Jacksonville native’s hilarious videos generating social media star status
By Ryne Turke
From the theater stage to TikTok, Katie McDannald is proving to be a creative talent in the area.
While most nights you’ll find McDannald relaxing at home with her dog and three cats, lately she’s been the buzz of social media.
Her “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” spoofs of the Griswold family dinner and Clark Griswold’s light display failure have generated over 10 million views this past holiday season.
McDannald, who’s been churning out creative hits since her time with Steak ’n Shake in 2020, says putting together these videos has been a blast.
“Christmas Vacation is a holiday staple in our family. I had to shut my notifications off on Thanksgiving and it’s been off ever since, because it’s just a constant stream of likes and comments.”
McDannald says she never expected this kind of reaction once she posted her content on social media.
“It’s just something I think is really fun and it’s a great creative outlet for me, so I never set out to gain followers or get the most views. We just like to do them because we love spending time together and because I almost always get someone before a holiday who says they hope to see a new video from us. I’m just glad people enjoy them!”
McDannald notes none of this would be possible without a family that’s always up to participate in her shenanigans.
“My nephew, Aaron, has played Clark Griswold in the last two [videos]. He’s a natural! He cracks us up with his facial expressions. This last video has a lot of comments about my aunt, Phronsie. They loved watching her fling that martini glass around and pretend to be a little tipsy. She and my dad, Stacey, usually ask what we’re doing before each family get-together, and I always try to have some idea ready. I have a big family, and they’re all loud and hilarious, which is always fun.”
Morgan Spaulding Wood, McDannald’s cousin, says creating these videos has brought the family closer together.
“Making videos directed by Ken Bradbury’s protege is one of the many ways we like to spend time together. It’s fun to be able to share these memories with not only the community, but now the world. I’m glad the laughter can be experienced globally that we created with our close-knit family.”
McDannald’s mom, Hettie, is crossing her fingers for a big role in her daughter’s next production.
“It’s a fun time to bond with our family and have some laughs with all the retakes and memory-making moments. The remarks we get from those that have viewed the videos make me so proud of my daughter’s creativity.”
McDannald’s creative talents have followed her to a career at Lincoln Land Community College, where you’ll find staff participating in the latest social media trend.
“I really just set out to make entertaining videos to showcase my employers, the college and encourage potential students to attend LLCC. There’s been some really positive feedback from the videos and I’m excited to create more this spring.”
With McDannald as the play director for the Triopia Jr. Sr. High School theater, the future couldn’t be brighter for the area. We can’t wait to see the next Katie McDannald emerge from the Trojan community.
Find McDannald’s videos on TikTok via @katesgreat04 or search “Katie McDannald” on Facebook.
