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Spielberg Settles Decades-Old ET Skin Debate
18 Jun
Summary
- Steven Spielberg clarified ET's skin texture is moist, not slimy.
- The question about ET's skin arose during a New York Times interview.
- The interviewer suggested the question was a long-standing public mystery.

Steven Spielberg recently addressed a long-standing question regarding the texture of E.T.'s skin, definitively stating the alien was "moist but never slimy." This clarification occurred during a New York Times interview, where the interviewer presented the query as a significant point of public curiosity that had vexed many.
Spielberg elaborated that E.T. was only dry when ill and contrasted the alien's appearance with that of slimy creatures like Xenomorphs, noting E.T. lacked excessive drool. The interviewer's motive for asking a question about a visually apparent characteristic remains a topic of discussion, with interpretations ranging from a genuine attempt to extract new information from a seasoned interviewee to a click-seeking tactic.
Regardless of the question's origin, the definitive answer about E.T.'s moist, non-slimy skin has added a curious footnote to the film's enduring cultural impact. The media landscape's affinity for novel formats suggests such uniquely framed questions might become more prevalent.