Was Ariana Grande our gateway drug to crushing on Pete Davidson?

It’s all about the juxtapositioning. Staten Island’s golden boy Pete Davidson is the object of one of our most mysterious celebrity crushes. Tall, gangly, awkward, and hilarious, Davidson has dated some of Hollywood’s most beautiful, powerful, got-their-sh*t-together women. The question is: how?!?! 

Lainey Lui and Chloe Wilde did a deep dive into Davidson’s seemingly inexplicable attractiveness this week on Etalk’s Off The Record podcast, unearthing the secrets behind the Saturday Night Live star’s charm and his uncanny ability to attract celebs and civilians alike.

The most recent episode of Off The Record began with a confession from Chloe: Pete Davidson’s name is on her list (you know "the list" -- the one you and your S.O. have that names your celebrity exceptions when it comes to fidelity). Of course, Chloe isn’t alone. Many SNL fans have fallen for Pete — far fewer could put a finger precisely on why.

Yes, Pete is goofy and funny in a way that brings up memories of high school crushes (the fact that he dresses like a teenager with an endless hoodie collection only intensifies the nostalgia) but there has to be more to it than that, right? Lainey and Chloe have several interweaving theories about Pete’s popularity but one of the most intriguing is the idea that the root of our collective crush lies with the famous women he’s dated — from Arianna Grande and Kaia Gerber to Margaret Qualley and Phoebe Dynevor. Like, if they all see something in Pete, it must be there, right?

The theory led to a discussion about how Davidson’s dating life has been good for his public image and media exposure while often the same kind of coverage about a female celebrity is often critical and damaging (see: Taylor Swift). The media’s obsession with the A-listers Swift dated detracted from the attention her work received. With Davidson, however, it only seems to have served as a positive platform for his projects. 

Of course, there’s more to it than Pete’s past relationships. Davidson definitely has deep personal appeal on several levels. For example, the comedian has been both generous and genuine in talking about issues like mental health and addiction, candidly discussing his diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and depression in the media.

Earlier this year, he seemed to encourage those struggling to seek help, saying. “I got diagnosed with BPD a few years ago, and I was always just so confused all the time, and just thought something was wrong and didn’t know how to deal with it," he told Glenn Close during a chat for Variety’s "Actors on Actors" series. “When somebody finally tells you, the weight of the world feels lifted off your shoulders. You feel so much better.”

That kind of openness in the closed world of celebrity culture is attractive in itself. And then there’s the fact that he’s actually photogenic AF…

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