Guy from 'holds in a fart' meme explains what was really happening

Everyone knows that fart meme: you know the one where the guy is sat next to the girl looking like he's gonna explode while clenching cheeks? That one.

Well, we have answers as to what was actually happening when the viral pic was snapped.

The 'meme guy's name is Michael McGee, you can see him straining in the picture while sat next to a pretty classmate, and was originally uploaded with the caption: 'Holding in a fart next to the cute girl in class.'

McGee was studying at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas when the snap was taken, and went on to become a viral sensation of a meme in 2013, two months after it was taken.

Twitter

Then all of a sudden, Mike, who was 16 at the time, became known for holding in his farts to the rest of the world.

The picture was taken by Michael's friend, who posted it to Twitter, while he turned it into a meme himself, I'm sure he wasn't sure how big it would become.

He told UNILAD: "I was not flatulent by any means!

"It's quite a party trick really, I just kind of hold my breath and flex my head, if that makes any sense?"

Explaining what was happening as the picture was being taken, he said: "The guy who took the picture has been a really good friend of mine since I moved to Texas, and I knew I could do that face any time I wanted. So he wanted to take a picture and put a funny caption with it. So he got his phone and told me to make a face. He posted it and in like two or three months it went completely viral and took off!"

Mike still gets recognised by 'random people' and said that 'strangers come up to ask him if he's the fart meme guy', which is something he's still light hearted about.

Twitter/amlab

"My parents don't really understand how big and widespread it's become so they overlook the whole thing. My friends find it hilarious though!" he said.

What about the girl he's sat next to in the picture? The cute girl he was supposedly holding the fart in for? Wonder what she thinks of it?

Mike said that he's still 'very good friends with the girl in the photo.'

Cute girl's actual name is Amber Potter, who gave her thoughts: "At first when he did the face I was like 'what are you doing?!' I hope he's okay? It looked pretty painful."