Why Are People So Obsessed With Ryan Gosling?

Sep. 27, 2011

By Ryan O'Connell info

I write and edit Thought Catalog. I'm a brat. Send me fun things at ryan@thoughtcatalog.com

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Somewhere in The Congo, where he’s researching his latest role as a chimp-loving transvestite, James Franco is weeping silently. Tears are flooding down his pristine face and staining the pages of his debut short story collection, Palo Alto. Why? Because his title is being revoked as Fringe Male Celebrity Who Can Do No Wrong Because He’s So Attractive and being awarded to Ryan Gosling.

Here’s the deal. I like Ryan Gosling. A lot. I think he’s an important actor who’s doing good things. Half Nelson, Lars and the Real Girl, All Good Things — these were all interesting roles he took in solid films. I respect the arc of his career tremendously. Gosling starred in The Notebook and became an overnight household name but instead of signing on to ten different projects, he only starred in like four movies over the next five years. This sort of choosiness was what cemented Leonardo DiCaprio as a movie star rather than a heartthrob. After Titanic blew up, Leo chilled out and only starred in two projects — The Man In The Iron Mask and The Beach — because he knew it was the wisest decision he could make. So, yeah, Gosling is taking a page from Leo’s playbook and is on track to becoming an endangered species AKA a true movie star. But I still don’t understand people’s obsession with him.

He’s cute — no, hot — and he kind of reminds you of the most attractive person at a hipster bar. He’s not so out of reach — you could probably bag him on a good night — and this approachability might be what makes him so desirable, I guess, but I still don’t really get it. I’ve seen more babe-y babes. Why has everyone decided to collectively lose their minds over Gosling?

That’s what I actually attribute this Gosling craze to: the power of the collective. I swear, when we’re all sleeping, we must secretly congregate in some secret room of our subconscious and not leave until we decide who we’re going to universally adore. Ryan Gosling is the latest addition to a pretty small list. Regardless of differing tastes and interests, we can all pretty much agree that he is the bee’s knees. Whatever. I mean, there could be worse men to fawn over — a lot worse — so perhaps it’s just best to count my blessings that we’re not all losing it over someone douchey like Channing Tatum. Phew! TC mark

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  • Holly

    It’s because he chose the right film roles.. in real life he’s a brain dead douche..

    • TomatoQueen

      You know this, how?

  • Anonymous

    Because he is HUSBAND MATERIAL.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10036647 Aimee Vondrak

      PRECISELY WHY. #preach

  • TomatoQueen

    I love the way you think.  Yeah, he’s kinda hot, now.  The first time I saw him, in a film called The Believer, his acting chops blew my mind, but I never thought he’d become the New Thing.  I’m glad for him though because it seems like he’s making cool choices.  

    If you haven’t seen The Believer, rent it.  Just close your eyes during the scene where the girl kisses the puke off his lip.

    • Image

      Oh man :(

  • http://twitter.com/recessional ko•ko•ro

    i’ve personally only ever seen him in this tv series called breaker high, so i find it very difficult to take this fascination with him seriously. other than that, i’m pretty indifferent to him.

    • http://twitter.com/bethanie_m Bethanie Marshall

      Don’t forget the Young Hercules series he was on. 

  • http://profiles.google.com/mcblaloc Meghan Blalock

    canada

  • Vicky Shazam

    i’ve been in love with him since i was kid, and i think he’s still pretty wonderful.
    and i really like his voice, and he’s in some of my favorite movies.
    and yeah.
    some reasons why.

  • Theyearofyou

    Blame it on Tumblr. 

  • Charlotte

    He’s intelligent, articulate, AND he’s a feminist. Hot.

  • Annie

    It’s because he says things like this, “I mean, God bless The Notebook, it introduced me to one
    of the great loves of my life. But people do Rachel and me a disservice
    by assuming we were anything like the people in that movie. Rachel and
    my love story is a hell of a lot more romantic than that.”

    more reasons here: http://hellogiggles.com/dear-ryan-gosling

  • Tayeli

    BECAUSE WHY WOULDN’T WE BE?!

