Pete Davidson has hit back as what he perceives to be pandering to queer audiences from "women in entertainment." In an interview with Tommy Dorfman for Paper, the Saturday Night Live star spoke at length about being an ally to the LGBTQ community and how people have often used their allyship to further their own careers.
"Well, nothing's cooler to me than seeing my friends crush it," Davidson explained when asked what it means to be a good ally. "I also have the most talented friends ever. And I think my friends are a good reflection of me... anybody that I fuck with is sweet and morally sound, you know? I find it super weird that it's weird that a straight dude has gay friends... like, some straight dudes do have gay friends, but like they make like a big show of it as opposed to them genuinely being a friend."
Dorfman, who said his friendship with Davidson has made him "less scared of straight men," interjected to comment on how that's "just like how some pop stars use gay people," prompting a cautious response from Davidson.
"Yeah. I really feel like I have to be careful when I'm saying this, but I do feel like a lot of women in entertainment use gay men as props," Davidson responded. "If you really listen to any of the songs that they're doing, or any of the things that they're doing, it's to promote them[selves]. It's rarely for the LGBT community. It's to make them look good. Like, how cool they are that they're hanging out with gay people."
Pete later brought up Staten Island, which is where he's from and also the place in New York he loves to criticize the most. "I'm the first person in my family to have gay friends," he said, explaining that by doing standup in Manhattan and other locations has helped him meet more diverse people. "So now like my whole family loves gay people. They know not to be afraid. It's just because they were raised so, like, Catholic and old-school."
Davidson talked about how he had to get off the internet due to all the toxicity, and when the topic of his image came up he said that people seem to think he's ugly or very attractive. "Those people are crazy," he said to the people who think he's hot. He revealed that he "used to jerk off to Leonardo DiCaprio" because he had a "huge crash" on him when he was younger. Davidson has since met Leo twice, but he said he simply shook the actor's hand and then would "run away fast."
During the interview, Dorfman asked Davidson where he sees himself in ten years time. "Hopefully behind the camera," he replied. "I wanna write stuff and direct and, like, honestly, just have a family." He said that being a father would be "the one [thing] that would keep me here," alluding to his borderline personality disorder. "Everybody that I talk to that’s had a kid and who used to be depressed says it just alters this part of your brain," he added. "And also, not that I didn’t have [a dad], but I didn’t really get to grow up with one, so I would like to do that for someone."
Near the end of their conversation, Davidson said he hates former SNL cast member David Spade, even though he does "find him funny." He continued, "Can I just say that? David Spade is a disgusting human being, but he is funny. ... If you're 17 and up, there's a chance David Spade has DMed you. Can you write that?"
Dorfman also directly asked Davidson if he wanted to talk about his ex, Ariana Grande. "I hope she's well," he responded. "I hope she's very happy. And that's pretty much it."
