This week’s Friday High Five is shameless click-bait, as we share five of our favourite internet stories, links and images of everyone’s favourite heart-throb, Ryan Gosling. Why? Because it makes us laugh, and our programming is all about comedy over the next few days, to coincide with the Melbourne Comedy Festival. That’s a good enough excuse, yes?
Ryan Gosling works in publishing
Ryan Gosling is such an indisputed king of hearts that when he was beaten for the title of Sexiest Man Alive by Bradley Cooper last year, the news stories all focused on the fact Ryan somehow didn’t win. (Like Australians who miss out on Oscars, he was ‘snubbed’.)
A focus of all that loving is the popular Tumblr site, F*k Yeah Ryan Gosling, featuring various moody/sexy/smiley shots of Gosling, with taglines like ‘Hey girl, I can’t wait to meet your parents and all of your friends’.
It’s spawned countless offshoots, including the delightfully bookish Ryan Gosling Works in Publishing, Hey Girl, I like the Library Too and Ryan Gosling, Arts Administrator.
Ryan Gosling versus puppies
What’s better internet fodder than fantasies of the chiselled star of The Notebook as the ultimate sensitive new age pin-up boy, offering massages, cuddles and to listen to bitching about work colleagues?
Is Ryan Gosling Cuter Than a Puppy? It’s Ryan, teamed with look-alike puppies, asking readers to vote on who is cuter.
Ryan Gosling and cats. And Disneyland.
Okay, here’s where it starts to get a little crazy. (Or a little crazier.)
Last year, Gosling (who got his first taste of fame as a member of the Mickey Mouse Club) told a television talk-show that ‘Disney has been breeding an army of cats. And they’re not just ordinary cats, they have a special set of skills, they’re like commando cats.’ Apparently, they roam Disneyland at night, killing mice. (Except the mouse.)
This has inspired the equivalent of an internet perfect storm: Ryan Gosling Disneyland Cats. Visit and enjoy Gosling experiencing the Happiest Place on Earth, accompanied by feline friends. Creepy, much?
‘Hey, watch out girl!’: Ryan Gosling rescues journalist from traffic
Last week, a UK journalist in New York tweeted that Ryan Gosling had saved her from being hit by a car, grabbing her and saying ‘Hey, watch out!’ after she accidentally wandered into the road.
The story quickly made news around the world. The journalist, who claimed to be annoyed by the attention, then shut down her Twitter account and wrote a series of articles about how everyone should just stop talking about it.
She said, ‘I really do object to being framed as the ditzy damsel in distress in this story … even though I have occasional trouble crossing the road, and even though I did swoon the teeniest tiniest bit when I realized it was him.’ Hmmm.
Worlds collide: Hey Girl, it’s Ryan Gosling reading his own meme
In an MTV interview, Gosling was presented with some ‘Hey Girl’ images and asked to read them aloud, which he did, killing himself with laughter. It seems he’s a fan of his fans.
Limited tickets are newly available for tonight’s Get Fact! (7pm–8pm), a comedy quiz show with Dave O'Neil, and panellists John Safran, Glenn Robbins, Adam Zwar and Felicity Ward. Free, book now.
Jeez Louise, the Comedy Festival’s annual consideration of ladies’ matters, is back with a discussion about agents and the representation of women in comedy, this Saturday afternoon, 3pm–4pm.
Moderated by comedian Clare Bartholomew, with Judith Lucy, Anne Edmonds, Kevin Whyte (Managing Director of Token Group) and MaryAnne Carroll (Executive Producer – Comedy, Network Seven). It’s free; book now.