People’s Sexiest Man Alive: Was Ryan Gosling robbed?

We are shocked, bamboozled, perplexed! People magazine crowned Bradley Cooper the Sexiest Man Alive today, and while he's mighty cute and all, we had our money on Canadian hunk Ryan Gosling.

Cooper is swoon-worthy, as proven by his French-speaking ability, but his only credits for 2011 include "The Hangover Part II" and "Limitless." There's nothing wrong with that, per se, but in the film world, 2011 was the year of the Gos.

Gosling was amazing in not one, not two, but three films this year with "The Ides of March," "Drive," and "Crazy, Stupid, Love." He looked dapper in a suit, sexy in a satin jacket, and freaking unbelievable with no shirt on (it's like he's digitally altered or something!).

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The Canadian heartthrob is so beloved by fans that there are seemingly endless Tumblr blogs dedicated to him, including the "Hey Girl" memes, which place texts of hilarious sweet nothings over pictures of Gosling. For example:

Where are all the Bradley Cooper blogs, huh? Huh?

Gos also fits the "Sexiest Man Alive's" unofficial criterion that the title holder should be pals with George Clooney. Just look at previous Sexiest Man Alive winners like Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, who are friends with Clooney, who himself earned the title in 1997 and 2006. Gosling's lead role in the Clooney-directed "The Ides of March" seems to have brought him into Clooney's exclusive circle. Surely that's worth the title of "Sexiest Man Alive."

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Defending its choice, however, People notes Cooper's box-office appeal, good looks, and "the lengths he'll go to for romance" as reasons why it gave Cooper top honours. What was Cooper's biggest romantic gesture? "Getting on a plane to go get them," he told the mag. Sure, that's nice enough, but need we remind People magazine that Gosling held hands with rumoured girlfriend Eva Mendes at Disneyland, which is only the happiest place on earth?! Based on location alone, Cooper just can't top it.

Of course, Gosling wasn't totally snubbed by the mag, as he did make the shortlist of Sexiest Men, which also includes such gorgeous men as Idris Elba, Chris Evans, and Dylan McDermott. Still, it's hard not to feel like Gosling was robbed.

So why isn't Gosling this year's Sexiest Man Alive? Well, it's entirely possible People doesn't want to do a repeat of last year, when fellow Canuck Ryan Reynolds got the top spot. Could People magazine have an unwritten rule against crowning two Canadians or two Ryans back-to-back?

Oh, well, Gosling. There's always next year! Maybe you just need to take your shirt off a little more often.