Have you ever been told that you look like a celebrity?
You may not be able to participate in lookalike contests.
In recent weeks, pop culture doppelgangers have descended on parks and public squares across the US and UK, vying for the title of best lookalike, cash prizes and bragging rights.
The cast includes all the internet’s favorite “It” boys, including Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles, and Paul Mescal.
Even Australia’s Dom Dollar is represented by hundreds of men with mustaches.
Early last week, Triple J Drive decided to hold a contest.
Drive presenters Tyrone and Abby said they were “absolutely” influenced by the competitions they have watched in the UK and US.
Pizza Dom, aka Aidan from Wollongong, has won Triple J’s Dom Dora lookalike contest. (Instagram: @triple_j)
“With celebrity lookalikes on the rise around the world, we thought it would be fun to try our own on a national (and some international) scale via radio and social,” they said.
“We received over 250 Dom Dollar look-alike applications from every state and territory, and a significant number overseas.
“All we needed was a guy with a stash and a mullet. There’s no shortage in this country.”
Many fans called for “justice for Beanie Dom” after he placed second in the competition. (Instagram: @triple_j)
Look-alike contests, drag performances, and impersonations of icons have been going on for decades, from Elvis Presley to Marilyn Monroe.
However, this is the reason why this boom is so widespread.
Where did the celebrity lookalike boom begin?
It all started when a New York City-based contest was launched to find a Timothée Chalamet lookalike.
Posters promoting the contest were posted in Manhattan and across social media in the weeks leading up to the event.
On that fateful Sunday, thousands of Chalamet wannabes, journalists and spectators gathered.
Actor Timothée Chalamet (wearing a black hat) poses with the lookalike contest contestants. (Reuters: @ITWEETABTTV)
The winner, 21-year-old Myles Mitchell, received the loudest applause for wearing a gifted Willy Wonka costume.
Chalamet himself made a surprise appearance, urging others to create their own contests in hopes of featuring their favorite celebrities.
The event took social media by storm, with one person commenting on X as a “historic pop culture moment”.
Why do they take off?
Lauren Rosewarne, an associate professor and pop culture expert at the University of Melbourne, has an idea as to why these contests are so popular.
“Celebrity lookalike contests are another way to participate in celebrity culture,” Rosewarne said.
“They can also be a bit of fun and silly social occasion, and an opportunity for participants and bystanders to engage in media events.”
A Heath Ledger lookalike contest is to be held in Newtown, New South Wales. (ABC News: Lee Tonkin)
Flinders University associate lecturer Catherine Perrotta said their popularity was indicative of broader trends in youth culture.
“Given the overwhelming political crises, there is a certain appeal to completely unserious activities,” Perrotta said.
“I also think these contests provide options for how to engage with public desire without threatening it.
“These contests provide an opportunity for people to participate in objectification in ways that are perceived as less predatory or ‘problematic’ because of their status as ‘vintage objects’.”
And what that means for the contest winners, Rosewarne imagines, “someone who is exceptionally entrepreneurial may be able to use that success for some kind of influence.” do.
Social media to promote the event
Caitlin Adams, a lecturer in the School of Media Studies at the University of Adelaide, says social media has made it easier to spread discussion about these events.
Caitlin Adams says look-alike contests are having their moment in the sun after Chalamet’s contest. (Included)
“This ability for users and news outlets to post and respond to updates in real time is a big reason why these events go viral,” Adams said.
“Also, the idea that a celebrity might be involved feeds into the whole fantasy.
“This possibility is now made even worse not only by Chalamet’s attendance, but also by folklore that other celebrities have entered and lost their own contests.”
Dolly Parton and Charlie Chaplin are some names that come up for this.
All subjects were male.
Our fascination with celebrity lookalikes is nothing new.
The TV game show Stars In Their Eyes allowed lookalike contestants to imitate their favorite singers.
But the latest contests have one thing in common. That is, all the celebrities are young and male.
