Sexiest Man Alive 2011 – Did it Go to the Wrong Man?
It turns out, People Magazine‘s choice of Sexiest Man Alive of 2011 has been a bit controversial. Bradley Cooper may have won the title, but he’s not winning public support. A Yahoo! poll (highly unscientific, admittedly) asked: ”Is Bradley Cooper the sexiest man alive?”
The answer? An overwhelming no.
Who do People‘s vocal readers wish they’d given the title to instead? Ryan Gosling.
As one commenter shouted on Entertainment Weekly‘s blog Popwatch, ”Ryan was robbed!!!” Another added, “This year’s real SEXIEST MAN is RYAN GOSLING, hands down!!!!” A third threw in, “I agree, Ryan should have gotten the cover.”
If you’ve seen Drive or Crazy, Stupid Love you know why Gosling’s fans have an argument. It’s not just his abs, which, as Emma Stone’s character in Love squeals upon seeing them, “are like, photoshopped.” It’s the quiet intensity that Gosling is only getting better at as he gets older, matched with that soulful sweetness that he radiates when he’s falling in love on screen.
Gosling is a very different flavor of sexy from Cooper, which is why it’s no surprise that Cooper has his own supporters. On the People website, comments were more forgiving:
“Brad is absolutely gorgeous. I love him even more when he speaks french…Ooh La La.” And, “I won’t deny he’s cute, but sexiest man alive? Seriously? No way!” Even those who might have gone another direction have to agree: “Not my pick, but I love the fact that he adores his dogs.:)”
Cooper seems as surprised as everyone else at the honor. His own description of himself, “decent-looking guy” might be a pretty huge understatement, but his self effacement is a very effective shield to criticism. What do you think? Was Ryan robbed?
