Ryan Gosling Named ‘Coolest Person Of The Year’ By TIME Magazine’s Joel Stein

Ryan Gosling may have narrowly missed winning the title of People’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2011 (the honor went to “Hangover” star Bradley Cooper), but the 31-year-old star has earned a different honor to hang his fedora on.

TIME Magazine’s Joel Stein has dubbed “The Ides of March” star the 2011 Coolest Person of the Year for, among other things, his ability to be “tough but emotional.”

“Ryan Gosling, the 2011 Coolest Person of the Year, is so cool that he refused to talk to me about this honor,” Stein wrote. “Faced with this problem, other magazine franchises might back down and pick someone willing to play ball and be their publicity monkey, but the Coolest Person Committee is committed to the truth.

“Also, it was getting really close to deadline, so it just seemed a lot easier to stick with Gosling,” he added.

The facetious honor is meant to counteract what Stein calls “some real dorks” TIME considered for their 2011 Person of the Year award, including Kate Middleton, Adm. William McRaven and House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan.

“Yes, [Gosling] was a Mouseketeer alongside Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake,” Stein wrote. “And yes, he puts on a weird Brooklyn accent even though he’s from Canada. Yes, he was homeschooled and sometimes hangs out with magicians. But he’s so cool, he wears all of that proudly.”

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