Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2016

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By Denise K. James
| | 43
On the day of the Cooper River Bridge Run in 2012, Zeddie
“Watkins” Little, a native of Mount Pleasant, found Internet
fame without even realizing it or asking for it. The New York
City resident returned home to run in Charleston’s most
famous race, only to have his smiling mug captured in a
photo and appear everywhere on the Web. Basically,
thanks to the burgeoning of the meme culture,
practically everyone at this point (except my grandma, who’s never used a
computer) has seen Watkins’ face.
In the spirit of this year’s Bridge Run, we caught up with Watkins for a
little bit of Q and A about the event that caused him much fanfare. The lesson
to be learned from all of this? Smile – it’s the Cooper River Bridge Run. And
you never know who’s watching.
Smile! It’s the Cooper
River Bridge Run!
A ChAt with Our ridiCulOusly PhOtOgeniC nAtive
Mount Pleasant Magazine: Have you always
been a runner? What inspired you to participate in the
Cooper River Bridge Run initially?
Watkins little: I was always a casual runner. I would
run typically at night in a five mile loop on the Peninsula.
When I moved to NYC, I would venture to different parts
of Manhattan and into Brooklyn, depending on the run,
but I had never really run the race before. It was a good
reason to come back and see friends and family, and I had
always wanted to run it, as both of my parents had when I
was younger.
MPM: How were you feeling when your photo was taken?
How did that experience that day go overall?
little: I was only smiling at a friend I spotted along the
way – Michael Scognamiglio, chef/owner of Bacco, for
whom I used to cook. Immediately following the race, a
group of us met at Closed for Business and watched some
of the race from there. The rest of the day and weekend
was a bunch of meeting up with good friends. I think I
cooked pizza in my friend’s backyard wood oven for a big
get-together immediately after.
MPM: What did your Mount Pleasant friends and family
have to say about your unexpected social media fame?
little: It was all a weird experience, since meme culture
was in a newly developing stage, as was the influence of
Reddit and social media beyond the larger platforms like
Facebook. Everyone was excited and kinda’ freaking out.
MPM: How has being the “ridiculously photogenic guy”
changed things for you? Or has it?
little: Hah, not so much honestly. There was a little
while where I was very noticeable, and I had fun with it.
I don’t really mention it day-to-day, so I find it entertain-
ing when friends I have made since then discover it on
their own.
MPM: Do you have any tips for people who hope to look
good in photos while working out?
little: Be yourself! I’ve always been my least self-
conscious while exercising. I’m 99-percent sure I had
bed-head that morning and had been out a little late the
night before. …