Most of the Jeremy Allen White look-alikes were dressed as his character Carmen Verzat from The Bear series. (AP: Anthony Vasquez)
This is a complete shift in traditional power dynamics.
“Beauty pageants have a very long history that revolves around evaluating women’s appearance,” Rosewarne said.
“There are concerns that holding a look-alike contest for a famous woman would be a bit too ‘beauty pageant-like’ and a little too close to the already widely understood scrutiny of the female body. I imagine it’s prolific and often questioned.
“Contests centered around male celebrity lookalikes tend to focus less on beauty and more on capturing the ‘something’ that makes the celebrity unique in appearance.”
This may be related to the “hot rodent men” trend that was all the rage earlier this year.
These men tend to have lean physiques, unkempt hair, and beady eyes, giving them an inherently unconventional appeal.
Jeremy Allen White, Timothée Chalamet, Barry Coan, and Matty Healy all fall into this category, and two of them have even held lookalike contests in their honor.
Selected participants wait in line before a Harry Styles lookalike contest in Soho Square. (Getty: Leon Neal)
Ms. Perrotta says it is easier to have this kind of desire for men because it is not understood to be dangerous for men.
“For a youth culture that recognizes the dangerous effects of public objectification that leads to the dehumanization of women, it is politically too risky to tread into these areas,” she said.
“Publicly judging women by their appearance, no matter how innocent the motives, aligns too closely with misogyny.”
What would happen if there was a female celebrity lookalike contest?
According to a flyer posted on Reddit, a Zendaya look-alike contest (the first ever featuring a woman) will be held this week in Zendaya’s hometown of Oakland, California.
Users on Reddit have expressed concern over the incident.
The winner will reportedly receive a cash prize and hair products. (Instagram: @consequencedaily)
One user wrote: “I don’t think this is a very good idea. Some of the male celebrities were funny, but people could start to get really mean to the women who participate in Hollywood actress lookalike contests. I think it’s too sexual,” he said. I wrote.
“People are going to be really mean about this,” said another.
Perrotta says it’s difficult to gauge what kind of response an event aimed at women will get.
“There is always an opportunity for malicious parties to comment on events on social media or share them to broader and more dangerous online communities.
“Given that Zendaya, and presumably the people participating in this pageant, are black women, this opens up even more potential for harassment and misogyny.”
Will the boom go away?
Who knows how long these viral lookalike contests will continue to bless us.
But one thing we do know is that they are still happening right now.
This week, another pole mezcal contest will be held at an Irish pub in London, Miles Teller in Philadelphia, and even Zendaya.
Adams says the reason there are so many of these events happening now is partly because of the pop culture hype surrounding them.
“That said, given that similar contests have been held in the past, it’s likely to continue, albeit with less fanfare, even after the current hype has passed.”
Rosewarne, meanwhile, believes the hype will worsen because “audiences will quickly move on to something else.”
We would like to introduce some of the contests that have been held so far.
Timothée Chalamet in New York
Miles Mitchell won the award for Best Lookalike for Timothy Charme last month. (Instagram: @miles.mitchell27)
Paul Mescal in Dublin
harry styles in london
Journalist Katrina Mirpuri hosted the contest in Soho Square.
She told the BBC that she started the show because “after all the depressing news, people need to have some fun.”
22-year-old Oscar Journeau (in white T-shirt) has won the Harry Styles lookalike contest. (Getty: Leon Neal)
Dev Patel in San Francisco
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Zayn Malik in Brooklyn
Zayn Malik fans were quick to criticize the lookalike contest, saying it fell short of realistic expectations.
“Nobody looked like him,” one user wrote to X.
“Zayn I’m so sorry,” one person commented.
Jeremy Allen White of Chicago
More than 50 participants turned out to take home the crown for Jeremy Allen White. Ben Chabad won. (AP: Anthony Vasquez)
