Why TikTok won’t stop debating whether or not Ethan Slater is going to be “Pete Davidsoned”
When news first broke on Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater's relationship, it was pure chaos. Many fans turned against the couple entirely, as their new romance was saturated with rumors of a potential overlap with their respective spouses. The fact that Ethan's wife, Lilly Jay, had recently given birth to their child didn't help matters either.
On top of that, many struggled to comprehend how the man known for playing SpongeBob SquarePants on Broadway could be the right match for the "Dangerous Woman" hitmaker.
However, against all odds (and breakup rumors), the couple still seems to be going strong. And now, it feels like the tide against Ethan Slater is turning...
Is Ethan Slater getting "Pete Davidsoned"?
On TikTok especially, there's been a newfound love for Ethan Slater. There are dozens of TikToks insisting that he's "hot," and in a viral clip, which has now amassed 3.5 million views, TikToker Dana Adco (@dana.adco) shared an intriguing theory as to why this switch-up has happened.
"Ethan Slater is about to get Pete Davidsoned," she declared. "Ariana Grande has historically dated men, that, when they first started dating, the public was confused because they thought that she was really out of his league."
"And this happened with Pete Davidson. And then somehow... the people she dates will go on this arc where they suddenly become extremely desirable. So after they broke up, Pete Davidson was seen as like one of the white boys of the month, and he was dating all of these celebrities after her, including Kim K," she explained.
@dana.adco the tides are turning… @Molly would love ur thoughts #arianagrande #ethanslater #boqtok #wicked #popculture ♬ original sound - Dana Adco
Dana continued: "And with the Wicked: For Good press tour, I've been seeing more and more stuff that are like, 'Wait, I'm starting to get it.' And it'll be like edits of Ethan Slater or like the video of him doing 'Dancing Through Life' where he did the splits. And I can sense a cultural shift in the way that the public sees Ethan Slater."
Adco didn't immediately respond to The Daily Dot's request for comment via TikTok comment and email.
The TikTok discourse came in hot
In the comments of the video, viewers largely disagreed with Dana's theory.
"Nope on this, I will have to disagree with you," one wrote. "Pete was kinda cute in a nerdy boy kinda way. Ethan Slater will always be SpongeBob."
"I think this might just be your specific FYP," another quipped. A third pointed out that "Pete didn't leave his high school sweetheart wife after she had his baby,"
While a fourth echoed: "Ethan Slater was already desirable. By his wife, who had just given him a baby. He doesn't get this arc."
However, a small number of commenters agreed with Adco's view, with one opining: "Ethan Slater has always been hot, he just needed to be decontextualized from SpongeBob."
Another agreed: "Like he was SpongeBob, he was already top tier."
Since Adco's video was first posted, a TikTok trend of recreating Slater's dance moves as SpongeBob on Broadway has gained popularity.
So, the question is: has this mini-renaissance on TikTok changed general public opinion overall? Based on this comment section, probably not, but let's face it — his rendition of "Dancing Through Life" and that deleted shirtless scene probably worked in his favor.
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