Why Did Ryan Gosling Wear Sunglasses For His 2024 Oscars Just Ken Performance?

Ryan Gosling's performance of "I'm Just Ken" from the "Barbie" movie was one of the most highly anticipated parts of the 2024 Oscars. This performance did not disappoint, and neither did his perfect Ken ensemble. He sported a pink suit with pink gloves and head-to-toe rhinestones, ensuring that Gosling, as Ken, was not one of the night's worst-dressed stars. But why did he accessorize with those sunglasses? As it turns out, this fashion choice for his big Oscars performance further proved his dedication to his iconic character, Ken. These sunglasses were actually a well-thought-out choice.

Ryan Gosling earned an Oscar nomination for his role as Ken in "Barbie" for a reason. Through plenty of attention to detail, he brought life to this classic character that was never there before. Gosling took inspiration from "The Bachelorette" for his role and even developed a backstory for why Ken always wore this specific accessory. In an interview with GQ, Gosling explained why sunglasses — dark shades in particular — were so important to Ken.

In the "Barbie" movie, Ken always had sunglasses on him, even if he wasn't actually wearing them. So, they were the perfect way to accessorize a bedazzled hot pink suit for Ken's legendary performance. In his GQ interview, Gosling said that Ken always carried two pairs of sunglasses with him: one dark pair and one reflective pair. The mirrored pair, Ryan said, is necessary to "reflect Barbie's greatness." The dark pair was to "hide [his] sadness," adding, "You never want to risk bumming Barbie out."

Not only was Gosling's decision to wear sunglasses for the performance a special nod to Ken, but by his own definition, the choice of sunnies was important, too. Fans of the "Barbie" movie know that "I'm Just Ken" was a pivotal moment for this character. He was establishing who he was without his counterpart, Barbie. So, for the biggest performance of this song in history, he wouldn't have wanted to reflect Barbie in his glasses. This was Ken's moment, so dark glasses that didn't reflect anyone else were the ideal pick. While for the character Ken, this song was emotional, Gosling's performance was all about fun. Consequently, the choice to wear the glasses that prevent "bumming [anyone] out" was wise. That performance certainly didn't bum anyone out. It was a great moment for Ken in all his glory, and Gosling, once again, proved that he is more than "Kenough."