'We stan TikTok Daddy': Netizens thirst for Singaporean tech star Chew Shou Zi, call him the new 'zaddy'

Move aside, Pedro Pascal. The Internet has a new "zaddy": TikTok chief executive Chew Shou Zi.

The 40-year-old Singaporean may have come under intense scrutiny by lawmakers during the US Congress on Thursday (March 23), as he sought to assuage US worries over TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, but Mr Chew has captured the hearts of many netizens with his good looks.

"Zaddy", which originated from a 2016 song by the same name from rap star Ty Dolla $ign, is an Internet slang for an attractive man who is charming, self-confident and stylish.

Across various social media platforms including TikTok, Twitter and Chinese Twitter-like platform Weibo, users have expressed their adoration for Mr Chew.

On TikTok, users have created video compilations of Mr Chew's photos and videos, expressing their affection for him.

"We stan Tiktok Daddy," said a user, using the Internet slang for being excessively enthusiastic and devoted to someone.

Another user said: "Pedro Pascal getting a break for now."

Mr Pascal is a 47-year-old Chilean-born American actor in recent hit shows like the HBO series, The Last of Us and The Mandalorian. He was named recently by netizens all over the world as the "Internet daddy" or "zaddy", thanks to his good looks.

Another TikTok video featured a slideshow of Mr Chew's photos with the phrase "Zaddy TikTok" overlaid on it.

On Friday, Twitter user @puriahcarey chose to pun on his name, saying "Shou Yi Chew didn't just chew, he ate."

[embed]https://twitter.com/pauriahcarey/status/1638970848530022400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E163897084853002[/embed]

On Weibo, a few users commented on Mr Chew's looks.

One user compared Mr Chew's looks with South Korean celebrity actor Jung Sung-il, who stars in the hit Netflix series The Glory.

The user said that Mr Chew is slim and manages his figure well.

"One look and (you can tell that) he has low body fat," said the user in Mandarin.

Another user said that Mr Chew is "so handsome" and is a "successful man".

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@straitstimes/video/7213998377745337607?referer_url=www.straitstimes.com%2Fworld%2Funited-states%2Fnetize[/embed]

Mr Chew was fiercely questioned by lawmakers on Thursday during a US Congress hearing, as he sought to protect his company from a forced sale or potential ban in the country.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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