Ryan Gosling named Time's 'Coolest Person' despite magician friends

Finally, somebody got it right!

Ryan Gosling may have missed out on the Sexiest Man title, much to the chagrin of his highly motivated fanbase, but he's scored another highly prestigious, very important, history-altering award: Time Magazine has named him their "Coolest Person" of 2011.

He was commended not only for his acting (his very good year landed him two Golden Globe nominations on Thursday morning) but for being a sexy vigilante and generally awesome.

Okay, so it wasn't quite worded that way. Joel Stein writes, "Our Coolest Person Committee was determined to pick someone whose cool was tested and pervasive, obvious even to the dorks who work at this magazine. We defined cool in the classic Marlon Brando way an unshakable calm mixed with a confidence that comes from not needing others. Cool is more how than what; we considered world leaders, singers, hackers and a newsmagazine columnist who one of us thought was an obvious pick."

They even forgive him his mouse ears, his "weird Brooklyn accent," and the near-dealbreakers: He was homeschooled and he hangs out with magicians.