Canadian heartthrob actor and, apparently, poutine pronunciation patrolman Ryan Gosling, put Canadian and British snacks to the test during an appearance on the LADbible segment "Snack Wars," sampling some iconic local fried dishes and treats as well as some unspeakable English concoctions of meat, bread and sauce. But his questionable taste in food aside, it was his (reluctant) defence of the prononciation québécoise of the word "poutine" that might most divide Canadians.
As Le Sac de Chips first pointed out, Gosling has some strong opinions about the word's distinctive French twang but also doesn't want anyone to say it any other way.
"I don't like that its name is 'poutine,'" pronounced [poot-zin] (IPA: /pˈuːtzˈɪn/). "I wish it were not 'poutine,'" he told an apologetic off-camera LADbible interviewer after calling out their pronunciation. "Americans say [poo-teen]."
Gosling shrugged as the interviewer attempted the correct pronunciation. "It is that, unfortunately," Gosling confirmed.
The actor admitted to being a "fan" of poutine but seems to have had reservations about LADbible's pile of fries, cheese and gravy.
He holds up his coat to hide his face from the camera as he hesitantly takes a bite in an attempt, he says, to avoid creating meme fodder. But part of us wonders if the gesture was also a polite, very Canadian effort to conceal his disgust.
Words fail him as he examines the dish and chews: "This is...uhh." "Oh yeah." "I mean..."
\u201cRyan Gosling has a very unique way of eating these British and Canadian snacks... \ud83d\ude02\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\u201d— LADbible (@LADbible) 1658941202
The extended video shows Gosling try Nanaimo bars, all-dressed Ruffles chips, Turtle Bites and pancakes with maple syrup.
On the British side, he bravely samples a pork pie with mustard, Tunnocks Tea Cakes, Monster Munch, Dairy Milk Freddo and a Greggs sausage roll.
