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

Related on EcoSalon

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Images via the wonderful world of Ryan Gosling memes

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This week in Link Love Ryan Gosling and Macauley Culkin really like each other, you can make your own plastic-free wrap on the cheap and easy, important food documentaries, how to be more like your dog and fashion in Burma courtesy of W Magazine.

The Gos and Macauley have this weird shirt vortex thing going on. And we can’t get enough of it. The only thing better would be for Ryan to do it without the shirt…[via Imgur]

DIY lovers and/or plastic haters take note: You can make your own plastic-free food wrap. [via Eat Drink Better]

10 really important food documentaries every healthy eater should watch. [via Well+Good]

Love your critter? Here’s how your furry friend might make you a better person. [via One Green Planet]

Tim Walker and W embark on an awesome fashion-filled pilgrimage to the golden land of Burma. [via W Magazine]

Image via W

The post Link Love: Fashion in Burma + Ryan and Macauley’s Shirts + DIY Plastic-Free Wrap appeared first on EcoSalon.

 

Among other efforts, Ryan Gosling has urged the USDA to stop allowing slaughterhouses to kill chickens and turkeys by slowly suffocating them with foam, and he wrote to the National Milk Producers Federation, calling for an end to painful dehorning of cows through burning or the use of sharp tools.

Now, in an article for The Globe and Mail entitled ‘A tiny cage is not a life,’ Gosling is calling for an end to the cruel confinement of female pigs. A Canadian himself, Gosling applauded Canada’s National Farm Animal Care Council’s decision to stop allowing female pigs to be confined to crates for “nearly their entire lives.”

Gosling wrote “Currently, mother pigs are kept in these cages called ‘gestation crates’ for four months while pregnant, moved to another cage to give birth, reimpregnated and put back into a gestation crate for the cycle to repeat. It adds up to years of immobilization and millions of smart, inquisitive animals relegated to iron maidens.”

The actor compared his “beloved dog George” to these thinking and feeling pigs, who he says are also deserving of compassion. “The bond I have with George is not unique. Like me, countless Canadians share their homes and lives with pets they consider to be part of the family. We know that they have individual personalities and quirks (George loves apples, for example) and that they feel both physical and mental pain. Our pets share these traits with other animals; including those we don’t share our lives with, such as farm animals.”

He adds that the use of gestation crates for pregnant female pigs has been widely “criticized by veterinarians, animal protection advocates, consumers and even major food retailers as inhumane and unnecessary,” and that Tim Hortons and sixty other major companies have recently stopped using suppliers that confine pigs to the crates.

Although the council has reduced the time that the pork industry is allowed to confine pregnant pigs, Gosling is calling for further action. He writes, “While NFACC’s progress is important and laudable, there is a major loophole in the code that I hope will be closed. As written, the draft still allows the pork industry to lock pigs in gestation crates for up to five weeks at a time. Over a pig’s short life, which is just four years long, this amounts to about nine months of solitary confinement in a cage so small she can’t even turn her own body around.”

He adds, “I join Farm Sanctuary and Humane Society International in asking that it close this dangerous loophole by prohibiting the pork industry from confining pigs for weeks at a time – something I would never dream of doing to George, and that no compassionate Canadian would ever do to any animal.” – Jennifer Mishler

This article appears courtesy of Ecorazzi

Ecorazzi covers news and gossip on celebrities and notables in support of the environment and humanitarian causes. You can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Image: Xoyos

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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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Hey girl, don’t you think it’s time you and I minimized?

Are you a perfectionist when it comes to dating? Not in terms of looks, build, employability, dancing skills, or personality – heck, you’ll take whatever package they come in provided that package is streamlined. If your standards are otherwise minimal, yet you find it hard to find that match made in symmetrical heaven it could very well be because you’re a design perfectionist.

You could either clutter up your bedroom with the sort that comes with extraneous bells and whistles, or let his or her minimalism do the talking, like our dear Ryan. He requires no packaging at all. Just a good font and a clever meme: his abs do the rest.

Ryan’s going to start us off at number 1.

2. My biggest deal breaker? I’d have to say…textiles purchased in the IKEA Marketplace.

3. Who needs a sofa when your mattress is as good as mine?

4. I was married. But lorem ipsum dolor, we’re divorced.

5. Particleboard is not part of my lifestyle.

6. Hey, can you find my G-spot? No, to the left. A little more. A centimeter to the right. Yes, that’s it! That perfect wood accented typographical vortex is such a turn on, isn’t it?

