Daredevil Survives Grand Canyon Crossing While Twitter Freaks Out Because It Might Watch Him Die

Tim Boyles/Getty Images Nik Wallenda

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Note to cable networks cultivating new prestige dramas: You can forget all your powerful highly paid writers, deliberate pacing, crackling dialogue, scenic location shots, and charismatic antiheroes. Turns out, all you need to get America’s attention on Sunday night is a guy walking in a straight line. Well, to be more specific: He’s going to have to do it on a high-wire over the Grand Canyon, with no harness or safety net, with the wind rattling him from both sides, and with Jesus on his side. But then you’re guaranteed we’re all going to freak out on Twitter.

Last night, daredevil Nik Wallenda pulled off the feat live on the Discovery Channel’s special presentation Skywire Live, and a nation besieged by thoughts of what appeared to be this guy’s very imminent death took to Twitter to cheer him on, question his sanity, or, more likely, make fun of him.

Billy Bush was very, very concerned:

So was Boyz II Men:

Comedan Kumail Nanjiani was inspired:

RuPaul wanted Wallenda to work it a bit more:

Working actor Ryan Phillippe outed himself as an owner of a Twitter account:

But Seth Meyers wasn’t so sure it was Jesus helping Wallenda across:

Snape was horrified:

And Tyler, The Creator was bummed no one gave him the heads up:

Of course, the danger of copycats fast became a reality:

Amos Barshad has written for New York Magazine, Spin, GQ, XXL, and the Arkansas Times. He is a staff writer for Grantland.

Archive @ AmosBarshad

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