Twenty-Something Year Old Journalist

If there’s anything I’ve learned in the past few weeks, it’s that there’s a hell of a lot of Timothée Chalamet lookalikes. 

I mean, did people really gather in Washington Square Park purely for a chance to see a handful of scrawny white boys cosplay Timothée Chalamet? Probably. But, I have a suspicion that deep down, these people really just wanted to feel a part of something, a part of a community, a part of something bigger than themselves. (I will not comment on the fact that the actual Timothée Chalamet showed up— I am still seething with jealousy)

Since even before the catalyst of covid, we’ve lost connection with one another. Kids don’t go outside to play together in the neighborhood anymore, we’ve stopped being able to depend on our community to lift us up, and following this last election, it feels very ‘us’ versus ‘them.’ This feeling and this act of community that was once so crucial and imperative to human life and civilization is quickly dwindling. 

But fear not! Mankind has now evolved and we have solutions for problems! Solutions in the form of social media!

Social media was originally supposed to be a fix for this problem. It was supposed to be a tool that promoted and encouraged connection, and individualism, and community. But, as the story goes, we of course must take anything good and attempt to transform it into a capitalistic machine that, as the story goes, completely deviates from its original, well-intended purpose and instead creates a breeding ground for hate, comparison, and division. How does the quote go again? You either die a hero or live long enough to be nominated for a cabinet position by Donald Trump? 

It’s obvious that people are desperate for this sense of community. Why else would we allow men to think that they have looks comparable to that of Harry Styles, Jeremy Allen White, or my personal favorite, Zayn Malik? 

And the standout feature of these look alike contests is that they weren’t even bred out of capitalistic greed. It was not some promotion by major companies or studios to get consumers to listen to their celebrity doppelgänger’s music, or to get people to see Timothée Chalamet’s Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, which comes out on December 25th. (Mark your calendars) It was born out of a pure yearning for community. (Either that, or this unemployment epidemic has gotten way too out of hand.)

Just think about the feeling when you’re at a concert, or a sporting event, or even just in a yoga class. There’s a feeling of pure bliss being able to experience life with others. I don’t know who you are, where you’re from, what your background is, or what your life beliefs are, but I do know that we are both here, in the moment, enjoying the hell out of this downward dog. 

It’s one of the reasons I enjoy going to the movies so much. Sure, I love seeing movies on the big screen and being able to tell everyone I meet that I’m an AMC Stubs A-List Member, (Did you know that I’m an AMC Stubs A-List Member?) but being in a packed theater with people who I don’t know, and probably will never know, yet sharing this moment in time where we are all connected through that indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim and we go somewhere we’ve never been before keeps me coming back for more. Nicole Kidman was right, heartbreak really does feel good in a place like this. 

But yet again, as the story goes, we of course must take anything good and attempt to transform it into a capitalistic machine. Movie studios have long been attempting to diminish the impact that theatrical releases can have, and do have, on movie releases. This urge to push content immediately to streaming comes at the cost of community. 

Take Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers for example. Its elongated theatrical release contributed to the cultural impact it was able to have within society. It was initially only popular upon release within the chronically online communities and the cinephiles, (we have to think of a better name for that) but after being able to hibernate in the theaters for some time, it was able to expand beyond those communities and even pick up an Art and Patrick lookalike contest along the way.  (Occurring in LA on November 24th— hope to see you there)

We don’t need the metaverse, or Instagram stories, or AI robots, or the Department of Government Efficiency, we need real, (sorry, ChatGPT) human connection. This feeling of community and belonging and connection is, to me, one of the eight wonders of the world. (Right behind Timothée Chalamet) It’s a feeling and a desire that everyone has had at one point or another and that everyone secretly yearns for. 

As I finish this article though and opt to watch 30 Rock alone in my room, I realize we have a long ways to go before we get back to the hunters and gatherers-esque era of community, but maybe once global warming regresses us to pre-Internet times, we will be forced to knock on thy neighbor’s door for a cup of sugar, and maybe only then we can all begin to love each other.