Culture / People

Keanu forever: 23 images to show why the age of Keanu Reeves is upon us

Keanu-reeves

In a post #MeToo paradigm, the prospect of the white celebrity male who doesn't have allegations against him is hard to come by. It is unavoidable disappointment, especially in an industry that is rife with power imbalance. The one man - aside from maybe Paul Rudd and Tom Hanks - that we pray will never let us down, is Keanu Reeves. The Matrix star who, amid the steady demise of our mental stability over the past years due to the state of the world, has shone like a constant beacon of damn hope through it all.

An antidote to everything wrong in the world today is presented in the format of Reeves: the only white cishet male that will ever truly live up to the 'good guy' label. A 2019 petition circling the Internet about Reeves was made to make him the 2019 Times Person of the Year, on the sole basis that he "is the most wholesome person alive," and you can find countless resources online solidifying the compelling point. He is Keanu through and through. From his earnestness captured in paparazzi photos, his existential exhaustion conveyed in the most simple of compositions, his endearing interviews where he is just so nice, and his dedication to charitable causes, a Keanunssance is well and truly underway, and it all hinges on the aforementioned points, solidifying him as the ultimate enduring good guy.

 

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He is the one who answered “I know that the ones who love us will miss us.” on The Late Show after Stephen Colbert asked the actor what he thought happens after we die, a thoughtful and empathetic response in the middle of a show built on the canned laughter of late-night interview-style television. A response that holds more meaning to the actor than Colbert likely prepared for, considering Reeves tragedy-filled past. Five years after the death of his best friend and colleague River Phoenix, the actor's girlfriend of one year gave birth to their stillborn baby girl, Ava Archer Symes-Reeves. Such a tragedy affected their relationship in ways that they were unable to reconcile and a year following their breakup, Syme was killed in a car accident in 2001.

 

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Despite all of this, he remains as the embodiment of joy in an entertainment landscape riddled with disappointment. So much so, that during the time that the #MeToo movement was ignited off the back of Harvey Weinstein’s exposé, a screenshot of a mocked up New York Times headline reading " Keanu Reeves Is Accused by Several Women of Taking Them on Nice Dates." circulated the web. Assuming the bar for acceptable male behaviour is in hell, and our collective tendency to simp over skinny brunette white boys continues to endure it all, Reeves has his feet firmly planted on the ground, a sentiment that he too acknowledges in an Esquire interview, claiming “Whatever!” when a specific Reddit thread dedicated to Reeve's wholesomeness came up. “I’m just a normal guy, man… [but being a good guy] is a nice thing to be known for.”

It sure is, Keanu, and we'll know you as such for as long as you'll let us. Below, are our favourite images of every kind of Keanu.

 

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