Remember that time Ryan Gosling sent the cast of Barbie a man to play the bagpipes for them before they started filming the movie? Well, this elaborate, performance-based gift-giving style just got better, because he gave Greta Gerwig a flash mob for her birthday, and it’s Ken-etic.
As the incredibly well-reviewed Barbie continues to absolutely crush at the box office this weekend, we also need to celebrate the birthday of its brilliant director. Luckily, Ryan Gosling had a fantastic idea. The Ken actor got together a group of Kens and Barbies to create a flash mob to “I’m Just Ken” and “Dance The Night,” and it’s fantastic! Check out the Barbie Instagram video of the ken-tastic moment:
It looks like the group of dancers Gosling hired snuck into the gym Gerwig was at to perform the power ballad and disco bop from Barbie. The boys dramatically danced, bringing their best Ken-ergy to the floor, and then the gals joined in and the ensemble did a little dance to Dua Lipa’s track.
What makes me the happiest about this is Gerwig’s reaction. She’s so overjoyed the whole time as she’s sitting criss-coss watching the performance. At the end, she got up to hug all the dancers, and one asked her if she knew who planned it. She had no idea, and they said “Think of the bagpipe person.” The Academy-Award-nominated director then proceeded to laugh even harder.
Ryan Gosling may have doubted his Ken-ergy in the beginning, but clearly, he’s embraced it, because this flash mob feels very Ken of him. Both “I’m Just Ken” and “Dance The Night” have become viral hits from Barbie, and they made for a sublime flash mob. It also reminded me of The Nice Guys star’s glorious performance in the film, especially during his dramatic yet hysterical musical number.
The La La Land actor isn’t the only person from this ensemble who loves giving gifts. Margot Robbie famously gifted Gosling Ken-inspired gifts every day on the Barbie set so he could really harness his Ken-ergy. Of course, since Ken’s job is beach, all of his presents were themed around his profession. The actor noted that he got things like “puka shells” and “a sign that says ‘pray for surf.’” Overall, this culture of gift giving, whether it be small Ken-tastic gifts or Ken-etic experiences, like a flash mob, is legendary.
Gerwig responded to Barbie’s success, calling it “mind-boggling,” and based on her reaction to Ryan Gosling’s flash mob present, I think she might use the same adjective to describe it. I know my mind by boggled by it.
Another thing that blew my mind was the Barbie movie itself. Since its release, it has made hundreds of millions of dollars globally, and fans are loving it. To see the candy-colored film, and Gosling’s own performance of “I’m Just Ken” you can see Greta Gerwig’s film in theaters now along with lots of other projects on the 2023 movie schedule.
