Why Won't Ryan Gosling Eat His Cereal? The Sad Backstory Behind The Ryan Gosling Cereal Meme Explained

Ryan Gosling has been making waves in his new Ken avatar, but his die-hard fans won't let him forget his meme roots. A recent press video shows Gosling curiously hiding his face as he tries out different foods, leaving some viewers very confused as to why.

Those of us who spent way too much time on the internet in 2015 may know that the reason involves a series of viral videos featuring breakfast cereal and Gosling's various characters over the years. But for those of you who don't, here's a refresher on the ever-viral Ryan Gosling won't eat his cereal Vine videos.

Why Did Ryan Gosling Hide His Face While Eating?

In a recent interview with LADBible, Ryan Gosling could be seen hiding his face as he took a bite of the various snacks presented to him for review. The comments on the videos had his fans laughing at the idea that they were the cause of Gosling feeling so shy about being caught snacking.

One commenter asked, "Is it because of the cereal memes?" while another TikToker jokingly said, "We traumatized him, LOL!"

What Is The 'Ryan Gosling Won't Eat His Cereal' Meme?

"Ryan Gosling Won't Eat His Cereal" is the name of a series of Vine videos posted by a Viner named Ryan McHenry in April 2013. McHenry would put up Ryan Gosling movies on his projector and hold up a spoonful of cereal, only to have Gosling's characters make a movement that appeared as though they were refusing to eat.

What Happened To Ryan McHenry?

Soon after the Ryan Gosling Cereal videos went viral, the creator of the videos, Ryan McHenry, was diagnosed with bone cancer. Henry postponed his film project to begin a grueling recovery process, which involved chemotherapy and surgery for the removal of his tumor. His friends pitched in to make a crowdfunding campaign called "Ryan McHenry Won't Eat His Cancer" to cover his costs, and his army of internet fans surpassed the fund's goals in a matter of days.

On May 2015, despite undergoing nearly 20 months of chemotherapy and a series of operations, Ryan McHenry passed away. The death of the meme-maker was quickly met by tributes and messages of condolences from his supporters and friends on Vine and Twitter. Ryan Gosling made his own personal tribute to McHenry in the form of a Vine, where he recorded himself pouring out a bowl of cereal and eating it in McHenry's honor.

For the full history of the "Ryan Gosling Won't Eat His Cereal" meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.