'Blinking Guy' uses viral GIF of himself for the first time, asks the Internet a favor

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Inspired Life
‘Blinking Guy’ uses viral GIF of himself for the first time, asks the Internet a favor



The man whose face became a meme hadn’t shared it until last week. (Blinking White Guy GIF)

By Allison Klein
September 23

You’ve seen Drew Scanlon’s face — it’s been a favorite on social media for years. ... He’s “Blinking Guy,” also known as “White Guy Blinking,” the viral baffled-eyed GIF people use to indicate confusion, and also that they think someone is an ignoramus. ... While the world has used his expression for fun and snark for years, Scanlon — who had nothing to do with making the GIF — generally stayed under the radar. People didn’t recognize him in public, and he had never even used the GIF. Until a few days ago.

Scanlon, 33, sent out a tweet on Thursday saying he is, in fact, the Blinking Guy, and he asked the world for a favor. ... “Hi Internet! I’m Drew and THIS IS MY FACE,” he wrote. “If this GIF has ever brought you joy in the past, I humbly ask you to consider making a donation to the National MS Society. It would mean a lot to me and to those I know affected by the disease!

Drew Scanlon
✔
@drewscanlon
Hi Internet! I'm Drew and THIS IS MY FACE.

If this GIF has ever brought you joy in the past, I humbly ask you to consider making a donation to the National MS Society. It would mean a lot to me and to those I know affected by the disease!

Donate at http://BikingWhiteGuy.com

Link to tweet

“I’d never used the meme before because I felt like I didn’t own it,” Scanlon said Sunday after he finished a 120-mile bike ride fundraiser for multiple sclerosis. “The Internet made it and found this funny way to use it.” ... He said he’d always thought it would be “not cool” for him to use the GIF, like a guy in a band wearing his own band T-shirt. He also said it got so big on social media, it was “a little scary.”

But he changed his mind last week as he was gearing up for the two-day ride in support of two close friends who have MS, one recently diagnosed. During the ride through Northern California, Scanlon, who lives in San Francisco, updated his status when he took breaks, encouraging people to donate. ... People responded with an outpouring of support, with many saying they were gobsmacked that Scanlon, whose profile picture doesn’t mirror the wide-eyed, fresh-faced man in the GIF, was the Blinking Guy. One person wrote, “This is the best use of fame I’ve seen in awhile,” and others responded to Scanlon’s announcement with — wait for it — his own GIF.



Drew Scanlon during a break from the 120-mile bike ride fundraiser for multiple sclerosis over the weekend. (Wayne Fan)

Scanlon ended up raising about $25,000. Last year, he did the same ride and raised about $7,000, he said.
....

Allison Klein has been a reporter at The Washington Post since 2004, with a hiatus from 2013 to 2017. She anchors the Inspired Life blog, writing about surprising or unusual tales of humanity. She spent many years covering crime, policing and police policy. Previously, she worked at the Baltimore Sun and the Miami Herald. Follow https://twitter.com/alliklein

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. K & R! Good for him!