Kid from viral ‘side-eyed Popeye’s meme’ is unrecognisable eight years on…and here’s what he’s up to now
A CHILD who was once a viral social media star, known for the “side-eyed Popeye’s meme” is now unrecognisable now, eight years on.
Dieunerst Colin sprung to fame back in 2013 when a video appeared on Vine showing him being mistaken for another viral star known as Lil Terio.
His hilarious reaction caused the video to go viral – amassing over 19 million views.
The clip – shot in a Popeye’s – shows young Colin giving the cameraman “side-eyes” after he thought he was Lil Terio.
The lucky mistake catapulted the kid into worldwide fame and he has been known as the Popeyes kid ever since.
After the hilarious interaction between him and the person behind the camera went viral, he became deeply integrated into meme culture.
According to Fox 8, the Vine video accumulated 19 million views in total before the app was discontinued in 2017.
The video became so famous that a screenshot of Colin became a meme, and a GIF – and Popeye’s began to use it in commercials.
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But now Colin is all grown up – and is now 6-foot-1 and 315 lbs high school football state champion in New Jersey.
Nicknamed “The Killer Whale,” Colin plays for East Orange High School, which won the state championship this year in triple-overtime.
And the former-vine-star is taking his sport seriously – setting up a separate Twitter account dedicated to his recruitment for colleges.
Last week he also shared pictures and videos of himself holding his team’s winning trophy.
He wrote on Twitter: “STATE CHAMPS AND REGIONAL CHAMPS IT WAS A HONOR TO LEAD THIS OLINE THIS SEASON. SENIOR SZN HIGHLIGHTS COMING SOON”
He was also named to the All-Conference First Team earlier this year.