Jake Gould
In less than a year, Jake Gould has turned a pandemic pastime into unprecedented viral fame. The recent college graduate moved back in with his dad mid-2020, allowing for many of the shenanigans that play out on his TikTok account, @jakesfunny. The two often trade humorous jabs in the form of prank videos; content including the “How Long Until I Get Disowned” series and his infamous erectile dysfunction billboard has earned him nearly 39 million likes and a quickly growing fanbase. With over 2.1 million social media followers, Jake and his dad have become one of the app’s most famous father-son duos. We spoke to Jake about making content, his favorite pranks, and more!
Tell us a little bit about yourself! How did you get started on the app?
I graduated college during the pandemic in 2020 and moved back in with my father. While I was applying for finance jobs, I figured I would take advantage of the extra time spent quarantined with him, so just after Thanksgiving, I went out and purchased a new phone, and immediately started filming every prank my unstable mind could think of. I made my first post on Christmas Eve, and by New Year’s Day, I already had 10,000 followers.
In less than a year, your account has grown to nearly 2 million TikTok followers! Did you ever expect your content to blow up on the platform?
As many people who are successful on TikTok will tell you, I studied the platform for a while before posting any videos on it. Before I bought my new phone, I spent 2 full months brainstorming ideas and trying to figure out the best way to navigate the algorithm. I quickly learned that the TikTok algorithm has very little rhyme or reason to it, but, I did realize that certain types of content consistently went viral on the app, including of course, pranks on parents. So, I knew I had the right content that COULD go viral, but I had no clue whether it actually WOULD go viral since I’m competing with – quite literally – hundreds of millions of users on the app.
Do you remember your first viral video? Which was it and how has your content changed since?
My first viral video came as a present on Christmas Day – just one day after posting my first video on Christmas Eve. It was a classic video of me popping out of my Dad’s refrigerator pretending to be a stockbroker which garnered over 100,000 views on the first day. Then, the following day, I posted a video of me pouring laundry detergent all over my face --- which put me in the hospital --- that went even more viral. After footing the $500 hospital bill for my stupidity, I knew there was absolutely no turning back. And aside from making my content more high caliber – like buying one of the largest billboards in Los Angeles -- my content really has not changed much since that day, because if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
You give your audience some of everything with your content. With that said, where do you typically draw inspiration from?
My inspiration generally just comes from trying to figure out what I would want to see if I was scrolling through TikTok, and luckily, there are 2 million people out there (and counting) who evidently have the same sense of humor as me. But as far as what helped shape that sense of humor, I would have to chalk 95% of it up to the show Family Guy, which taught me more than everything I ever learned in school.
Your dad is clearly a mainstay and one of the best parts of your TikTok account. What was his initial reaction to your internet fame?
My father was unaware of what TikTok even was for the first month or two during this process, but he has slowly embraced the internet fame and will always be 100% supportive in anything I do – he just wishes I would prank someone else instead.
What about the rest of your family and friends? Are they supportive of your TikTok career?
My friends, and especially my older brother are very supportive and are always willing to help me out if I seek them out for advice on my videos. But my mother is probably the most supportive because she knows that if she doesn’t stay on my good side, she’ll be in jeopardy of seeing her face on the next billboard.
Do you ever get into a writer’s block of sorts? If so, how do you get out of that creative funk?
As most writers will tell you, writer’s block is just the default setting. Only for a few moments a day am I ever able to squeeze a quality idea out, and it’s those few moments that are the reason behind every masterpiece. And while traditional writers might balk at the idea that TikTok sketches are truly ‘writing’, it’s absolutely no different, and the only way to get out of the funk is to stare at the screen some longer and pray to the Writing Gods for some inspiration.
Which one of your recent videos was your favorite to create and why?
My favorite video was definitely the fake erectile dysfunction advertisement I made with the bottle of milk thistle for my Dad. The main reason is that it cost $0 to make, but also because it really set the course for the future of my channel. I got a billboard based off that idea, and have made a handful of other “fake” advertisements to annoy my father since.
If you were to start a content house, who are three fellow TikTokers that you’re bringing with you?
My content house would include TooTurntTony, Jack Martin, and Billy Ray Cyrus (just cuz).
Has there been a moment on this journey that still feels surreal to you?
Getting recognized in public for the first time was a very weird feeling, but this journey has only been about 8 months so far, so I hope the crazy moments are still yet to come!
What are some hobbies that you enjoy doing outside of the TikTok space?
I enjoy playing and watching every sport (namely baseball), doing escape rooms, and annoying my father still.
What is one piece of advice that you have for an up-and-coming creator?
The competition is fierce, but there will ALWAYS be room for more creators in the space. Social media isn’t going away any time soon, so if you’re serious about it, make sure you study the platforms, plan a strategy, and honestly, hope you get a little lucky along the way. Don’t worry about the things you’re not good at -- triple down on what you are good at, whether it’s being funny, dancing, or sitting in front of the camera and doing nothing like Bella Poarch.
And what can fans expect for the rest of 2021?
I will be trying to transition more to YouTube in the coming months, so make sure you’re subscribed to my channel here . You can expect longer-form content that will still involve alpacas, mariachi bands, billboards, and my wonderful Jewish father.
When Jake Gould makes it to LA, ______________.
Since I was already born and raised in L.A., everyone needs to keep their head on a swivel.