Most safety videos are forgettable, which probably doesn’t help the video’s goal. That’s probably why a group of security officers for Belmont University in Tennessee ensured that their crosswalk safety video would catch your attention– well, they did that and more because now, their rather hysterical and funny video has gone viral.
Belmont University has unintentionally become the internet’s latest source of chaotic comedy over the past few days after it uploaded its crosswalk safety video on the official Belmont Security TikTok. The clip, starring campus security officer Corporal James Grandberry, was designed to highlight the “dos and don’ts” of pedestrian safety. Instead, it sparked a wave of disbelief, laughter, and memes as Grandberry repeatedly appeared to get “hit” by cars in dramatically edited scenes:
The tongue-in-cheek video also shows Grandberry demonstrating basic safety rules, like using crosswalks, avoiding jaywalking, and looking both ways. But it’s the exaggerated slow-motion impacts, paired with his over-the-top screams, that sent TikTok and other social media into a frenzy. One joking commenter wrote, “How did you survive all of that?” while another declared, “King, they are not paying you enough.”
The safety segment has now amassed over 2.4 million views and 630,000 likes, with users praising its humor as much as its message. “This is very informative and it’s also making me laugh so hard,” one person wrote.
Grandberry told The Tennessean that the idea for the video came shortly after the opening of a new residence hall featuring three new crosswalks. The goal was simple: get students’ attention in a memorable way, and maybe a little goofy. They actually worked hard for this one; while filming took just 30 minutes, the social media team spent about six hours editing the viral masterpiece.
Too real for the students
The reaction hasn’t only been online. Grandberry said people outside the university have reached out, and students have approached him, convinced he’d actually been hit. “This is cool,” he said, noting that the security office often uses social media to connect with students.
Belmont’s campus security regularly posts updates on safety programming, including active-shooter training, self-defense classes, and even therapy dog visits. And if this video proved anything, it’s that a little humor goes a long way, especially when crossing the street. Belmont Security has actually been trying different comedic techniques and formats for their other safety videos, though Grandberry’s crosswalk safety video appears to be the most successful.
Other universities and school zones could definitely use a similar approach, particularly in the Washington, DC, area, where cars zoom past busy crosswalks. It’s not exactly clear just how much this infotainment style of safety videos helps, but the fact that Belmont Security is willing to cater to younger generations’ attention span is endearing enough.
