# Blinking White Guy > Blinking White Guy is a 2013 reaction GIF of Giant Bomb video producer Drew Scanlon's subtle double-take, widely used to express bewilderment, confusion, or skepticism online. Blinking White Guy is a reaction GIF of Drew Scanlon, a video producer at gaming website Giant Bomb, doing a subtle double-take during a 2013 livestream. The clip sat dormant for years before exploding on Twitter in February 2017, becoming one of the most-used GIFs on the internet for expressing disbelief, confusion, or a polite "what the hell?"[3]. Scanlon later used his accidental fame to raise tens of thousands of dollars for multiple sclerosis research[4]. ## Origin On December 6, 2013, Giant Bomb aired an episode of their weekly show "Unprofessional Fridays"[3]. During the stream, Jeff Gerstmann was playing a space farming game called Starbound and casually remarked, "I've been doing some farming with my hoe here"[2]. While others on the stream reacted more overtly, Scanlon's response was a subtle, almost involuntary double-take and blink. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it moment buried in a multi-hour stream[7]. Scanlon himself didn't even remember doing it. "It was one joke in a two-hour stream that we did every week, and a very forgettable moment for me at the time," he told Sky News[2]. - **Platform:** Giant Bomb video - **Creator:** Drew Scanlon - **Date:** 2017 ## Overview The meme is a short, looping GIF showing a man in a flannel shirt sitting in an office, performing a quick double-take with slightly widened eyes and a deliberate blink. That's it. No dramatic expression, no exaggerated reaction. The power of the Blinking White Guy GIF comes from how understated it is. It captures that exact moment when your brain is still processing something absurd someone just said, and your face hasn't caught up yet[2]. The man in the GIF is Drew Scanlon, who worked as a video editor and producer at Giant Bomb, a personality-driven video game website founded by Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis[1]. Scanlon joined the site as one of its first interns in November 2008 and was later hired as a full-time video producer[1]. ## How It Spread The GIF lived in near-total obscurity for about a year and a half after the stream. The first known use of Scanlon's reaction as a standalone GIF came on July 27, 2015, when NeoGAF user Tokubetsu posted it in a thread about Kanye West and rapper Future[7]. From there, it circulated quietly in niche gaming forums and within the Giant Bomb fan community. The breakout came in February 2017. On February 5, Twitter user @eksbl posted the GIF with a joke about struggling in biology class, and the tweet picked up nearly 50,000 retweets[3]. That single tweet stripped the GIF of its gaming context and showed that anyone could relate to the expression[8]. Over the following week, dozens of tweets using the GIF went viral, each applying it to different everyday frustrations[5]. The meme spread so fast that by December 2017, Scanlon appeared on Good Morning America[7]. That same month, the Blinking White Guy GIF took second place on Giphy's Top 25 GIFs of the year, and GIF-sharing app Tenor named it the most popular GIF of 2017[8]. In August 2019, the meme got a second life as a multi-panel format called "First Guy To," which used sequential frames from the GIF to show a character reacting over the passage of time[6]. This gave Blinking White Guy fresh legs well past its initial viral peak. ## How to Use The Blinking White Guy GIF works best as a punchline to something absurd, confusing, or mildly outrageous. Here's how people typically use it: 1. **Classic reaction:** Write a setup describing something surprising or dumb, then attach the GIF as the response. Example: "My boss just scheduled a meeting to discuss having fewer meetings" + GIF. 2. **Quote reaction:** Screenshot or quote someone saying something baffling, then reply with the GIF. 3. **First Guy To format:** Use multiple frames from the GIF in a panel layout to show a character experiencing something for the first time, with captions describing the passage of time. 4. **Group chat / Discord:** Drop it whenever someone says something that leaves you speechless. ## Cultural Impact Blinking White Guy crossed over from internet joke to genuine mainstream awareness faster than most memes. Scanlon appeared on Good Morning America in December 2017 to discuss his unintentional fame[7]. The GIF was named the most popular GIF of 2017 by Tenor and ranked second on Giphy's annual list[8]. What sets this meme apart is what Scanlon did with the attention. Rather than cashing in on merch or brand deals, he directed his visibility toward raising money for the National MS Society. His 2019 Bike MS fundraiser raised over $34,000, and he went on to use his platform for the cause year after year[4]. As one Bored Panda commenter put it: "'blinking' white guy is now 'b(l)i(n)king' white guy"[4]. The meme also became a case study in "delayed virality," where content sits dormant for years before the right context launches it into the mainstream. The gap between the 2013 clip, the 2015 first use, and the 2017 explosion shows how unpredictable internet fame can be[7]. ## Fun Facts - Scanlon didn't remember making the expression until fans pointed it out years later[2]. - The comment that triggered the blink was Jeff Gerstmann saying "I've been doing some farming with my hoe" while playing Starbound[8]. - Scanlon raised over $34,611 for MS research through his 2019 Bike MS ride, on a 120-mile route from San Francisco to Wine Country[4]. - He was initially reluctant to claim the meme, comparing