Tumblr since he got there and he's hilarious.

[sdwolfpup.livejournal.com]

LMAO. Orlando Jones is the fannish gift that keeps on giving.

[bradcpu.livejournal.com]

That guy just... can't be real. Can he?

[12-12-12.livejournal.com]

Ha ha, this is AWESOME.

[laura47.livejournal.com]

I TWEETED AT HIM AND HE OFFERED TO PERFORM MY WEDDING.

[jarrow.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD.

[bananainpyjamas.livejournal.com]

AHH that is crazy.

[killabeez.livejournal.com]

That is awesome. I'm not always entirely comfortable with the Twitter/Fans/Cast and crew intersection, but moments like that are too much fun to resist.

[kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com]

He really is a treasure.

[braver-creature.livejournal.com]

WHAT. WHAT. ORLANDO JONES, YOU ARE A NATIONAL TREASURE.

(Sleepy Hollow is kind of my everything this semester)

[hawk-fry.livejournal.com]

This is so amazing. I'm smiling so hard ahaha. He is indeed extremely amazing. I had the chance to talk to him for a few seconds at this year's ComicCon and he was so dang NICE!

[cereta.livejournal.com]

AWESOME!!!