Oh, hey girl. Those sexy feminist Ryan Gosling memes just did, like, the sexiest Ryan Gosling thing ever.

You’ve probably seen at least one by now: those feminist Ryan Gosling memes where a cute pic of the Gos is accompanied by positive messaging like “hey girl, let me get a hammer so I can help you shatter that glass ceiling”, or “hey girl, the post-feminist fetishisation of motherhood is deeply rooted in classism, but I still think we’d make cute babies.” There are also some less serious memes, like “hey girl, I forgot to get you a present but you can unwrap my package. Happy Birthday”, and “hey girl, hold the sugar in my coffee, you’re sweet enough for the both of us.”

We’ve covered the memes here on EcoSalon before, because we’re not above lusting after Ryan Gosling some of the messaging really hit home for us. And it appears it’s not just women who find the feminist Ryan Gosling memes so powerful.

A recent study found that men who view the memes identified as more pro-feminism afterwards. Yes, PhD students actually studied this. For science. Vox reports: “The researchers believe that the memes make feminism seem appealing because they imply that the real Ryan Gosling espouses the views. In other words, Gosling is cool, so feminism suddenly seems cool too.”

The researchers, both women, polled 99 undergrad students (69 women, 30 men). The groups were asked to look at the memes, either just the picture of Gosling, or the pic with the text on it. They were then asked about whether or not they self-identified as feminists and if they had sympathies for specific types of feminism such as radical feminism, socialist feminism, and women of color feminism.

According to Vox, the researchers found that “viewing the memes had no significant effect on women’s test results, and that neither gender showed any changes in how likely they were to self-identify with feminism. But men who viewed the meme were significantly more likely to endorse views associated with radical feminism and socialist feminism.”

So in other words, men may be more likely to succumb to peer pressure to support women’s issues, even if that peer is a celebrity they don’t know and the subject is content written by women. Yay?

As far-fetched as that logic seems, I say we take it. Not that it’s going to get Hillary elected or anything, but even if it chips away just a little bit at the rampant gender stereotypes and sexism in our culture, it’s still pretty awesome – especially considering, you know, the fact that Ryan Gosling didn’t actually say any of those things. (And many of the memes were actually written by women.)

But hey, men, there’s no shame in aligning yourself with imaginary Gosling comments. So much of our culture is influenced by imaginary content already—from books and television to movies and video games, not to mention the fake sex many men watch on the internet and try to recreate in the real world. It’s life imitating make-believe, be that bona fide art or otherwise. It’s how the world works, right? So what’s the big deal in expanding our opinions on important social issues like gender equality via the unbelievable phenomenon of Ryan Gosling memes?

At a time when rape and violence against women are still issues men have trouble discussing, let alone believing, we can use all the help we can get. And if gender relations get some of that help through something as ridiculous as a shirtless Ryan Gosling, we won’t say no. How about you, Ryan?

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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Images via the wonderful world of Ryan Gosling memes

The post Feminist Ryan Gosling Memes Do the Unthinkable: They Make Men More Pro-Women appeared first on EcoSalon.

Whether you just love him or have a serious Gos-obsession going on, there’s no denying Ryan Gosling’s appeal. But what’s up with all those “Hey Girl” memes?

Apparently, they’ve been going on for years, with early versions appearing as far back as 2010. You’ve likely seen one: a photo of Ryan with some reference to cuddling, baking or cuddling while baking. They all start the same: “Hey Girl.”

Forget trying to figure out why they’ve stuck (But here’s a hint: women will take any excuse to glimpse The Gos for even a quick nano-second). What’s more important, is what they’ve become. Even Gosling himself acknowledges, “I don’t think it’s really about me.” The memes represent the ideal man: caring, thoughtful, sensitive, fun, crafty—and being superfine doesn’t hurt the messaging either.

Not to get all analytical about silly trends that become Internet sensations (Gangnam Style, I’m looking your way), but Hey Girl has become something much more than pure fun. By injecting this caricature of Gosling with admirable sensitivities, he has become a statement—a redefining of the masculine, if you will. We hear a lot about women’s rights and the gender imbalances that still cause women much grief, and those are important issues. So is helping our men reclaim their role, and reconnect with their sensitivities. In fact, it’s impossible to think the worldview of women will get any better if we don’t encourage our men to do that.

So these memes, they’ve journeyed from cute to statement pieces, and many have an eco undertone, too. It makes sense: the more sensitive we become impacts all the ways we relate with the world. Gosling’s initial cuddling and cutesy memes have evolved to include compassion for animals and the environment. To that, all we can say is “Hey Guy, You look real good speaking up for injustices and inequity on this planet. And after we sort all that out, it’s cuddle time.”

It was tough (and a tad addictive) but we narrowed it down to our favorite Gosling memes. Did we miss any?

1. Ryan actually wrote a letter to the National Milk Producers Federation about the mistreatment of animals, so it’s no shocker that PETA’s takes the top spot with this one.

2. He has kale! And a beard!

3. Yeah, greedy corporations are phooey.

4. A puppy. And Ryan. I can’t breathe.

5. Alone in the woods with Gos and fresh homemade soap? Yes, please.

6. DIY self-care aware!

7. He’s got a good point. But then again, in this case, we might not mind…

8.Okay, at first this one was kind of confusing. But now we love it. Composting is really important. And so is Ryan Gosling thinking about your feet.

9. No we don’t.

10. We love the kohlrabi reference. And glad he’s having safe sex, but not sure the two go so well together. Still, the crayons piqued our interest.

11. Amen. Let’s eat. (And then cuddle).

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Top image: PETA

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