Blinking Guy Meme Origin: How Drew Scanlon Became the Internet's Most Famous Reaction GIF

The legendary blinking guy meme originated on December 6th, 2013, from an episode of the web series Giant Bomb, "Unprofessional Fridays" where host Drew Scanlon, a video game journalist and editor, and his colleague Jeff Gerstmann played the popular game Starbound with an audience. During the live production, Gerstmann made a childish joke about "farming with my hoe," which led to Scanlon's reaction video, which featured the perfect blinking guy 'double-take' over his humorous comment in real time. 

Drew Scanlon's Perfect Reaction

Scanlon expressed a reaction to Gerstmann's joke that, in internet meme culture, became the cleanest, most succinct video reaction for confusion, disbelief, and awkward surprise, all in a split second captured on video that would ultimately alter the course of his life. 

How the Blinking Guy Meme Went Viral

In 2015, two years after the original airing, images of Scanlon's face began to surface in online forums, and the expression 'blinking guy' became mainstream on Twitter in 2017 as a meme distilled into what universally became the response when people make absurd comments or make a surprising announcement or whenever a person feels awkward while part of a discussion or discussion in a group. 

Why the Blinking Guy Meme Remains Popular

The 'blinking guy' perspective remains relatable, with a blink succinctly and aptly representing the constant situation that occurs when a person says something so unexpected, you need a second to process.