Ryan McHenry, Vine creator, dies, and Ryan Gosling eats cereal in tribute.

The Creator of “Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal” Died, and Ryan Gosling Ate Cereal in Tribute

The Creator of “Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal” Died, and Ryan Gosling Ate Cereal in Tribute

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Slate's Culture Blog
May 4 2015 10:38 PM

The Creator of “Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal” Died, and Ryan Gosling Ate Cereal in Tribute

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Vine screencap courtesy of @RyanGosling

In 2013, a Scotsman and Vine creator named Ryan McHenry started posting a series called “Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal.” The series played off Gosling’s extremely serious mien in so many of his movies; in each Vine, McHenry held a spoonful of cereal up to a televised image of Gosling’s stone face. It was simple and perfect and became delightfully popular.

McHenry was diagnosed with osteosarcoma that same year, and died on Sunday at the age of 27. Monday night, Gosling—who had previously noted that in all seriousness, he actually likes cereal—made a Vine of himself eating cereal. It was a weird, appropriate, and touching tribute to a creative guy who seemed to delight in making people smile on the Internet.

Dan Kois edits and writes for Slate’s human interest and culture departments. He’s the co-author, with Isaac Butler, of The World Only Spins Forward, a history of Angels in America, and is writing a book called How to Be a Family.