Yahoo Finance Pete Davidson, Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Barker and the obsession with their relationships
Pete Davidson and his love life are everywhere.
First, there was the engagement to Ariana Grande in 2018 that catapulted him from just another “Saturday Night Live” cast member to a high-profile, tabloid-favorite star. Then, after they called off the engagement, he was spotted out with Kate Beckinsale and "Bridgerton" star Phoebe Dynevor.
And now, photos of Davidson holding hands with Kim Kardashian on a rollercoaster and stepping out together have sent the internet into a frenzy, though neither has spoken publicly about the nature of their relationship. Davidson's representatives have not responded to inquires from USA TODAY, while Kardashian's declined to comment.
“You can’t not read it. It’s like candy,” Dr. Donna Rockwell, a clinical psychologist specializing in celebrity mental health, says of the hubbub surrounding Davidson’s relationship gossip.
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“It's such an odd pairing that it just catches your curiosity,” Rockwell adds of Davidson, 28, and A-lister Kardashian, 41. "And I think that’s what celebrity does for the populace anyway: It provides the opportunities to try on various experiences that we see the celebrities go through and imagine ourselves in their shoes.”
Headlines, social media chatter and even commentary from fellow celebs surrounding their flirtation have heavily focused on trying to get to the bottom of what Davidson’s appeal is. Rockwell says his sense of humor and testimonials from his exes claiming he's a "great guy" hold serious power.
Davidson, Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker: Hollywood's bad boys du jour
The Davidson commentary seems to suggest he isn't the type of person you'd expect to see arm-in-arm with some of the most famous women in the world. The tall, lanky and heavily-tattooed comedian is known in entertainment for his stoner comedy style. His place in pop culture is more class clown than Hollywood leading man.
But sex appeal stems largely from "the ability to capture one’s attention and hold on to it," says Amber Kelleher-Andrews, dating and relationship expert, celebrity matchmaker and CEO of Kelleher International.
That's the common thread between Davidson and his peers Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker, whose respective relationships with Megan Fox and Kourtney Kardashian have also catapulted them into recent headlines. Kelly proposed to Fox on Jan. 11; Barker proposed to Kardashian last October.
More: Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox's relationship timeline
Opposites attract, adds Holly Baird, a crisis communications consultant. Fox and the Kardashian women are "super celeb moms with dynamic careers in film, TV, fashion and beauty industries," while the men they're dating "have a mystique or title of being a 'bad boy' in their own respective industries."
"The more mysterious one is, the more we lean in to learn more," Kelleher-Andrews adds. "We want to know what’s behind that curtain."
More: Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's relationship timeline
Kelly and Barker's relationships are similar in that they're both "rock stars (who) have built careers based on their wild punk personas and living crazy, mysterious lives" while dating two women who "have been in our living rooms for decades... we feel like we know them," Kelleher-Andrews observes.
Call Davidson, Kelly and Barker the manic pixie dream boys of Hollywood. Inspired by the manic pixie dream girl concept, the archetype is rooted in fantasy and the idea of having a significant other with an air of mystery and contrasting aesthetics to their partner.
"What makes these pairings so intriguing is that perhaps for the first time we fans get to have 'the elephant in the room' questions answered," Kelleher-Andrews adds. "Like are these tattooed, scary looking men actually nice behind the curtain? Can they be loving and kind and considerate boyfriends, despite the hard punk outer shell?"
Sweeping romantic gestures like Barker's beachside rose-filled proposal or Kelly's heartfelt onstage tributes to his girlfriend point to yes.
How can relationships affect fame?
Having a relationship with another major star – or in the cases of Davidson, Kelly and Barker, having a relationship with higher-profile stars – certainly has its career benefits.
"The reason people are so forthcoming on social media about their relationships is that it contributes to their brand," Rockwell says. "They get more eyeballs because we all want to read (about them). So I think they're willing to forego that privacy for the sake of their brand."
But fame can also affect stars' psychology in a myriad of ways, says Rockwell, who co-authored the only published, peer-reviewed study on the psychology of fame and celebrity. They may have feelings about losing their anonymity, having to always be "on" to meet fan expectations and a loss of trust in old and new friends.
"It's very isolating," Rockwell says of exploring a new relationship in the spotlight. "It puts a lot of pressure on the couple, because not only are they just trying to get to know one another, but they have to deal with this ever-present paparazzi."
Fox's "achingly beautiful boy" Instagram captions that launched a million parodies (including one by Davidson himself on "SNL") may be cringe-y to some, but they also have everyone talking.
Baird notes that the individuals in these couples have the ability to join together to nab "maximum exposure across the entire entertainment industry and securing consumer brand marketing partnerships."
"The intrigue of these unsuspected couples is not only the juxtaposition of these bad boys behaving good, but these super couples elevate each other's star power by pairing up," adds Kelleher-Andrews. "They have become headline news."
And fans love a good redemption narrative. All six of them have faced hardships publicly: Kim Kardashian's recent divorce filing from Kanye West, Davidson's open dialogue about dealing with mental health, Kelly's experience with drug abuse, Fox's split from Brian Austin Green, Kourtney Kardashian's co-parenting with ex-husband Scott Disick and Barker's traumatic near-death plane crash experience.
Now fans get to watch these couples "heal as a pair."
"Being able to share your journey, the healing and moving on with grace and being able to connect to fans is golden," says Baird. "It’s hard to not want to root for the success of these newly formed Hollywood couples or support whatever they are selling."
As fun as it may be to follow a celebrity couple's every post, red carpet appearance and overly-sappy interview answer, the stars involved are just regular people.
"While the daily rags may have us thinking this is just a trend or have us questioning if these power couples are built for shock value, aimed at selling more concert tickets, magazine covers or to bump up 'SNL' ratings, these couples are real people and they are quite compatible with one another," argues Kelleher-Andrews. "After all the noise, chaos and glitter is removed, these couples are in love, and love, regardless of race, age, or perception, will always be trendy."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pete Davidson, Kim Kardashian, more Hollywood relationship obsessions