7. With curves like yours, who needs crown molding?

8.

9.  __________________________.

10. You can’t get more hardcore than the West Elm catalog. I mean, really. Must we see the shelving inside your cabinets? We get it. You shave.

11. Funny that you say that. My last girlfriend broke up with me because I didn’t come with enough baggage.

12. I’m not a commitment-phobe, per se. I’m just not ready for a kitchen table right now.

13. I’ll be your ottoman if you’ll be my settee.

14. I’m looking for the perfect long-term silhouette to fill up some negative space in my loft. Could you be that shadow?

15. Feel the grain on that rosewood credenza file cabinet sourced from the Herman Miller mid-century archives: that’s boyfriend material.

16. I think I’ve seen your picture somewhere before. Oh yeah, that’s right. It was in the dictionary next to equilibrium.

17. You complete me.

18. I won’t cramp your style, or closet.

19. You had me at Blanched Seashell White.

20.

 ALSO CHECK OUT:

20 Pick Up Lines for Knitters

25 Pick Up Lines for Cyclists

50 Pick Up Lines for Foodies

Images: Hard Core Nerdity; Architecture Ryan Gosling

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ColumnWhere celebrity becomes conscious.

The stock market is on a roller coaster, financial oligarch Warren Buffet is calling for all the other financial oligarchs to get real, and everyone has been holding their breath about Greece. Such are the times. We  would all do well to tighten our belts and remember that life isn’t about material things.

Unless you’re in a Hollywood movie, that is. Tinsel Town is notorious for glamorizing materialism and consumption. A movie shopping montage can look as all-American cool as James Dean slouched over in a leather jacket. Today, James would now be entirely represented by Ryan Gosling’s six-pack abs.

Films and sitcoms have long been guilty of bumping up the characters’ environs a tax bracket or two beyond realistic. But in the current economic climate (not to mention climate climate), some films are particularly jarring – a rather sad retrospective on a society that’s consumed itself like some mythical Greek tragedy. Or, cinema is about fantasy and we’re no fun. Only our closets and bank accounts can decide. Herewith, the seven most materialistic movies to date:

Sex and the City 2 (2010)

This sequel behaved exactly like a feral puppy holding our favorite adolescent book in its mouth – it shook and snarled and shattered our happy memories of a fantastic HBO series until all that was left were sloppy, spit-soaked scraps on the floorboards. For many, this is what happened when Sex and the City was first brought to the big screen in 2008. For almost all, the 2010 sequel was the final nail in their gold-plated coffin.

The plot of this movie entailed taking our favorite female Manhattanites, Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda, and propping them against miles and miles of Gucci, Dior, and Prada. Our gang eventually heads to Saudi Arabia, only to find they aren’t so welcome in Islamic culture. But not to worry, Saudi women are fine. Underneath their Hijabs and Abayas are just more Gucci, Dior, and Prada. Can we say ridiculous, racist, and radically offensive consumerism? Yes, we can.

Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

It’s no secret we love Ryan Gosling. Nonetheless, his latest movie didn’t even bother to keep consumerism in check. The plot runs something like this: Gosling helps the old guy become cool, get girls and get laid by buying clothes. Don’t worry; he’s got a trust fund! And did we mention that old guy’s ex-wife lives in a sprawling home that is totally unrealistic for a middle class Los Angeles family? Yes, it’s 2011 and we’re still making these sorts of movies.

Pretty Woman (1990)

Evidently, what makes a great antidote to a soul-shattered life filled with prostitution, murder, and drug use is shopping on Rodeo Drive! Just make sure your “heart of gold” charms your John into leaving you with a credit card you can thumb in the noses of snobby Beverly Hills salesgirls. We acknowledge that Edward and Vivian rode off into the sunset together at the end of the movie, happily in love. After all, isn’t selling your body for money romantic? (We prefer to be called realists.)