it to "the band wearing the band's T-shirt"[2]. - The GIF spent nearly four years in obscurity before going viral, first as a niche gaming forum reaction, then as a global sensation[7]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Blinking White Guy? Blinking White Guy a legendary evergreen reaction GIF featuring a white man blinking rapidly and looking confused or shocked. ### What does Blinking White Guy mean? Blinking White Guy is a legendary evergreen reaction GIF featuring a man with a confused or shocked expression while blinking rapidly. The meme is used to express disbelief, confusion, or shock at virtually any situation. ### Where did Blinking White Guy come from? Blinking White Guy originated on TV/Film around 2017. The exact origins of the Blinking Guy GIF remain somewhat unclear, though it appears to come from a television appearance or interview where the subject made the distinctive expression. ### How do you use Blinking White Guy? Using the Blinking Guy GIF is simple: share it in response to situations that provoke shock, disbelief, or confusion. The GIF works for expressing: disbelief at statements, shock at news, confusion about decisions, skepticism about claims, surprise at unexpected situations, or any scenario where the reaction 'wait, what?' is appropriate. ### Is Blinking White Guy still popular in 2026? Yes, Blinking White Guy is still very popular in 2026. It is considered evergreen and gets regular use across social media platforms. ### Who created Blinking White Guy? From television appearance/Unknown created Blinking White Guy. The exact origins of the Blinking Guy GIF remain somewhat unclear, though it appears to come from a television appearance or interview where the subject made the distinctive expression. The specific context or source has been debated by meme historians, with various claims about its origin. ### When did Blinking White Guy start? Blinking White Guy first appeared around 2017 on TV/Film. The exact origins of the Blinking Guy GIF remain somewhat unclear, though it appears to come from a television appearance or interview where the subject made the distinctive expression. The specific context or source has been debated by meme historians, with various claims about its origin. ### What platform did Blinking White Guy originate on? Blinking White Guy originated on TV/Film around 2017. Blinking White Guy is a legendary evergreen reaction GIF featuring a man with a confused or shocked expression while blinking rapidly. ### What are the best examples of Blinking White Guy? The best examples of Blinking White Guy showcase its core format at its most effective. Notable variations include Other blinking reaction GIFs, Similar content from different sources, Combined reaction GIFs, Using Blinking Guy with other reaction GIFs, Slowed or sped-up versions, Adjusting the speed of the blinking for different effects. ### What memes are similar to Blinking White Guy? Memes similar to Blinking White Guy include Spider Man Pointing, Baby Yoda, Arthur Fist, Absolute Win. These share a similar format, humor style, or cultural context. ### Is Blinking White Guy dead? Not at all. Blinking White Guy is considered evergreen, meaning it keeps coming back and gets used regularly regardless of trends. ### Has Blinking White Guy been used by celebrities or brands? Various brands and public figures have referenced Blinking White Guy in their social media and marketing. Memes with broad recognition like this one often get picked up for commercial use. ### Can I buy Blinking White Guy merchandise? Yes, Blinking White Guy merchandise is available on platforms like Redbubble, Amazon, and Etsy. You can find t shirts, stickers, mugs, phone cases, and other items featuring the meme. ### Where can I find the Blinking White Guy template? Templates and references for Blinking White Guy are available on sites like Imgflip and Know Your Meme. Search for the meme name to find usable versions. ### How do I make my own Blinking White Guy? Using the Blinking Guy GIF is simple: share it in response to situations that provoke shock, disbelief, or confusion. The GIF works for expressing: disbelief at statements, shock at news, confusion about decisions, skepticism about claims, surprise at unexpected situations, or any scenario where the reaction 'wait, what?' is appropriate. ### Did Blinking White Guy inspire any other memes? Yes, Blinking White Guy inspired several variations and spinoffs, including Other blinking reaction GIFs, Similar content from different sources, Combined reaction GIFs, Using Blinking Guy with other reaction GIFs, Slowed or sped-up versions, Adjusting the speed of the blinking for different effects, Edited versions, Adding text, graphics, or filters to the original GIF. ### Is Blinking White Guy copyrighted? Most memes exist in a legal gray area. The original image or video may have copyright protection, but meme formats are generally treated as fair use. That said, this is not legal advice. ## References 1. [Giant Bomb]() 2. [Blinking white guy: The story behind the meme that's gone viral | Science, Climate & Tech News | Sky News]() 3. [Blinking White Guy - Know Your Meme]() 4. [People Are Admiring The Man Known As The ‘Blinking White Guy’ Over Using His Fame To Raise Money For Charity | Bored Panda]() 5. [I Accidentally Became A Meme: Blinking White Guy]() 6. [Origin of the 'White Guy' Meme and Its Usage]() 7. [Blinking Guy Meme: Meme History]() 8. [The comment that triggered 2017's viral White Guy Blinking meme - nine.com.au]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/blinking-white-guy Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library