It all started with a flyer on the streets of New York City.
One man’s ideato hold a lookalike contest for Gen-Z crush, Timothée Chalamet, turned into a global phenomenon.
Twenty-something men gathering in public squares, vying for the prize of being deemed a male heartthrob’s doppelgänger
Combining the power of social media and in-person organisations, these competitions significantly impacted meme and popular culture at the end of 2024. Different perspectives have been offered regarding the causes of this trend, but the wholesome nature of celebrity lookalike contests have been largely agreed on.
But what do they say about wider society? And is there a deeper meaning?
Since the first chaotic competition where one contestant was arrested, the organiser of the event fined and Chalamet himself made a brief cameo, a range of other contests have been held. From Harry Styles replicas in London, to Paul Mescal in Dublin, the trend made its way across the pond, whilst fans of actors Dev Patel, Jeremy Allen White and Glenn Powell gathered in corners of the USA to stake their claim as the next best thing to their celebrity idol.
Birmingham even hosted its own event at the Bullring to crown the best impersonator of Cillian Murphy’s Peaky Blinders character, Tommy Shelby. Donning a waistcoat and flat cap in front of 100 spectators, 66-year-old Derek Brennan won a 500-pound shopping spree thanks to the decision-making method of audience applause, showing that the contests aren’t only limited to Gen-Z men. Usually, the prizes for having a vague resemblance to some of the most attractive male celebrities is limited to 50 pounds (and in Chicago, a packet of cigarettes), with the incentives for entering the events often involving an influx of social media followers, and potentially even a new love interest.
The consensus view is that these contests are positive because they allow people to be entertained, have fun and build community. The events are low stakes, held in public and free of charge, encouraging people to live less online and meet like-minded people. Silliness ensues when most entrants look very little like the celebrity in question, with vibes and skills also being considered when judging, meaning participants of different genders and races can be included, centring positivity and celebration.
Such feel-good stories are needed during the dark times we are living in, with their rise coinciding with climate change, economic inflation and AI, which has caused anxiety for much of Gen-Z.
Are lookalike contests distractions from uncertainty or a form of resistance?
Author Matthew Algeo notes a historic pattern of wholesome events and new forms of entertainment during periods of social and technological change, with community being sought amid public anxiety. Whilst social media commentators have joked that the popularity of lookalike contests suggests a yearning for community, crowds of spectators dedicated to a silly event is promising. The organic organisation of these competitions, has enabled enduring success in an individualistic world where communal events are hard to come by.
There is certainly a para-social element to these meetings, with attendees either hoping for a glimpse of the celebrity who may attend, or to find a more attainable romantic partner who resembles their celebrity crush. Whilst the stars at the centre of these contests reflect how ideas of attractiveness have shifted from Hollywood hunks to ‘hot rodents’, the influence that the entertainment industry continues to have over aesthetics and beauty standards risks limiting uniqueness by praising familiar bodies and looks.
According to Horkheimer and Adorno’s still-relevant Culture Industry Theory, stereotypes are created of celebrities which consumers then emulate, stifling critical or original expression and producing uniformity with little room for diversity. Celebrities become commodified, evident in the similar costumes and trademark symbols adopted by participants in lookalike contests, such as Mescal’s shorts or Allen White’s apron.
Most, if not all of the viral competitions have focused on male celebrities.
Would a female competition face more negative social media scrutiny, or sustain patriarchal patterns of holding women to unrealistic beauty standards?
Is objectifying men problematic or a form of resistance by switching power dynamics? The gender element of lookalike contests is complex, yet the positive masculinity is certainly cause for optimism, potentially providing validation, security and community rather than falling into the trap of ‘inceldom’.
At the risk of reading too much into these fun and silly lookalike contests, the in-person community differentiates this trend from a lot of other online phenomena. By locating the competitions in their sociopolitical contexts, such unity is a good starting point to tackle the problems of the world we are trying so hard to escape through popular culture.
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