  • Anonymous

    It has gone a bit mad, but i honestly did fall for him when he did half nelson, and have been half expecting him to suddenly blow up like this. Basically i think it comes down to empathy and likeability. There is something about the way he puts himself in character that makes you believe he can truly walk in someone elses’ shoes and that is a rare gift. He also oozes charm and intelligence and seems very comfortable in his own skin which is always attractive.

    He also makes really interesting public statements e.g his contribution to the furore over the blue valentine certification. It may well have been written by  a studio exec, but it is credited to ryan and women everywhere love him for it.

    I could go on, but am already sounding like deranged fangirl so will stop there

    • TomatoQueen

      No, you actually sound lucid and quite sane, and you are right about his penis.

      Oh, sorry, I meant, his TALENT.  Yes, he has enormous TALENT.

      • Anonymous

        I have no doubt that his penis is as impressive as his talent. 

  • StephenTPM

    Because he breaks up street fights in NYC! and a couple more reasons… http://philomousike.blogspot.com/2011/08/ryan-gosling-as-urban-hero.html

  • Casper

    remember the titans.  of course.

  • Anonymous

    Also – he’s an actor who astonishingly has put out music which isn’t shit!

    • ANG

      Juuuust checked out his band – AMAZING

  • Objector

    Um, EXCUSE ME! Some of us are not obsessed with Ryan Gosling. Granted, I’ve only seen him in Half Nelson, but I didn’t see what the fuss was all about.

    • GUEST

      I’m obsessed with him and have ONLY seen him in Half Nelson.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10036647 Aimee Vondrak

      You are an emerging Ryan Gosling fan. It’s fine. You still have time to jump on the band wagon with us! Once you see The Notebook and Drive you will understand.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1362420023 Jessica Poolt

    Young Hercules 

  • notthatdifferent

    Ryan and I just aren’t that different.

  • devin

    Charm. Charisma. Gosling. :) 

  • tricamer

    Because of  his awesome sex scene in The Believer.  Hawt.

  • http://kumquatparadise.tumblr.com aaron nicholas

    ryan gosling has a beautiful penis
    a penis unlike any other
    a penis so fleshy
    so strong
    so handsome
    so classically american
    but so wholly new, attractive, and beautiful

  • http://twitter.com/3thanschmidt Ethan Schmidt

    Not that this has anything to do with anything, but have you seen The Beach? God that movie was terrible.

    • Je suis en Afrique du Sud

      i liked the soundrack though especially the track by the All Saints

  • Dani

    obviously written by someone who has never visited
    http://fuckyeahryangosling.tumblr.com/

  • gulia

    he is so hot, not at all normal. have you seen him without a shirt…hello. 

  • Arthur

    well I took the subway in paris (france) with him, on year ago. He was sitting in front of me, no one talk to him he was in peace. after 5 stations 4 girls, around 15 years old, enter the subway and start looking at him. they didn’t talk to him and he didn’t move. When his station came, he stand up walk out the subway and while one girl ask him if he is ryan, he looked at her and simply said yes.

    he was nice looking but not extraordinary looking, the average buddy you can hang with.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10036647 Aimee Vondrak

    OMG Ryan Gosling! He’s humble, he’s talented, he is a man’s man, but he is romantic. I presume these things based off the flexibility in his roles. Drive vs. Crazy, Stupid, Love. Both very new, both incredible films (Drive of course being the more Oscar-worthy of the two). He is dynamic in both his roles and his eye for fashion. He loves animals. Women have seen him in realistic, sentimental, love-riddled roles that give us this small glimmer of hope there is a man in real life like him for us, not just the ones, the #bros, who want to “chill” and never call us again.

    • http://www.nosexcity.com NoSexCity

      So you’ve watched ‘The Notebook’ one too many times too, eh?

      It’s okay girl, we have meetings for that. (After which we gush to our
      Tiger Beat posters & troll the East Village for that someday-maybe-dream man.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10036647 Aimee Vondrak

        I watch the Notebook at least once a month :) but have you seen Drive? He’s rather good. And rather mysterious. And… sexy. Don’t forget that.

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