On November 17th, a remarkable sight unfolded beneath Washington Square Park's arch. A line of fair-haired, large-nosed individuals, some bearing a passing resemblance to the actor Jeremy Allen White and others simply partaking in the fun, stood waiting to be judged. A small crowd gathered to watch as seven or so "Allen Whites" puffed away on prop cigarettes, marking the beginning of a new trend in Internet humor.

Internet Humor Offline: The Birth of Celebrity Lookalike Contests

Over the past month, these contests have become a sensation. It all started with a viral Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest held in Washington Square Park in late October. The real Chalamet even made an appearance, adding to the excitement. Since then, there have been Zayn Malik lookalike contests in Bushwick, Harry Styles ones in London, Paul Mescal events in Dublin, and Dev Patel in San Francisco. Prizes have varied from $50 to a pack of cigarettes. While Anthony Po created the Chalamet contest, the others were organized by different people and began as physical flyers that spread online.

Willy Wonka's Victory: The Timothée Chalamet Lookalike Contest

Dressed as Willy Wonka, Miles Mitchell, a 21-year-old from Staten Island, emerged as the winner of the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest. This victory added to the allure of these events. It showed that anyone could potentially be crowned the lookalike of a famous star.

Another notable event was the Harry Styles lookalike contest in London. Oscar Journeaux, a 22-year-old musician, won without the real Styles making an appearance. This demonstrated the independent nature of these contests and the passion they generated among participants.

Finding Love or Just Having Fun: The Contest Experience

Juliette Millet, a 24-year-old elated contestant, detailed her Saturday at the Allen White contest. She had to rush off to the Jack Schlossberg lookalike event in Central Park. Many women use these contests as a way to find a boyfriend who resembles their favorite heartthrob. Sommer Mae Campbell arrived at the Chalamet contest with business cards to give to the handsome lookalikes.

At the Allen White contest, the organizer seemed to be absent or hard to find. However, a bystander named @huge_deal rallied the crowd to vote. This showed the organic nature of these events and how they brought people together.

Contest Winners and Their Prizes

In Chicago on November 16th, about 60 Jeremy Allen White lookalikes gathered. Ben Shabad emerged as the winner, receiving two packs of cigarettes and a seven-day Metrocard. In Dublin, Jack Wall O'Reilly recited Paul Mescal's lines from Normal People before winning the contest.

Gaby Gerarro, a 23-year-old female contender, shared her thoughts on the popularity of these contests. She mentioned the Chalamet cameo and how it added to the allure. She believed that these contests were a way to offer replicas in the hope that celebrities might show up.

The Fate of Lookalike Contests

At the Allen White contest, a winner was crowned, but it seemed that the excitement had waned. A different Allen White lookalike contest in Chicago the day before had a much larger turnout. In the next few weeks, there are already contests planned for Zendaya lookalikes, Josh O'Connor lookalikes, and even John F. Kennedy lookalikes. However, there is a concern that these lookalike contests may follow the same fate as the flash mob, emerging quickly and burning out just as fast.

How many celebrities can we imitate before we get bored of this trend? At a certain point, all these lookalike contests start to look the same. But for now, they continue to capture the attention of people around the world.