Alright, normally I don’t really buy into the whole generational-divide thing — you know, the “us vs. them” mentality of categorizing baby boomers, millennials, and Gen Z’s into their own little groups and then judging that group for everything they do and say.
But I just learned something about those Gen Z people that makes me seriously question the things they’re into nowadays.
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Or, should I say, the people they’re into.
Perhaps you haven’t heard yet, but there’s a guy on TikTok who dresses up as Willy Wonka, and people are pretty obsessed with him.
No no no, not the Gene Wilder version. While my personal favorite Wonka, this is not the one that’s getting the spotlight online.
Think a bit more recently… and a bit more Tim Burton-y.
Yes, that’s right; this guy prefers the 2005 Johnny Depp version of Willy Wonka, goggles and all.
Again, I don’t really want to judge anyone, but personally this Wonka always sort of rubbed me the wrong way.
Maybe it’s the chin-length “Lord Farquad” hair, the translucent skin, or his uncomfortably juvenile way of speaking, but there’s just something about Depp’s take on the character that makes me feel really, really creeped out.
But apparently I’m alone on that opinion, because TikTok’s “Sexy Willy Wonka” has Gen Z users positively *frothing*.
As you can see, the man behind the bizarre character has opted to keep Depp’s signature goggles, haircut, and crushed-velvet overcoat, but has ditched the clothes underneath in order to show off Wonka’s surprisingly toned figure.
Who knew a lifetime of enjoying sweets could give you abs?
The first “Sexy Wonka” video that really caught TikTok’s attention saw the man behind the goggles seductively move his way through “I Wanna Love You” by Akon ft. Snoop Dogg.
Since it was posted on July 26, that 18-second clip of Wonka winding and grinding for his fans has nearly 80 million views and over 7.8 million likes.
And despite the bizarre subject matter, people online absolutely love it .
Seriously, it’s like there’s an entire generation out there that has been secretly lusting after Willy Wonka and waiting for this kind of content their entire lives.
“He smooth like his chocolate,” one user wrote, while another added, “This the show I’ll be getting if I get the golden ticket?”
“Yesterday I saw the [2005] movie again,” someone admitted. “It’s not the same anymore.”
Since that first TikTok video went viral, Wonka has continued to release more and more hits for his positively *thirsty* followers.
Although the Akon clip was the one that rocketed him to TikTok stardom, his most popular video is actually one that was posted just one week ago in which he performed just part of the WAP dance, as made famous by Cardi B.
That clip has been viewed over 93 million times (!!) and has 12.3 million likes as of writing.
Although he doesn’t publicly identify himself on his TikTok page, the man behind the Wonka hip thrusts has been identified as 19-year-old Duke Depp.
If his last name is actually Depp, I guess I now understand why he picked the 2005 Wonka version, but I can’t actually confirm it’s his legal surname.
The teen revealed his true identity in a YouTube video back in June after weeks of teasing his followers with an eventual face reveal.
In that video , Duke explained that he’s from Utah, and admitted that his favorite movie of all time is (shocker), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . How did he end up shirtless on TikTok with a wig and goggles, you ask?
Well, one day he found out he could do a pretty good impression of Depp’s character. He started on the app by posting videos of him simply speaking like Wonka, but soon discovered people were much more apt to watch if he… ahem … danced around, too.
So there you have it, the story of how pre-teens and teens fell positively head-over-heels for a shirtless man on TikTok pretending to be Willy Wonka.
Judging from Duke’s TikTok account, which currently has 10.2 million followers, and his videos, which all respectively amass millions of views and likes, I think it’s safe to say he’s going to be sticking around for awhile.
So if you’ve secretly been harboring some NSFW feelings towards Willy Wonka, I guess I’ve found the perfect TikTok account for you.
And I only feel slightly dirty after watching all those videos.
