Ryan Gosling waves as he arrives for the Gala Premiere of his film "The Ides of March" at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday Sept. 9, 2011.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
To paraphrase Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged that Ryan Gosling is the perfect man.
If you don't agree, then first of all, you're wrong. And second of all you must acknowledge that, at the very least, he's the perfect man for a meme.
The Internet is proving this time and time again with addictively clever blogs dedicated to the Canadian star of The Notebook and Drive, from the wonderfully romantic F--- Yeah! Ryan Gosling to the sickly sweet Is Ryan Gosling Cuter Than a Puppy?.
New takes on these themes seem to be popping up almost daily. It's impossible to avoid the Gosling craze that has swept the Web, and why would you want to? It's better than dedicating your precious time to the vacuum of taste that is the Kardashians, non?
So don't fight it, girl (or guy). Let's take a look at some of the best Gosling memes out there:
This collection attaches sweet phrases of devotion that begin with "Hey Girl" to various pictures of the star, such as "Hey Girl, my New Year's resolution is to give you more foot massages," or "Hey Girl, thanks for the sweater. Your Nana rocks at knitting!"
This one really caught on because it indulges the fantasy that Gosling is the reader's devoted boyfriend. Which is really what everyone wants, right? In fact, it went so very viral that it was brought to the attention of Gosling himself – he read a few of them during an interview with MTV last year. One of his favourites? "Hey Girl, I'm sorry my shirt fell off." Hey Ryan, that's our favourite, too!
THE BEST POST See above. And click here
THE CONCLUSION This ingenious tumblr really kicked off the Gosling meme-athon, so if you're sick of all the fawning, you should direct your frustration here (also, why have you read this far, hmmm?).
THE RATING 5 "Hey Girls" out of 5
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There's nothing better than a devilishly handsome man who understands feminist theory, right?
But you don't have to genuinely believe (like some of us do) that Gosling actually reads Luce Irigaray before he nods off to sleep to enjoy this one. The fun of Feminist Ryan Gosling is how it takes the "Hey Girl" construction to the next level by adding a bit of academic flavour: "Hey Girl, gender is a social construct but everyone likes to cuddle."
So true.
THE BEST POST " Hey Girl, My eyes are up here."
THE CONCLUSION Feminist Ryan Gosling may not appeal to everyone. Some of the philosophers and theorists referenced here may take a bit of research to fully get in on the joke (unless you're one of those people who name drops Judith Butler on a regular basis). Some of its posts even have links that provide context, which can be a bit of buzz kill. But really, what's wrong with fantasizing and learning at the same time?
THE RATING 4 "Hey Girls" out of 5
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Come on, who doesn't love a good font joke?
This relatively new member of the Gosling meme team delves into the world of typography, taking all those adorable images and pairing them with witty jokes about modular scales and glyph palettes. If you're not intimately familiar with those things, have no fear – there's always a delightful kicker to make you giggle. "Hey girl, you should adjust some of your kerning pairs. That space between the T and the O needs some attention. But, especially you need to tighten the space between u and i."
THE BEST POST " Hey Girl, sometimes I look better ragged."
THE CONCLUSION It's niche, but its wit makes up for it. And anyone who has seen the doc Helvetica won't be able to resist Typographer Ryan Gosling's charms.
THE RATING 3.5 "Hey Girls" out of 5
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IS RYAN GOSLING CUTER THAN A PUPPY?
Hard to say why this one has spread like wildfire across all the social media outlets we can think of. Oh who are we kidding? It's pictures of Ryan Gosling paired with pictures of puppies. In one post, an image of what appears to be a yellow lab looking at itself in the mirror is juxtaposed with a picture of the actor looking at himself in the mirror. What's not to like?
THE BEST POST This matching hand motion is simply the cat's pyjamas.
THE CONCLUSION Listen, we can't deny that there's some serious craft on display in this tumblr. It must have taken contributors a lot of effort to find the perfect pairing. But its conceit just doesn't stand up to the others – it's too easy. The question: Is Ryan Gosling cuter than a puppy? The answer: No contest. Except in this case.
THE RATING 3 "Hey Girls" out of 5