Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past six months, you know that Pedro Pascal is currently one of the most popular actors. Starring in HBO’s The Last Of Us and Disney+’s The Mandalorian, he’s become 2023’s hottest thing and if you’ve watched any of his interviews recently, you’ll notice that one word comes up more frequently than the rest — ‘Daddy’. Where the hell did it come from?
In April 2022, while taking a lie detector test for Vanity Fair, Pascal is asked a question – “Who’s a bigger daddy?” – between himself and fellow actor Oscar Isaac. Part of his answer became an instant meme, “Daddy is a state of mind … I’m your daddy.” It was a fun answer to a fun question, no harm, no foul.
What Happens In Fandom, Stays In Fandom
The phrase became something popular to use among Pedro Pascal fans. In fandom, as long as something isn’t being sent to the celebrity themselves, it’s generally fine to call them ‘Daddy’ or ‘Mother’, etc., amongst each other. If said celebrity chooses to seek out that content, that’s their prerogative. The problem arises when it escapes the online space. Fandom is like Vegas. What happens there, stays there.
Pedro Pascal first gained notoriety when he starred in Game of Thrones as Oberyn Martell and in Narcos as Javier Peña. Pascal rose to a new high of popularity during the press tour for The Last Of Us and subsequently the show’s debut. Everyone wanted to interview him but the problem with the state of journalism is that everyone also wants to get their viral moment. Interviewers started to ask him questions about being ‘Daddy’ or ‘Internet Daddy‘, and at first, it was fun. Who doesn’t love a good ‘internet’s boyfriend’ moment?
But after months of interviews where all anyone wants to talk about is him being a daddy, it’s enough. Although he takes it in stride, it seems to finally be taking its toll.
Don’t Shoot Your Shot
It’s not a secret to anyone that Pedro Pascal is enjoying his surge of fame. However, that does not mean he’s free game to constantly sexualize him. Interviewers have the opportunity to ask him about his projects, but they choose to use the chance to treat him as an object. Interviewers on red carpets tend to only get a few moments with celebrities, but to use that to try to generate a soundbite rather than asking about the project they’re promoting feels cheap.
Arguably, one of the best interviews to come out of the press tour for the third season of The Mandalorian was his Hot Ones interview by Sean Evans. He uses his time to ask Pascal thought-provoking questions about his past, his motivations, and his career. It’s not difficult to do your research before speaking with someone!
What Pedro Pascal’s fans really want to hear about are his projects, his career, and his thoughts on literally anything other than being a sexual object. Enough is enough. If you want your viral moment, ask him something meaningful. It’ll last longer.
