‘Blinking White Guy’ Uses Meme Status To Fight MS
The real-life guy behind the "Blinking White Guy" meme is using his stardom to help fight Multiple Sclerosis.
You know the meme. You've probably used the meme in conversations with friends. But do you know the guy behind the meme, or even where the meme comes from?
I'll be honest, I thought this was from an old 80's movie. I was way wrong. In 2013, Drew Scanlon was just another guy making a video game show with his friends. During an episode of “Unprofessional Fridays” on the Giant Bomb channel, Scanlon reacted to one of his colleagues saying “I’ve been doing some farming with my hoe here” with raised eyebrows and several blinks.
It only took four years for the internet to dig this one out, and make it into a funny, and very useful meme.
That being said, Scanlon is using his meme stardom by asking people who use and/or enjoy his meme to donate to "Bike MS", which is a national bicycle ride that raises money to support Multiple Sclerosis research.
As of this writing, he's already raised over $37,000.
“I’m not usually one to toot my own meme horn but in this case I’ll make an exception,” Scanlon wrote on his Bike MS page. “You see, two close friends of mine and members of their families suffer from MS, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system that interrupts communication between the brain and the body.”
“If a fraction of those who have seen my goofy face donated to MS research, I have a feeling we could kick this thing in no time!” he added.
Scanlon's bike ride ended on September 22, but donations are open until November.