A University of Wisconsin graduate student and teaching assistant said she is shocked at the response her feminist blog has received, turning what began as a joke for her students into an overnight national sensation.

Danielle Henderson, a member of the Gender and Women Studies Department, created the Tumblr blog “feminist Ryan Gosling,” which features pictures of the actor Ryan Gosling accompanied by information concerning popular feminist theories.

According to Henderson, her blog is a play off of the original “Hey Girl” meme, “fuck yeah Ryan Gosling!”, another Tumblr site pairing Gosling with quirky sayings – often in regards to things he would like to do with women.

Henderson said the blog originated as a study tool to work through dense material. On her blog’s FAQ page, she explains she was just trying to keep track of the theorists she was studying and thought feminist flashcards would be a funny idea.

Henderson said she believed only a few people would see the blog when she first posted it.

“I created the Tumblr as a joke for my classmates,” Henderson said. “Juxtaposing serious intellectual pursuits with silly things kind of breaks down a wall and allows people to laugh at themselves a little bit.”

Since launching on Oct. 8, the blog has already an excess of more than 50,000 Facebook views with nearly 20,000 followers on Tumblr, according to the site.

It has also received national press attention, being featured on such news sites as The Huffington Post, Newsweek, CBS News and Jezebel, along with many others all listed on the blog’s main page.

“It’s incredibly surprising to see such a reaction to the site,” said Henderson.

Henderson said despite the overwhelming positive reaction, she most enjoys when her students understand the posts, explaining they have a deeper connection to the jokes as students of feminist theory.

Kelly Fox, a fellow master’s student in the department and a friend of Henderson’s, said she was equally surprised by the blog’s success.

Fox explained she and Henderson were joking when Henderson posted the blog, and by the next morning it had completely exploded.

Fox added she and Henderson were afraid viewers would not understand the feminist context of the posts, and said it was great to see people understanding the blog’s humor. She added the blog is a great example of how feminist issues can be both fun and accessible.

Fox says she is especially excited the blog has allowed the UW masters program to gain national attention.

“One of my friends is famous for creating something we thought only five people would see,” she said.

The buzz of Henderson’s blog has also traveled to the UW Campus Women’s Center.

Ashley Walton-Stamps, the finance coordinator for CWC, said it has been a main topic of conversation among the coordinators there.

Walton-Stamps said she enjoys how the blog brings feminist issues to the forefront by using humor unlike the harsh tones characterizing other feminist blogs.

Walton-Stamps said she believes it was a great approach to use Gosling, referring to him as “Hollywood handsome” and said it is the blog’s main comical aspect.

“We appreciate it and think it’s wonderful,” Walton-Stamps said.