The Nickelodeon heartthrobs who had us staring at the TV a little longer than necessary.
Before Grindr. Before Instagram thirst traps. Before we knew what a thirst trap even was. There was Nickelodeon.
For many LGBTQ+ millennials and older Gen Z viewers, Nickelodeon was quietly serving crushes while we sat on the living room floor pretending we were only there for the plot. Sure, Mom. We were definitely watching for the plot.
Years later, it’s time to ask the question that has divided friend groups, traumatized group chats, and inspired countless nostalgic TikToks:
Who was your Nickelodeon gay awakening?
6. Sean Flynn
As Chase Matthews on Zoey 101, Sean Flynn had an entire generation thinking, “Why is the sweet guy suddenly so attractive?”
While everyone else was focused on whether Chase would finally end up with Zoey, some of us were busy noticing his floppy hair, puppy dog eyes, and painfully adorable personality. That softness wasn’t very common back in the day, it was cute, but the stereotypical athlete-slash-musical theatre nerd always got everything in the end.
Honestly, Chase walked so modern soft boys could run.
5. Cooper Barnes
Then came Cooper Barnes on Henry Danger. Listen, some awakenings arrive fashionably late.
As Captain Man, Barnes somehow managed to be funny, charming, handsome, and ridiculously confident all at once. He was the kind of guy who could walk into a room, crack a joke, and have everyone’s attention immediately.
A surprising number of viewers suddenly realized they were paying very close attention whenever Captain Man appeared on screen.
4. Josh Peck
While some viewers were busy crushing on Drake Bell, others knew the truth. Josh Peck was hilarious.
There’s something dangerously attractive about a guy who can make you laugh, and Josh had that gift in abundance. Then came the glow-up and suddenly everyone was acting like they’d always been Team Josh. Sure, Dave.
3. Prince Zuko
If Prince Zuko wasn’t part of your childhood crush journey, were you even watching Avatar: The Last Airbender? The scar. The attitude. The emotional baggage. Especially the emotional baggage.
For LGBTQ+ viewers, Zuko’s redemption arc hit differently. Watching an angry, misunderstood outsider slowly figure himself out was compelling enough. The fact that he also looked fantastic while doing it certainly didn’t hurt.
2. Danny Phantom
Danny Phantom was a superhero.
Danny Phantom was cute.
Danny Phantom had great hair.
Need we continue?
Nickelodeon really gave us a ghost-fighting teenager who could turn invisible and expected us not to develop a crush. That’s on them.
1. Avan Jogia
Avan Jogia’s Beck Oliver was almost unfair.
The hair belonged in a museum.
The mysterious vibe was off the charts.
The guy spent half the show casually leaning against things and somehow became one of the biggest crushes in Nickelodeon history.
An entire generation learned that skinny jeans on a beautiful man could be life-changing.
Let’s Be Honest
One of the funniest parts about growing up LGBTQ+ is looking back and realizing how obvious some things were.
You thought you wanted Danny Phantom’s powers.
You thought you wanted to be Prince Zuko.
You thought you just really appreciated Beck’s acting skills.
Sure.
And we’re all very convinced.
Now the real question remains: Who was your Nickelodeon gay awakening?