The importance of “look-alike contests” for celebrities

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about a look-alike contest for Timothée Chalamet. Photos and videos from the contest – held in Washington Square Park, a public park in Manhattan – went viral on social media and were picked up by many outlets because, at one point, Chalamet himself showed up. As Variety reports, the American actor – accompanied by his bodyguards – initially blended into the crowd, wearing a mask to avoid being recognized; he later revealed himself unexpectedly between two wannabe-Chalamets taking a photo together. The contest – attended by about a hundred people – was organized by Anthony Po, a well-known YouTuber specializing in entertainment with over a million subscribers on his channel. The contest, which, though symbolic, offered a $50 prize, was heavily promoted on social media, and flyers were distributed in central Manhattan. The winner was a 21-year-old from New York dressed as Willy Wonka, a nod to the character Chalamet plays in one of his latest films. Recently, after the Chalamet contest went viral, other similar contests have taken place, including one in Dublin for Paul Mescal look-alikes and one in London for Harry Styles. In these events, which are fairly common in Anglo-Saxon countries, the interpretation of “look-alike” is very flexible: some participants genuinely resemble the celebrity, while others look quite different but wear clothing or accessories that evoke the contest’s subject. These events, called “look-alike contests”, have become a popular trend on social media in recent years, especially on TikTok. The main aim is more about having fun and bringing fans together, who, if you think about it, are increasingly influential and important to celebrities.

We shouldn't underestimate fandoms

In recent years, fan communities – or rather, the so-called fandoms – have become quite authoritative and capable of moving large sums of money, influencing the economy of the cultural products they revolve around. Examples include the fandoms of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Marvel films, or K-pop groups like BTS. Because of this, fan communities are taken seriously by the entertainment industry – Netflix, for example, has heavily invested in the phenomenon. Nowadays, it’s increasingly common to monitor the activity of fans celebrating a particular cultural product or character, even though a lax attitude prevailed in the industry for many years. Efforts by interested parties to charge fans for activities they previously engaged in for free are now becoming more common. For instance, the legal representatives managing J.R.R. Tolkien’s intellectual property previously halted an event dedicated to The Lord of the Rings, DC Comics warned a car manufacturer to stop selling replicas of the Batmobile, and Disney sued a game maker for creating a game inspired by the Star Wars universe. Similarly, Cartoon Network shut down a Rick and Morty themed bar in Washington, and Warner Bros. closed a venue recreating the Great Hall of Hogwarts. However, the influence and importance of fandoms have been recognized for a long time. A case in point is the sci-fi series Star Trek, which was saved from cancellation in the 1970s due to fans’ massive letter-writing campaign to the producing network. More recently, BTS fans mobilized on TikTok to disrupt Donald Trump’s first rally after the pandemic: although this wasn’t the sole reason the event failed, the fanbase of the world’s most famous K-pop band certainly contributed.

Those belonging to a fandom often participate actively, and one of the many ways to do so is through cosplay, where fans dress up (often creating their costumes themselves) as their favorite characters and showcase them at public events – like look-alike contests. Most fandom activities, however, take place online. YouTube and Reddit are widely used for sharing in-depth analysis and theories, while platforms like X are more for opinions, news, and memes. TikTok works well for curiosities, but the social network where fan communities find the most space is Tumblr: to this day, much of the platform’s content is nearly incomprehensible to those without at least a basic understanding of fandom terminology. The belief that fan communities are crucial for the cultural industry has led to some distortions in recent years. A few months ago, for example, news of Karina, a singer from the well-known K-pop group Aespa, dating actor Lee Jae-wook sparked a strong reaction from her fans, particularly in South Korea: Karina even apologized for her relationship, promising to work to regain her fanbase's trust.