Last month, thousands of people gathered in a park in New York City. Many of them had mops of loose, brown curls on their heads, aquiline noses and a certain hollowness to their faces. Some might say they looked a little bit like Hollywood superstar Timothée Chalamet. (One looked a lot like him… the actor went so far as to turn up to see what all the fuss was about.)

There was another mass gathering earlier this month in Dublin. This time, the crowd was filled with stocky young lads, many of them in tiny white running shorts and chain necklaces. Squint your eyes, and you might have thought you were gazing out at a sea of Paul Mescals.

This year’s biggest autumn trend was one that no one saw coming: the lookalike contest. All over the world, people have been holding contests to find doppelgangers of some of Hollywood’s hottest stars. These lookalike contests vary in size and legitimacy, but all have a homespun, hokey feel: prizes are usually no more than $50 (£40). Advertising is done primarily by flyers and posters on lampposts. The location is usually a public outdoor place.

In addition to Chalamet and Mescal, other subjects have included Dev Patel, Heath Ledger, Jacob Elordi, Jeremy Allen White, Harry Styles and ‘Art and Patrick from Challengers’. Almost all contests have centred men, though a few notable exceptions have been made for contests seeking Zendaya, Rachel Sennott and Clairo lookalikes.

Much has already been written about the rising trend of the lookalike contest: how it signals a growing desire for “in-person connection and fun”; how it shows a desire for unity in a time of political division; how it’s a reminder that we can all afford to be happily delusional about our looks; and how it offers fun and whimsy in an often depressing world.

But I think there’s another tidbit of meaning to be gleaned from the trend. If we look at the list of male subjects in these competitions, a certain pattern emerges. Almost all of these people are what we would probably consider unconventionally attractive. Yes, they are undeniably good-looking, but they are not the classic Hollywood hunk types. The lookalike contest trend, it strikes me, is just another sign that women are looking for something a little different from their fantasy men.

After all, many straight women flocked to these contests (or joked about attending) as if they were singles parties designed to introduce them to their dream guys. As one person wrote on X: “Do you think people are just putting on these lookalike contests to find boyfriends and girlfriends who look like their celebrity crushes?” Another wrote: “‘Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest’ sounds like an elaborate plot to find a boyfriend for someone who has a type.” The BBC even interviewed a number of attendees at a second Paul Mescal lookalike contest in Hoxton who claimed they were there to “find a boyfriend.” “I have been known to really dig a mullet. So… I’m looking,” one woman joked.

Well, if these people are onto something, then the list of celebs who have had contests held in their honour is very telling.

Evidently, the kind of men (and, indeed, women) people are into is changing.

Of course, we’ve known that a shift was in the air for a while. In fact, in many ways, the lookalike contest trend is a continuation of the ‘hot rodent’ trend earlier this year, that saw people idolising men who looked, well… a bit rat-like.

Think of it as “attractive men who don’t have the ‘conventional handsome’ look of many admired celebrities”, says Annabelle Knight, relationship expert at Lovehoney. “They are usually more svelte than muscular and typically come off as mysterious and elusive, with angular and pinched features, unkempt hair and a lankier frame.”

She cites Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles, Adam Driver and Jeremy Allen White as examples, almost all of whom have since been subjects of lookalike contests. Both Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor (yes, Art and Patrick from Challengers) also fit into this category. According to Knight, this ‘type’ is a firm departure from ‘Hollywood hunks’ like Chris Hemsworth or Chris Evans.

“What is traditionally deemed as ‘attractive’ by Hollywood has shifted dramatically over the years, and people are becoming more drawn to people who step away from the stereotypical boundaries of ‘hotness,’” Knight continues.

And the hot rodent trend wasn’t just about looks. “Similar to the ‘golden retriever boyfriend’ trend, having a ‘rodent boyfriend’ isn’t always about their physical appearance,” she says. “It’s also about their personality. They may come across as quiet, mysterious and elusive. A safe bet as a partner and less threatening than a muscular hunk. They may write you a poem or compose you a song.”

Dev Patel, Paul Mescal and Zayn Malik may not fall into the hot rodent category in terms of their looks, but they certainly fit into this artistic, soulful personality type that Knight describes. After all, Mescal rose to fame when (primarily) heterosexual women fell head over heels for his emotional, heartfelt portrayal of Connell in Normal People, while Patel frequently delivers soulful, mature performances ranging from Slumdog Millionaire to The Green Knight – especially since 2016’s Lion, as the actor himself acknowledged to the BBC. 

One thing all of the men (and the few women) who have so far been subjects for the lookalike contest trend have in common is that none of them fit into the classic Hollywood star blueprint. What does this say about all those people who are flocking to these contests to spy doppelgängers of their ideal men?

“Perhaps the men we find most compelling are those we connect with on an emotional and personal level, rather than just someone we find attractive watching from a distance,” says Eloise Skinner, author and psychotherapist, adding, “As to why women are finding this type of man attractive, it could be a push back against an age of aesthetic refinements, enhancements and digital perfection. When it comes to what we find attractive, we might be searching for something ‘real’, that expresses true personality and humanity, rather than just a perfect image.”

The lookalike contests suggest that many of us are no longer interested in the macho man that Hollywood forced upon us for so many years. Instead, many straight women are finding men with attributes that may be described by some as ‘effeminate’ – men who are artistic, sensitive, soulful and kind. Women want kind, interesting men! Who would’ve thunk it, right? Perhaps the trend will help Hollywood producers continue to expand their ideas about what we want from our leading men. Because it’s high time they did.

Images: Getty