April 14, 2024
Saturday Night Live/Youtube
During Ryan Gosling's 'Saturday Night Live' monologue, he paid homage to his role as Ken in 'Barbie' with a song set to the tune of Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well.'
Last summer was ruled by the cultural phenomenon of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, as well as the coinciding premieres of blockbuster films "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer." The latest episode of "Saturday Night Live" paid homage to all three.
Ryan Gosling — who earned an Oscar nomination for playing Ken in Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" and performed hit song "I'm Just Ken" at the ceremony last month — kicked off his third "SNL" hosting gig with a musical monologue that saw him reluctantly bidding farewell to the "Barbenheimer" era. His musings were set to the unlikely tune of Swift's emotional ballad "All Too Well."
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Before things descended into song, Gosling began his monologue by noting that he was on "SNL" to promote his new film "The Fall Guy," which also stars Emily Blunt — who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as Kitty Oppenheimer in "Oppenheimer."
"So don't worry, I'm not going to make any jokes about Ken," Gosling said, before jokingly adding: "Because it's not funny."
"Ken and I, we had to break up," he continued. "We went too deep, and it's over. So I'm not gonna talk about it... I actually am gonna talk about it a little bit. I have to!"
Gosling noted that the best way to process a break up, like the one he was experiencing with his character Ken, was through music by a certain singer in particular.
"There's really only one thing that can help, the music of the great Taylor Swift," Gosling said.
Gosling then sat down at a piano, put on some sunglasses and began singing about Ken to the tune of "All Too Well." He sang about his "tight" Spandex costumes, which "felt so right," before standing up to put on a fur coat like the one Ken wore in the film. The music began to hit a crescendo as Gosling crooned about the "sweet definition" of his "washboard abs."
"If I said that I was doing fine, you know I'd be lying, because I was just Ken, and now I'm just Ryan," he sang.
His song was then interrupted by Blunt, who came on stage to scold Gosling for not sticking to their "game plan" of promoting their upcoming film "The Fall Guy," which is about a Hollywood stuntman. She said they were supposed to promote their film with "epic" stunts.
"Instead, you're singing about Ken, again," Blunt lamented.
Gosling halfheartedly attempted to argue, noting that his character in "The Fall Guy" listens to "All Too Well" while mourning a breakup. Blunt then urged Gosling to move on from Ken, but he instead he broke out into song again as Barbie-themed dancers and pink props galore moved onto the stage.
"'Cause here we are again on our technicolor beach," Gosling sang. "I didn't win the Oscar, it was just out of reach. I was there, bleach blond hair, now it's time to wish Ken farewell."
Blunt returned to the stage to hit Gosling with a fake glass bottle and fake wooden chair. The pair then trade joking insults about "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer."
"I know 'Oppenheimer' was an inferior movie," Gosling said.
"We, like, won everything actually," Blunt responded.
"But, did you win people's hearts?," Gosling asked. "I don't think so."
Blunt then began singing about missing "Oppenheimer," before she and Gosling joined together on a "Barbenheimer" duet.
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt lay Barbenheimer summer to rest 🩷 #SNL pic.twitter.com/CgzSmnjRPT
— Saturday Night Network (@thesnlnetwork) April 14, 2024
"'Cause here we are again back in 2023, with the 'Barbenheimer' summer, it was just you and me," they sang. "Now it's time to wish it all farewell."
By the end, though, the pair realized they may not have to say farewell after all.
"Ken will never die," Gosling exclaimed.
The only thing that could have made the performance better would have been an appearance from Swift herself. But, the Berks County-native pop star was otherwise occupied, as she was reportedly spotted enjoying performances at Coachella on Saturday with her boyfriend, Chiefs star Travis Kelce. At the music festival, Swift was seen wearing a "New Heights" hat, referring to the podcast Travis hosts with his brother, retired Eagles legend Jason Kelce.
Gosling's "SNL" episode, which featured musical guest Chris Stapleton, also included hilarious sketches about alien encounters (featuring former "SNL" cast member and "Barbie" star Kate McKinnon), an engagement-gone-wrong, audience members who happen to resemble "Beavis and Butt-Head" and a doctor who ominously promises it's not his fault that a patient died. The episode also featured an appearance by Iowa college basketball star Caitlin Clark, whose team recently lost the national title to South Carolina, a team coached by Philly native Dawn Staley.
The next new episode of "SNL" will air Saturday, May 4, with Dua Lipa as host and musical guest.
Watch Gosling's full monologue below:
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