Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, Kim Kardashian – how has Pete Davidson managed to bag so many eligible women? Could this pale and sickly comedian actually be hot? Is it possible that Davidson is more of a laugh than Kanye West? Impossible. There must be something else in his arsenal… something the internet has been referring to as his…erm… “big dick energy”.
It was only a matter of time before Davidson – a sex symbol – should score a massive underwear campaign, then. And sure enough, Calvin Klein came knocking. Last night, the comedian took over the label’s Instagram account, uploading a mirror selfie, swapping out its display picture, jumping on live with fellow misshapen scene kid, Machine Gun Kelly. The duo performed a mock photoshoot, in which they showcased their “mad good poses” and spoke about “fluffing up the boys” and “showing off the goods”.
Ever since Raf Simons left Calvin Klein (based in Pete Davidson’s New York) the brand has undergone a sea change strategy, positioning itself firmly within the high street, while tapping short-term creative directors like Heron Preston. It also seems to have swapped out its sexed-up image of Marky Mark, Justin Bieber, and Freddie Ljunberg, for something with even more social currency – humour. “Hope everyone’s horny at home,” Davidson and Kelly joked to the camera, “it’s called BDE, which is insanely embarrassing but it is true.” As of today, Calvin Klein only follows Machine Gun Kelly on Instagram, but has not commented on its next steps, suggesting there is perhaps more memey satire to come.