A University of Tennessee professor went viral this week after abruptly canceling class in reaction to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement.
The moment came as advertising and public relations professor Matthew Pittman addressed his students just minutes after the pop superstar and NFL tight end revealed their engagement. In a now-viral clip, Pittman delivered the news with mock seriousness before declaring class dismissed.
"Taylor and Travis just got engaged," Pittman told the room. "Due to this information, I can't focus, you all can't focus. Class is canceled, get outta here. We need time to process this information."
One student immediately bolted for the exit while others grabbed their backpacks and rushed out. The video, posted to Instagram, quickly exploded online, earning Pittman the title of "favorite teacher ever" from fans.
As the footage spread, questions surfaced about whether the professor had truly ended class early or simply wrapped up theatrically at the scheduled time. Pittman later revealed the dismissal was staged as part of a lesson. He explained that the engagement announcement offered a real-time case study in how major cultural events dominate digital platforms and capture public attention.
"This is pretty big news," he said in a follow-up video. "The engagement announcement will very likely become the No. 1 shared post in the history of social media. It's gonna be everywhere for a long time. This is gonna be crazy."
The engagement itself was announced in a joint post by Swift and Kelce on Tuesday, and it soon drew the attention of President Donald Trump, who has publicly clashed with Swift in the past. He had a change of tone when asked about the news during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday.
"I wish them a lot of luck," he told reporters, according to Politico. "I think he's a great player, I think he's a great guy. I think that she's a terrific person, so I wish them a lot of luck."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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