Ryan Gosling is at the center of the media’s attention after his reaction to “I’m Just Ken” from last year’s Barbie movie, winning the Best Song at this year’s Critics Choice Awards.
Gosling received great praise for his portrayal of Ken in the wake of the Barbie movie’s release last July. The 29th annual Critics Choice Awards ceremony took place on January 14 at the Sanat Monica Aiport’s Barker Hanger. When the announcement came, Gosling appeared shocked to hear that “I’m Just Ken” had won the best song.
Co-written by the revered Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson, the song took the number-one spot in a well-stacked category made up of hits from Billie Elish and Dua Lipa. It also beat songs from some of the past year’s other blockbuster movies, including “Road to Freedom” from “Rustin,” “Peaches” from Super Mario Bros. Movie, and “This Wish” from “Wish.”
When the final announcement was made, cameras were locked onto Gosling’s face, whose reaction caught the attention of fans around the world. He appeared to be taken back and monetarily stunned, with many claiming his reaction will go on to become a popular GIF this year.
The award was proudly accepted by Ronson, who shared a few words on stage. He directly looked at Gosling, who remained seated in the audience, and said, “This is as much your award as ours.” The mastermind behind the song continued, “You made the audience fall in love with this song with your matchless performance.”
Ronson also offered gratitude to the film’s director, Great Gerwig. “The fact that you carved out 11 minutes for this prog-rock, power ballad, dream ballet, shred-fest so the boys could cry and hold hands a little too ― we’re really forever in your debt for that,” he said.
Celebrity friends and fans alike were quick to share their thoughts on social media. Eva Mendes, an actor and longtime partner of Gosling, captioned an Instagram post with, “I LOVE HIM!!!”
Popular social media app X exploded with comments after the actor’s reaction at the awards ceremony. One user, @kat__writes, wrote, “No one tries harder to avoid becoming a meme than Ryan Gosling, and no one fails harder at that than Ryan Gosling.”
Another user, @Unkle_Jesse_K, posted, “POV: You zone out for a couple of seconds during an adult conversation, and you hear your name mentioned.” @Nikkiluvbot believes Gosling became an emoji, writing, “Ryan Gosling just became the 🤨 emoji at the Critics Choice Awards.”
According to one user, @MissSassbox, Gosling’s shocked face during the announcement was warranted as she believes there’s no way “I’m Just Ken” should have won the award. “I’ve never seen someone give a more honest reaction to knowing they shouldn’t have gotten an award than Ryan Gosling, winning for Best Original Song at the Critics Choice Awards,” she wrote.
