The short, intriguing career of Public History Ryan Gosling

So I saw this post on History @ Work and I just couldn't resist:

The short, intriguing career of Public History Ryan Gosling

In case you are unfamiliar with the general craziness that is the Ryan Gosling "Hey Girl" meme (it's been around for a while now -- probably decades in internet time), it can basically be adapted to suit any of your Gosling needs. Feminist Ryan Gosling. Film Studies Ryan Gosling. And, a favorite amongst us girls at the Lane Public Library, Library Ryan Gosling. Just in case somebody hasn't met him yet, here's the Public History version:

(More can be found here)

In the post on History @ Work, his creators (Annie Cullen and Rachel Boyle, who are graduate students in Public History at Loyola University Chicago) talk about combining public history theory with pop culture. A lot of the discussion meshes quite well with the ongoing public/popular history vs. academic/ivory tower history that we've been talking about in class. The PHRG creators talk about how public historians are well poised to reach broad audiences through online culture, but then question how well the meme really functions in that capacity, since it might actually alienate both the popular audience (through the use of theory and obscure references, I have no idea what most of them even refer to, but that just makes it all the more hilarious) and the academic world.

Rachel says:
"I agree that popular culture pervades daily life and serves as a powerful opportunity for public historians to access broader audiences...The unexpected juxtaposition creates humor because theory and pleasure generally do not mix. This apparent incompatibility suggests that there is an unnecessary barrier between the professional and the popular. The barrier certainly feels real; I cannot seem to avoid a nagging embarrassment that my biggest graduate school success thus far revolves around pseudo-fantasies of a pretty celebrity."

To which Annie responds:
"If theory “elevates” popular culture as you suggest, it can also risk alienating its audience...Do these academic memes run the risk of widening the gap between the ivory tower and the history consumer?"

Rachel again:
"The success of the project nevertheless emphasizes the power of the historian immersing herself into online and popular culture in order to take advantage of constantly emerging—if short-lived—opportunities to engage the public. It is definitely worth the effort for public historians to engage the online world in order to emerge as a critical and dynamic presence in the world of popular culture."

I think it's an interesting experiment, and obviously a lot of fun as well. Side note: the idea for PHRG had its origins in a class taught by Dr. Patricia Mooney-Melvin, who wrote one of the essays for our Public History book.