Selfie kid was the best part of the Super Bowl halftime show

We are here for you, selfie kid.
 By 
Brian Koerber
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Justin Timberlake and his elk shirt performed the halftime show at the Super Bowl on Sunday, but the best part of the whole thing was watching this kid get his selfie and immediately turn into a meme.

Towards the end of the show, Timberlake made his way up into the crowd, where he performed the end of his medley. He stopped right next to this kid, who seemed like he was not expecting to be thrust into the center of the most-watched event of the year.

Via Giphy

After dancing with Timberlake for a bit, the kid gets out his phone. He wants a damn selfie. You can totally see him lining up for it as the crowd celebrates the moment.

Via Giphy

But as the set ends and Timberlake thanks Minneapolis, the kid manages to get a selfie with Timberlake in the crowd.

Via Giphy

"Super Bowl selfies," he says into the mic, before walking away, back into the woods.

The kid was clearly the star of the show.

On Monday morning, selfie kid — whose real name is Ryan McKenna — went on Good Morning America to explain what was going through his mind when halftime performer Justin Timberlake appeared beside him.

"He just came up and I jumped right in there with him," the 13-year-old said. "He stopped right in our row so it was perfect." McKenna went on to explain the reason he was starring at his phone so much is because it shut off while he was trying to record a video.

Despite the technological difficulties and the whole becoming a hilarious meme thing, McKenna was able to snap some pretty good selfies with Timberlake.

"It's insane that I got to meet him and take a picture with him cause he's awesome," the teen said about Timberlake. He also said that after the moment went viral his phone "exploded" and he gained 8,000 new social media followers.

Ah, to become an accidental meme.

UPDATE: Feb. 5, 2018, 10:42 a.m. EST Updated to include quotes from selfie kid Ryan McKenna's interview with Good Morning America.

Topics Super Bowl Memes

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Brian Koerber

Brian was the Culture Editor and has been working at Mashable on the web culture desk since 2014.

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