Another weekend, another celebrity lookalike contest. We’ve been tracking the delightful frivolity in a world gone mad of the recent trend, wherein hordes of people descend on a designated park dressed as a predetermined celeb. YouTuber Anthony Po thought up the premise when he organized (minus obtaining an actual permit) the Timothee Chalamet contest in late October, an event that was seemingly anointed when the real Timmy stopped by. The contests that have followed have similarly been for actors and have featured a mix of people showing up as the actors themselves or as one of their famous characters. All this preamble to say, the latest contest that went down in LA last Sunday really took things in a new direction. This time, instead of seeking the double of a heartthrob-du-jour, the quest was for the doppelganger of an animated character with a few decades of fame under his belt: Shrek! And in another twist, the winner got $500 (way more than previous contests have shelled out) and… a bag of onions. It’s stinking perfect, no notes.
$500 and a bag of onions. That was the prize for the latest look-alike contest held over the weekend.
Men hoping they have the right jawlines, hair swoops or muscular builds have flocked major cities over the past few weeks, hoping they look the most like Timothee Chalamet, Paul Mescal or Jeremy Allen White. But a smaller look-alike contest, held in Los Angeles’ Echo Park on Sunday, drew a different crowd — one full of green face paint, tunics and ogre ears, with participants hoping they looked the most like Shrek.
The Shrek look-alike contest was held by content creator Ka5sh, known for establishing Shrek Rave, a traveling rave inspired by the DreamWorks’ franchise.
Instagram user topherzen357 took home first place and media consultant Carina “CJ” Jamees placed third. Dressed as Shrek, Jamees was joined by friends dressed as Donkey, Puss in Boots and Fairy Godmother.
“Major shout out to my friends who got a random text from me that said, ‘I’m dressing up as Shrek on Sunday. I need you to dress as (insert character) and meet me at the park,’” Jamees wrote in an Instagram post on Monday. “Lastly, (Ka5sh), thank you for creating spaces that are just pure joy and fun with zero judgement. We all need more of that in our lives.”
I’d thank to thank the organizer, Mr. Ka5sh, for choosing a winner who was not simply wearing a Shrek mask! I didn’t see it specified in the notice, but once we’re crossing into animated territory I think it’s an important stipulation that a mask doesn’t cut the mustard for a lookalike contest. And I think Shrek himself would back me up on this point! So what was the criteria? Going off of the video Ka5sh posted on Instagram, some combination of shouting like the ogre, freestyle dance moves, and cheers from the crowd. Sounds pretty fair to me for $500 and a bag of onions — a real jump up in funds for one of these contests. Plus all the other contestants got $100! So far the prizes have been modest cash amounts (typically ranging from $5 to $50) combined with a more gimmicky element relevant to the particular star. The Jeremy Allen White contest added a pack of cigarettes as a nod to his character on The Bear (not the best choice of a prize, imo, but I understand the thinking behind it), while Glen Powell upped the ante by offering the winner a cameo in one of his movies (the winner also took home a cowboy hat). However, I don’t think any bonus prize thus far has been more fitting than that bag of onions. That’ll do, Donkey. That’ll do.
the scene at the shrek lookalike contest today pic.twitter.com/Fgj6TWptOp
— Spencer Rothbell is Looking For Work (@srothbell) November 25, 2024
A Shrek look-alike contest crowned the best-looking ogre in a land far far away also known as Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/PaaFtISAYQ
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) November 26, 2024