People Magazine, j’t’aime. Really, I love you. You’re the least-gossipy and most classy of tabloids, and I’ve treasured many of your issues over the years (When you got the first photos of Shiloh Jolie-Pitt? I swooned.)
But then you went and did a thing like this. What’s that? You think you made the right decision in choosing Bradley Cooper as your Sexiest Man Alive of 2011? False, false, false.
It is the YEAR OF THE GOSLING, and we’re not just talking Chinese Zodiac calendars here. Ryan Gosling’s the name on everyone’s lips and the abs on everyone’s mind. He’s got the face of an angel, the abs of Hercules (need I remind you that he actually played that role in 1998’s short lived show ‘Young Hercules’?) and acting chops that guarantee him an Oscar nomination in February.
But you – yes, you, People – chose Bradley Cooper, who was memorable this year solely for starring in a second (and semi-unnecessary) The Hangover and for speaking French during an interview about said film.
Your argument for Cooper will hit newsstands on Friday, but here’s several reasons you should have gone with the Gos:
1. One word: Drive.
Everyone and their mom saw Crazy, Stupid Love this year, but few people actually sought out this indie gem that charmed critics in Cannes. Nicolas Winding’s take on the dark side of L.A. Brought out one of Gosling’s best performances to date – and he barely said a word the entire movie!
Through longing stares at co-star Carey Mulligan and overly violent outbursts (he stomped someone’s face in. STOMPED.) Gosling was able to turn the quiet character of the Driver (he doesn’t even have a name in this movie) into a new iconic action hero.
And, really, who else can pull off a white satin jacket?
2. He loves his dog, and we find that adorable.
Alright, all guys love dogs. They’re man’s best friend. Plenty of our celeb crushes have dogs… but how many of them bring them on stage with them on a late night talk show?
Gosling brought his adorable mutt, George, with him when he appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
He’s been in editorial photo shoots with his dog…
His dog is always on set with him…
Frankly, if we’re being real here, the only competition we have in the quest for Ryan’s heart is his dog, and that’s something we’re OK with dealing with.
3. He’s got a freaking MEME based on him.
If you’re not familiar with Tumblr, Reddit, or Buzzfeed, you might be out of the loop when it comes to memes. Memes are usually image-based concepts concerning a certain aspect of our culture – in basic terms, they’re the inside joke of the internet everyone’s in on.
Gosling’s meme, dubbed “Hey Girl”, takes photos of the actor and pairs them with humorous captions.
For your consideration:
How many memes does Bradley Cooper have? None? Moving on.
4. He’s been nominated for an Oscar in the past, and is in the running again for this year.
Much like Drive, not many people saw the critically acclaimed Half Nelson, a movie about a middle school teacher who develops a friendship with a student after she learns he has a drug habit.
Made after The Notebook, it broke Gosling out of that teen-heartthrob mold he almost fell into, and got Ry his indie cred.
He later went on to make more indie films like Lars and the Real Girl, All Good Things and Blue Valentine. From then on, Ryan was THE go-to indie actor…
However, while he could grab an Oscar nomination for Drive, the Academy might consider his performance in The Ides of March as the worthier role.
Gosling plays an ambitious junior campaign manager who’ll stop at nothing to reach success in his career, even if it means betraying those closest to him. The role encapsulates the right kind of recklessness and ambition that really shines in political thrillers – a genre that is usually panned by audiences but gets a lot of Oscar buzz around it.
To date, Bradley Cooper has ZERO Oscar nominations. Word on the web is he might get some buzz surrounding his role in Limitless, but we’re not counting on it.
5. Alright, I’ll cave: THE NOTEBOOK
If you have any semblance of a soul, you shed a tear at the end of the romantic movie that dominated our ideas of romance in high school.
Ryan played Noah Calhoun, the man that wrote Allie every day for a whole year, built her her dream house and, ultimately, read her their love story as she wasted away in a nursing home.
Personally, I love Ryan enough to know that he can move me to tears in better performances, but this is the first one that really got our attention.
Has Bradley Cooper ever said “If you’re a bird, I’m a bird”? Would you want to be a bird with Bradley Cooper?
In the end, congratulations are in order for Mr. Cooper. The man’s not terrible looking, but that must have been an excruciating battle over at People.
The bonus out of all this hubbub? Both Cooper and Gosling are slated to star in The Place Beyond the Pines. We’ll have to wait another 2 years to see our guys duke it out onscreen, but, for now, we know who the real Sexiest Man Alive is.