If you’re even vaguely online, you’ve probably become aware of the rumored romance between comedian Pete Davidson and model and actress Emily Ratajkowski, which has involved such tawdry acts as allegedly flirting at a bowling alley. (It’s giving suburban youth group outing!) The two celebs still haven’t personally confirmed that they’re dating, but the mere idea of it has me ruminating on one of the greatest questions of our time: What is the upside of dating Pete Davidson?
Of course, one particularly intriguing—ahem—part of Davidson’s allure has been much speculated-about for years, with the 29-year-old former Saturday Night Live comedian becoming closely associated with the concept of “BDE.” His long list of celeb conquests has received even more press; the man has variously been linked to Cazzie David, Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, Margaret Qualley, Kaia Gerber, Phoebe Dynevor, and Kim Kardashian, with none other than Dionne Warwick recently volunteering as tribute:
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Ultimately, though, I think Davidson’s allure comes down to one simple trait: He’s fun. This doesn’t mean he’s a round-the-clock riot, mind you—Davidson has been admirably open about his struggles with mental health, and even leaving that aside, I can imagine that dating him would feel something like trying to wrangle your wealthy stepson into finishing his college applications—but if you’re an EmRata type, someone who has all the world’s Generic Rich Guys™ lining up to take you to Carbone, wouldn’t you be drawn in by a dude who can simply hang?
When I was in my own “dating comedians” era (and by “comedians,” I mean guys who did one five-minute set one time at the outdoor Tuesday-night comedy fundraiser their friend organized), it was hard to resist the siren call of a person who lived in the moment and didn’t seem to ascribe to the rules of what you’re supposed to want out of life. True, Davidson is extremely successful, but he’s also managed to hold on to what our friends across the pond might call his “wasteman energy:” he’s been on SNL, he’s dated some of the most famous women in the world, his estimated net worth is in the millions, and yet he still looks and behaves exactly like that one friend of your brother’s who used to buy you Smirnoff Ice with his fake ID.
I’ve never dated a finance guy (brag), so I can’t speak to what that experience is like, but eventually, I would imagine that the thrill of sitting across from a symmetrical blond man at a fancy restaurant and listening to him talk about how generational wealth is actually a major hurdle to overcome would wear off. Enter Pete, a man who has it all: He can pay for his own dinner (and yours too), but he’s probably not annoying about it. He’s funny, he’s tall, he has tattoos, a good relationship with his mom, and he’s a little gross. If he were a lesbian, I’d be sending him my underwear in the mail. Good for EmRata: Whether or not she and Davidson are actually together, she deserves to have a little post-divorce fling.