Salma Valadez
Staff Writer
Perhaps one of the most successful Disney Channel Movie series is the High School Musical franchise. The franchise’s main character, Troy Bolton, is one of the most iconic teenage heartthrobs to emerge from the Disney Channel. But what if the charming, athletic and popular boy-next-door played by Zac Efron uses his good looks and charisma to mask a much darker side? What if the Troy Bolton we all know and love isn’t even Troy Bolton? What if the pop culture icon Troy Bolton is actually infamous serial killer Ted Bundy? At first mention, the statement seems preposterous, but when evaluated more carefully the two have more in common than one might think.
The first and most obvious piece of evidence that supports the theory that Troy Bolton is in fact Ted Bundy is the similarities in their names. When looked at unassumingly, the name appears completely unrelated. However, when looked at more closely the two share one major detail in common – both Troy Bolton and Ted Bundy have the same initials, TB. Although one could argue that this fact is pure coincidence, it has been claimed that when people change their names they tend to keep the first letter of their first and last name the same to maintain a part of their old identity. Therefore, Troy Bolton is Ted Bundy.
When delved into deeper, both Bolton and Bundy share a lot more in common than just their initials. Bolton’s girlfriend in the High School Musical Franchise, Gabriella Montez, is sweet, intelligent, and is known for her dark brown hair and eyes. Bundy targeted his victims based on their appearances being similar to the appearances of his past girlfriends. It was never confirmed in the last installment of the High School Musical trilogy whether or not Bolton stayed together with his girlfriend after graduation. What if they hadn’t? What if Bolton’s girlfriend dumped him and left him heartbroken? Along with the similarities in appearance to Bolton’s high school sweetheart, Bundy’s victims were also in college just like Gabriella was when she left Bolton in the third movie and the age they were when the franchise ended. What if Bundy’s targeting of college-aged girls stemmed from the resentment Bolton built up towards Gabriella after all of the times she left him? Therefore, Troy Bolton is Ted Bundy.
Evidence that further confirms Bolton is Bundy are the years in which Bundy was born and caught and when the first and final movie in the High School Musical trilogy was released. High School Musical first aired on Disney Channel in 2006. Bundy was born in 1946. The beginning of the most popular franchise produced by Disney Channel and the birth of one of the most notorious serial killers were 60 years apart. Similarly, Bundy’s serial killing came to end in 1978; High School Musical 3: Senior Year, which was the movie ended the trilogy, came out in 2008. Both extremely well-known events were concluded 30 years apart. Another date-related piece of evidence that confirms Bolton and Bundy are the same person is the dates in which the third High School Musical was released and the date that Bundy was executed – both occurred on the 24th day of the months of October and January. The major events in Bolton and Bundy’s life occurred in years ending in the same number and on the same day in a month. Therefore, Troy Bolton is Ted Bundy.
Anyone who’s watched the High School Musical trilogy knows the name of the high school in which the movie is set in – East High School. Bundy eventually moved to Florida which is located on the East Coast. Both have a connection to the direction East. Therefore, Troy Bolton is Ted Bundy.
Bolton and Bundy also share similarities in appearances. Both have brown hair, a light skin complexion and blue eyes and both were portrayed by Zac Efron. Therefore, Troy Bolton is Ted Bundy.
The lyrics of Bolton’s solos in both the second and third High School Musical movies also point to Bolton and Bundy being the same person. In his solos “Bet On It” and “Scream” the lines “Everybody’s always talkin’ at me / Everybody’s tryin’ to get in my head” and “Voices in my head / Tell me they know best / Got me on the edge / They’re pushin’, pushin’, they’re pushin’” have the common denominator of voices being inside of Bolton’s head. What if the voices in his head introduced Bolton to a darker side of himself? What if the voices in Bolton’s head told him to start murdering? Therefore, Troy Bolton is Ted Bundy.
At first mention, the idea of Troy Bolton and Ted Bundy being the same person is absurd. The two seemingly have no surface-level connection. However, when delved into deeper both Bolton and Bundy appear to have significantly for more relation than originally meets the eye. As ludicrous as it sounds, the evidence that Bolton and Bundy are in fact the same person is too accurate to be false. Therefore, Troy Bolton is Ted Bundy.
THIS STORY IS A PART OF OUR APRIL FOOLS ISSUE