Marie Antoinette (2006)

Marie Antoinette is not exactly known in history for her socially-conscious contributions to society. So a flashy, updated biopic on her life shouldn’t be expected to read like a remake of Gandhi. However, Sofia Coppola’s ill-fated French queen was compared to a modern day Paris Hilton. What gave critics that idea? Possibly the miles and miles of film focused on shoes, couture, hairstyles and more. Was it all bad? The film boasts an incredible soundtrack (New Order, anyone?) and is gorgeously shot against Versailles itself. Consumerism is made hip, cool, and pretty – and ultimately, deadly.

Clueless (1995)

Is it ironic that a film about materialism stars one of the Hollywood’s green darlings? As if! Cher, played by vocal vegan and PETA pin-up Alicia Silverstone, shops her way around this update of Jane Austen’s Emma. Problems are solved if only the right outfit can be found. In the end, our Cher-Emma-Alicia finds true love with her socially-conscious step-brother. So maybe this was just art imitating an eventual reality for the lovely Ms. Silverstone.

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

This film about a shopping addict who falls for a wealthy entrepreneur had the misfortune of debuting just after the dawn of the Great Recession. As one review wrote in 2009, “When P.J. Hogan’s out-of-step comedy was conceived, conspicuous consumption was the norm. Yet here we are, only nine months after the [first] Sex and the City movie and an obsessive spender with an overstuffed closet, and credit card bills to match, no longer seems quite so cute.”

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Set at Runway (aka Vogue) magazine, Anne Hathaway’s Andy Sachs finds her fight to the top is streamlined once she raids the hallowed halls of the magazine’s sample closet. We’re even treated to a montage of amazingly-styled outfits as Andy makes her way to work through the streets of New York City. (See? We’re not total shopping curmudgeons.)

But how did Andy justify the new wardrobe? There’s some lip service that she gets the clothes for free via Stanley Tucci’s benevolent godfather-style tutelage. But could a Conde Nast assistant ever afford such a wardrobe without a healthy bank account not possibly acquired solely as a Conde Nast assistant? Not likely. And did she really need it? Only in the minds of a Hollywood executive.

This is the latest installment in Katherine Butler’s column, Shade Grown Hollywood, where celebrity becomes conscious. “Shade grown” refers literally to shade grown coffee, a farming method that “incorporates principles of natural ecology to promote natural ecological relationships.” Shade Grown is our sustainable twist on Hollywood.

Image: zoonabar

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People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. Esquire’s Women We Love. What if the two had a baby and put it in gdiapers? And then it grew up into a man who could pick out produce like Michael Pollan. Or make us laugh like Jon Stewart. Or keep us guessing like Johnny Depp.

Bottom line? There are far too many good men out there to be ignored. And so, month by month, we at EcoSalon will perform the painstakingly arduous task of researching the most attractive men ever to frequent a farmers’ market. And then we will serve him up on a platter of details as to why we want to have his babies.

And so, for December, we give you the man whose sensitive smile and ability to manfully grip a cereal bowl while staring wistfully into the distance is legendary. (What’s he looking at? At his girlfriend gardening? At a doe playing with her fawn? Who’s to say?) We give you – Ryan Gosling!

Why is The Gosling just so damned perfect? First, he speaks feminism. In his latest film, Blue Valentine, he plays a character who performs oral sex on his wife, played by Michelle Williams. Because of this scene, the MPAA gave the film an NC-17 rating. To which Gosling replied:

You have to question a cinematic culture which preaches artistic expression, and yet would support a decision that is clearly a product of a patriarchy-dominant society, which tries to control how women are depicted on screen. The MPAA is OK 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 – 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.

Michelle Williams also addressed this issue in a spectacular fashion – click here to read more.

So he’s a feminist, or at least talks like one. But the outspoken activism doesn’t stop there. Gosling has urged action on Darfur and is a critic of inhumane slaughter tactics used by McDonalds and KFC. He drives a Prius. And he had a long term relationship with noted greenista Rachel McAdams. Just how green in Rachel? She has her own green web site. Which practically makes him our husband.

Also? He is extremely a-dorbs. I have seen The Gosling in person. Seeing a celebrity can go either one of two ways – you’re struck with the knowledge that he or she is actually “meh” or you’re struck flat to the sidewalk that he or she is possibly the most attractive person of your preferred gender you have ever laid corneas on. This would be our Ryan.

And last but not least, he was Lars.

Do you have a man or woman whom you think we should love? Let us know. We promise to share.

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