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A YouTube video was posted on June 9, 2009, in which an 8th grader named Aaron Shutway, standing at one end of a basketball court, performs a front handspring while holding the ball, and in landing the flip shoots across the court, and makes the shot. Dozens of his classmates who are present for the event erupt into applause and jumping. It seems less than hyperbolic to suggest that this was probably the greatest moment in Aaron Shutway’s young life, and that it will be a long time before, if ever, another success is momentous enough to take its place. Perhaps, in some years, the love of a beautiful woman, or the landing of a coveted job, or having children of his own. And yet one imagines that even these joyous events will be measured against the benchmark of this crowning achievement.
To top it all off, in the less than two weeks that the video has been online it has been viewed more than one million times. Aaron Shutway is an internet celebrity!
The fact of the matter is that we know, rationally, how insignificant doing a front handspring with a basketball and making the shot while you are in 8th-grade gym class is in the grand scheme of world events and human accomplishment. Or at least that’s what we tell ourselves as the looming threat of old age and cultural obsolescence gapes its ever-widening maw. But setting aside our jaded, disillusioned “perspective” for a moment, many of us would probably give almost anything to experience the overwhelming rush of Aaron Shutway’s joy. His instant ascension to the status of “legend” in his classmates minds. A crystal moment of happiness. Forever.
Let’s all give Aaron Shutway just a few more views on his video. His moment. Keep it going. Never stop.
If you only had one shot, one opportunity, to seize everything an 8th-grader ever wanted, one moment, would you capture it or just let it slip? HIPPITY-HOO-BLAH!
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man, that kid is going to get so many awkward, painful handjobs.
If his nickname is “Crazy Hips” I bet he got waaay more than a handjob.
That kid probably got the greatest first handjob ever right after that.
jinx! buy me a sugar water!
apparently the handjob joke is the latest vogue
I can’t lie, I was going to make the exact same comment as our “firster” up there.
I’ll say. What is this? Rushmore?
meh. i’d like to see him do it five times in a row
on an outdoor court
on top of mt. everest
while being attacked by a yeti.
lebron could do it.
Mrs. Schneider totally wants to fuck “Crazy Hips”
also, this
O’Reilly is going to use this next winter.
“And our top story tonight, a ‘virus’ video surfaces tonight of a school district in Brecksville, USA wasting hard earned taxpayer dollars by allowing PE free for alls. What the Obama administration is not doing about it, after Dennis Miller.”
i saw this on cnn this morning – because our economy is in tip top shape and we’ve finally achieved world peace.
but since all that is in order, i’m glad this kid has one more thing to smile about.
handjobs all around!
weeee aaare the chaampions!
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Green meet Envy.
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Some people just don’t get Videogum. Twice.
June 9th, 2009. Never forget.
“Animals On Film,” LOL.
You’re da Best, Mayne. You deed it.
I hope someone makes a hand job joke about this.
I am impressed by the feat (the front handspring alone!) and also very comforted by the fact that Midwest middle schoolers look the same as they did in the 80′s (plaid bermudas, anyone?) Thank you, Aaron Shutway.
rejoicing eighth graders are the new baby foxes.
When I was in 6th grade I had one shining glorious moment of off-handedly throwing a kid’s baseball cap on his head from 20 feet away on the first try. No one cheered for me or anything, but it was still may have been more of a rush than my first kiss, finally graduating high school, and getting a scholarship for college combined.
It would’ve been cooler if it was Gordon Shumway making that shot.
STEVE HOLT!
AARON SHUTWAY!
you have an icon of Dickbutt, so i am rating you up on every single comment you make from here on out.
Aw, thanks, guy!
The “Aaoron Shutway Makes A Crazy Basket” movie is probably being developed as I type. I hope a Jonas is available.
omg you guys, I went to that middle school and lived right across the street. my grandmother was probably sitting across the street in the living room WHEN THE SHOT WAS MADE. you’ve brought videogum closer to me, gabe.
I read this and kept waiting for it to say “AND HE HAS CANCER”.