Entertainment
“Hey girl, let’s talk about feminism.” Now imagine Ryan Gosling’ saying that to you. Only, you don’t have to imagine, because Ryan Gosling is a certified feminist. Not only is there a feminist Ryan Gosling blog dedicated to his, but he’s gone on record more than once to speak impressively about feminism, even saying he plans to raise his daughter as a feminist. I know, you're swooning.
I’ve had a wicked crush on The Gos since he appeared on screen in Remember the Titans for all of 45 seconds, way back in the year 2000. Since that fateful day, he’s only gotten better. Wooing everyone from teenage girls to grandmas in The Notebook, delving into Indie dramas, a musical side project, trying his hand at directing — Gosling is the worthy subject of many, many heart-eyes and fantasies. Add in the fact that he’s a well-spoken gentleman who's feminist views have become a coffee table book that I can peruse through any time I’m feeling the weight of the patriarchy on my shoulders?
Ryan Gosling is the feminist leading man we all deserve (but will never have — well played, Eva Mendes), and here five ways he's proven to be the feminist man of our dreams.
1
He Praises Powerful Women
In a June 2015 interview with The Daily Telegraph, Gosling verbally bowed down to some of the most feminist females in Hollywood. "There are lots of great women out there who I really admire," he said. "Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, the Broad City girls [Abbi Abrams and Ilana Wexler], Lena Dunham and Kathryn Bigelow." Looks like we've got a few idols in common.
2
He Attributes His Views To The Strong Women In His Life
"I have very strong female characters in my life," he told The Daily Telegraph. "I grew up with strong women and the amount of them grows exponentially as time goes on, in my world. And that's my reality. So, I just tend to gravitate towards stories with strong female characters."
3
He Recognizes The Importance Of Teaching Feminism
Since the birth of his daughter, Esmerelda, Gosling has become even more in tune with how important it is to create a feminist environment for children. "I do have a little girl now and it's important to me," he said of raising a feminist child. "These things are becoming… not more important to me, but more important in general, I think."
4
'Lost River' Was A Strong Picture Of Misogyny In Current Society
Gosling didn't necessarily win critics over with his directorial debut, but he certainly made a statement. Lost River shows how strongly misogyny reigns over our culture today. The fact that Gosling, a male filmmaker, created it only adds to the feminist charm,
5
He's Not Oblivious To The Double Standard In His Own Films
When Blue Valentine received an NC-17 rating because of a scene where Gosling performs oral sex on Michelle Williams, Gosling responded with a point about patriarchy in Hollywood. "The MPAA is okay supporting scenes that portray women in scenarios of sexual torture and violence for entertainment purposes, but they are trying to force us to look away from a scene that shows a woman in a sexual scenario, which is both complicit and complex," he said in a 2010 statement following the film's relies. "It's misogynistic in nature to try and control a woman's sexual presentation of self. I consider this an issue that is bigger than this film." And that, dear friends, is what we call a feminist mic drop.
Images: Jason Merritt/Getty; Giphy (5)
