Getting famous in 2015 can be as easy as taking off your shirt.
If you look like Ethan Renoe, that is.
The Littleton resident has suddenly become Internet famous thanks to an interview with WGN in Chicago during which he appeared sans top. The clip has been viewed more than 3.5 million times since it was first broadcast on Sunday, December 13 — and its popularity has been fueled by confirmation that Renoe is single.
"Am I viral?" Renoe asked in a Facebook post from the 13th that featured the video. And he is — the good kind of viral, that is.
Renoe isn't a shirt-hater, as can be seen in his Facebook profile pic:
However, he stripped down for a run along Lake Michigan during a warm, rainy Sunday evening.
His fashion choice caught the eye of WGN reporter Tahman Bradley, who quizzed him for a bit about the unusual weather.
The sight of Renoe definitely heated up the segment, especially after the station shared it on Facebook.
Here's the original video:
So this just happened. Enjoying the weather, are you, "Ethan"?
Posted by WGN TV on Sunday, December 13, 2015
Among the memorable comments posted on the clip: "Attention everyone, an earthquake has just struck North America from the rapid panty dropping from females."
The reaction to the video was so strong that WGN promptly tracked down Renoe for a followup interview published under a memorable headline:
"Ethan the Shirtless Wonder Is Looking for Love."
During the chat, Renoe broke hearts all over Chicagoland by revealing that he's from Colorado and was just about to head home.
Check out that video here:
Since then, the interest in Renoe has only grown.
Last night, Fox31 quizzed him about his newfound celebrity.
Among the revelations: He can often be found hanging out at the Starbucks near the intersection of Wadsworth and Bowles.
In addition, what appears to be a spoof Facebook page has been created using the name "Ethan Renoe Jr." and featuring this pic:
Junior's page only has twelve friends at this writing.
It'll surprise no one to learn that all of them are women.
The friend count on Renoe's actual page is currently over 2,300 — and we suspect that a lot more requests are rolling in.
Here's the Fox31 piece.
