gosling

Since the early 2010s, Ryan Gosling has become a bona fide internet meme sensation. From “Hey Girl” to “Ryan Gosling won’t eat his cereal,” the actor has spawned countless viral images and videos that have been shared and remixed across social media platforms. But what does Gosling himself think about all this? In a recent interview, he opened up about his relationship with memes and the impact they’ve had on his career.

The Hey Girl Meme

One of the most enduring Ryan Gosling memes is the “Hey Girl” series, which features photos of the actor with captions that begin with the phrase “Hey girl.” These captions typically express admiration for Gosling’s good looks, talent, and personality, and are often written in a tongue-in-cheek, exaggerated tone.

Gosling has said that he finds the “Hey Girl” meme flattering and amusing, but also a little strange. He told Ellen DeGeneres in 2015 that he first became aware of the meme when a friend sent him a link to a “Hey Girl” Tumblr page. “I didn’t know what Tumblr was,” he admitted. “It’s like a Pinterest thing.”

Despite his initial confusion, Gosling has embraced the “Hey Girl” meme and even participated in it himself. In 2012, he appeared on an episode of MTV’s “After Hours” and read aloud some of the most popular “Hey Girl” captions, adding his own commentary and jokes.

The Ryan Gosling Won’t Eat His Cereal Meme

Another meme that has become synonymous with Ryan Gosling is the “Ryan Gosling won’t eat his cereal” series. This meme features videos of Gosling on screen, with a spoonful of cereal digitally added to the footage. Gosling’s character then appears to refuse the spoonful of cereal, often resulting in humorous and unexpected consequences.

The “Ryan Gosling won’t eat his cereal” meme was created by Scottish filmmaker Ryan McHenry in 2013, and quickly went viral. Sadly, McHenry passed away in 2015 from cancer, but his legacy lives on through the meme, which continues to be shared and enjoyed by fans around the world.

Gosling’s Thoughts on Memes

Despite the fact that Ryan Gosling has become a meme icon, the actor has said that he doesn’t spend a lot of time online and isn’t very active on social media. In a 2015 interview with The Independent, he said that he tries to stay away from the internet as much as possible, and that he finds the idea of being “internet famous” a little unsettling.

“It’s a strange thing,” he said. “It’s a little bit like having a disease, you know? It can be contagious and you don’t want to spread it.”

However, Gosling also acknowledged that memes have helped to elevate his profile and make him more recognizable to a wider audience. He told The Independent that he’s grateful for the exposure that memes have given him, even if he doesn’t fully understand them.

Responses from Fans and Experts

So what do other people think about Ryan Gosling’s status as a meme legend? Some fans have expressed delight and amusement at the actor’s willingness to embrace his internet fame, while others have criticized the “Hey Girl” meme for perpetuating unrealistic and sexist expectations of men.

Meanwhile, some experts in the field of internet culture have praised Gosling for his awareness and savvy when it comes to memes. In a 2017 article for The Ringer, writer Alyssa Bereznak argued that Gosling’s “Hey Girl” meme was a perfect example of how celebrities can harness and subvert their own image for comedic effect.

“Gosling’s meme is a reminder that the internet’s most enduring jokes are often not created by the people who star in them, but by the people who consume them,” she wrote. “By leaning into the joke, Gosling has managed to become a meme icon without losing his dignity or sense of humor.”

Conclusion

Love them or hate them, memes have become an integral part of internet culture, and Ryan Gosling is one of the most enduring meme subjects of all time. While the actor himself may be somewhat bemused by his internet fame, he has also shown a willingness to participate in and even contribute to the meme ecosystem. Whether or not memes have helped or hindered Gosling’s career is up for debate, but there’s no denying that they’ve helped to solidify his place in pop culture history.