Pete Davidson says the internet’s rush to idolize then sour on newly ubiquitous stars has turned on Pedro Pascal and could soon target Walton Goggins. In a recent appearance on Theo Von’s podcast, Davidson argued that social media “can’t wait” to turn on people once they break out, citing Pascal’s swift shift from beloved everyman to overexposed figure in online discourse. He added that Goggins’ current wave of acclaim could make him the next target of that cycle.
The remarks followed a spate of pieces noting how Pascal’s omnipresence in prestige TV, franchise features, and viral red-carpet moments has sparked backlash alongside adulation. Coverage has framed the phenomenon as a whiplash effect that accompanies rapid ascents: the same visibility that fuels fan devotion also feeds fatigue, nitpicking, and performative pile-ons. Davidson, who has navigated his own boom-and-backlash arc, described the pivot as less about any single project than about the audience’s appetite for novelty and the internet’s incentives to flip sentiment quickly.
The Hollywood Reporter summarized Davidson’s prediction about Goggins, whose recent run has brought a surge of mainstream attention after years of character-actor credibility. Davidson suggested that acclaim cresting into constant visibility often becomes the pretext for a corrective wave of criticism, independent of the work itself. Posts amplifying his comments spread swiftly across platforms, reinforcing the self-perpetuating nature of the cycle he described.
The discussion arrives amid an ongoing debate over how much of the “turn” is organic and how much is nudged by social media dynamics, from algorithmic amplification to coordinated brigading. Some outlets have noted sporadic smear trends and deepfake clips featuring Pascal, which complicate the discourse by injecting manufactured material into the feedback loop around his popularity.
Others have focused on a simpler explanation: a star booked in many high-profile titles will inevitably encounter fatigue narratives, regardless of performance or behavior. Davidson’s broader point is that the whipsaw is happening faster, with the window between breakout and backlash compressed to months.
