Why Are People So Mad At Celebrity Lookalike Contests?

A celebrity lookalike epidemic certainly wasn’t on our bingo card for 2024, but the best things never are. Not that our fascination with doppelgangers is anything new. Think back to last year’s viral ‘Kate Moss’ McDonalds moment: fans were left disappointed, though ultimately not surprised, to learn that it was not Moss tucking into a Big Mac, but her lookalike Denise Ohnona. The stunt itself eclipsed earlier this year when, in somewhat of an upgrade from the Golden Arches, Ohnona walked the Marine Serre show at Paris Fashion Week. A true dupe success story.

It seemed the supermodel lookalike legacy was to end there. There was no Naomi clone popping up at the Spring/Summer Milan catwalks, nor a Cindy spin-off in London. But the true celebrity simulacrum movement was to emerge this October with a revolution-sparking lookalike event. I’m talking, of course, about the Timothée Chalamet contest in New York, attended not only by thousands of people, but by Timmy himself. It was quite literally a riotous success – the cops shut it down just as Chalamet joined the party.

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Since then, we’ve seen amateur contests popping up around the world, all hunting in varying degrees of seriousness for the best fake Harry Styles, Jeremy Allen White, Paul Mescal and more. From Chicago to Dublin, fans have been descending upon city parks to catch a glimpse of their favourite celebrity lookalike, totally undeterred by the fact that most entrants could only just resemble said celeb’s third cousin, twice removed.

But I’m not here with some quip about why people don’t look exactly like other people (duh?), or how these contests will surely run out of steam within the next few weeks. There’s plenty of that on X already. Like one user @Duhnasiaaa, who wrote: ‘I went to the Zayn Malik competition today and no one will ever compare to that man’s face card im sorry.’ Or @CQdB_, who said: ‘Winner of the Dev Patel lookalike contest ain’t even look like him smh’. This is quite the opposite. This is an ode to the celebrity double. A love song to the lookalike.

Let’s scale things back a bit. When your friend says the girl behind looks exactly like you, what do you do? Shrug it off? Of course not. You whip around and scan the street for your supposed lookalike, praying it’s the straight-from-the-salon blonde with beautiful posture. There’s something deeply curious about the different ways we perceive each other and ourselves. ‘So, this is really how I look in my friend’s eyes?’, we ask, wondering whether to be flattered or offended.

I can only assume it was this curiosity that compelled Chalamet to attend his own lookalike competition. Though as a celebrity with significantly more at stake than your average normie, would that curiosity be tainted with the fear that there might be a more wacky Wonka out there? Maybe a more charming Laurie, or the potential of a greater Elio heartbreaker. Well, as it turned out, no. There is, and will only ever be, one Timothée Chalamet. But that didn’t stop the crowd from having a hell of a good time anyway.

You see, it’s not really about the competition. The top prize has only ever been $50. This is about fandoms finding a space to come together, connect with like-minded people, and share stories about the first time they saw the real Harry Styles in concert. Or the actual Jeremy Allen White walking into some farm or firehouse. It’s about celebrating the celebrity, yes, but it’s about celebrating each other, too. Saskia Kemsley, journalist and judge of the Styles lookalike contest, tells ELLE UK: ‘it was simply a fun group of people looking to experience something comedic and joyful, and to be a part of this strange, silly and good-time cultural phenomenon’.

The lack of likeness between celebrity and contestant isn’t a bad thing. To challenge the angry people of X – that’s the beauty of this strange, fascinating trend. There’s something quite magical about people coming together, in person no less, and indulging in a bit of delusion and silliness. A baby dressed up as Jeremy Allen White: wholesome! The guy at the Harry Styles contest who entered solely on the strength of this prop game (a kilo of sugar and a watermelon): inspired! Some genuine hotties thrown in too: bonus!

Sure, some fans are only turning up in the hope that another celebrity pulls a Chalamet and crashes their own lookalike party. But deep down we all know that was a one off. In reality, people are seeking fun, eccentricity, and connection, and these contests have all of that in spades. As Kemsley points out, they ‘celebrate what Harry is all about – treating each other with kindness!’

As far as I can see, the only downside is the distinct lack of female representation. Last week marked one of the first times that fans gathered for such an occasion, namely to find the best Zendaya doppelganger in Oakland. To quote Styles again, is this just a sign of the times? There’s certainly some truth in X user @DixPeyton’s fears that lookalike contests for women are ‘going to end badly simply because people hate women… women hate women… let’s just make fun of the men!!!!’ Yes, we can make fun of men, but we’re ultimately doing ourselves, and our fave celebrity ladies, a disservice. It’s time we assumed that inherent male confidence that allows us to look in the mirror and feel unashamed to say – yes, I do look somewhat like Florence Pugh. So yes, I will go down to Victoria Park and see who else thinks so! If nothing else, it’ll be a great day out. Who knows, she might even turn up.

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