Hilariously Unsavvy Security Guard Tasked With Museum’s Twitter Account Goes Viral, Attracts 300k+ Followers

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A security guard has won fans for his heartwarmingly wholesome social media messages after being tasked with taking over the Twitter account at his place of work during the lockdown.

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma put its head of security, Tim Tiller, in charge of its Twitter account in mid-March 2020 amidst virus quarantine measures. The result was nothing short of highly entertaining.

Tim, a little befuddled by social media, has since been posting all manner of historical facts, “dad jokes,” and accidentally hilarious snippets of life behind the museum doors for his growing fanbase.

The security employee launched into his new role as social media mogul on March 17, posting:

“Hello, my name is Tim and I am the head of security for The Cowboy. I have been asked to take on the additional duty of social media management while the museum is closed.”

“I’m new to this but excited,” Tim added. “My team will also continue to protect and monitor the museum.” Tim’s inaugural tweet then ended with the word “send.”

The security guard received a warm welcome from the museum’s online followers and prompted hearty chuckles with another post later that same day. “This is the hat and eyepatch the Duke wore in the movie ‘True Grit.’ They are part of our exhibition,” Tim wrote, beside a photo of the display case in question.

“Lots of interesting props and clothes. I’m told I can’t try it on. Hashtag John Wayne,” Tim continued. “Lucas, my grandson, told me to use hashtags. Thanks, Tim.”

Comments flooded in from amused netizens, commending Tim for his new social media presence and teasing him for failing to understand the function of a hashtag. Tim, not to be beaten, persevered valiantly in his effort to understand social media lingo.

“Thanks for all the tips, friends,” Tim posted on March 19. “Realize I have been doing the hashtags wrong. I need to use that pound sign from the phone. I’m learning!”

This time, however, the earnest head of security added “#HashtagJohnWayne,” prompting further hilarity in the comments section.

As the weeks passed by, the internet warmed to Tim and his idiosyncratic relationship with social media. Whenever Tim fell off the proverbial horse, he got up, dusted himself off, and got right back in the saddle to post another wholesome tweet for his adoring fans.

Netizens rushed to Facebook’s comments section after Bored Panda covered Tim’s rise to fame on its website. “We all should thank Seth in marketing for giving this man this job,” wrote one netizen. “Sometimes talent and character is more important than experience.”

“He has missed his calling,” wrote another. “He obviously loves the place, it’s palpable from his words!”

Speaking to Fox 23 in the wake of his ascending popularity, Tim reflected, “I think people are looking for something to brighten their day as a distraction to what is going on around them. And I think that’s what we’ve created here.”

The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum’s Twitter account had fewer than 10,000 followers before Tim’s takeover, reports NBC San Diego. To date, it has nearly 309,000.

According to NPR, Tim grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and visited the museum as a child. He was employed there as a floor guard in 2016, eventually working his way up to head of security. Tim now spends his days emulating the cowboy lifestyle of his childhood daydreams.

“Walking around the museum with nobody here, it’s just ... hard to get used to,” Tim explained. In response to his sudden viral fame, Tim added that he feels “stunned.”

The Cowboy Museum was already a popular tourist attraction before Tim Tiller adopted his game-changing Twitter presence, but now the Wild Western history hotspot has gained a brand-new fanbase.

For many netizens, Tim’s adorably naive Twitter attempts are just the relief they needed.