By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-29 20:13:14 | Updated at 2024-10-30 05:35:12
10 hours ago
The jokester behind a popular but chaotic Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest over the weekend was slapped with a $500 fine — but he said it’s a small price to pay for igniting a cultural moment.
“I think it’s funny. I think I’m doing good in the court of public opinion in that regard,” Anthony Po told The Post. “So I can’t be upset, you know?
“I probably legally shouldn’t say I’d do it again but I can say $500 isn’t too much of a dissuader.”
The event — which drew a horde of counterfeit Hollywood heartthrobs and several hundred onlookers — was just another in a long line of Manhattan stunts spearheaded by Po, who boasts nearly 2 million YouTube subscribers.
The Jersey City resident, 23, gulped down an entire jar of pickles in front of a crowd last month, not long after he was unmasked as the anonymous superhero who chowed down an entire barrel of cheeseballs in Union Square Park.
Unlike those eating antics, the lookalike contest erupted into chaos shortly after the “Laurie” Laurences and Willy Wonkas lined up near the Washington Square Park fountain — with one shaggy-haired contestant even being led away in handcuffs.
But the Chalamet chaos was no surprise to Po, who had suspicions it would spiral out of control after flyers for the event went viral on social media and even had some lookalikes contemplating flying in from across the globe to participate.
“We had an entire four-page document of contingency plans around all the likely outcomes,” Po explained.
“We were planning on being taken out in handcuffs, so this is not bad at all.”
According to the Parks Department, the organizer was issued a $500 summons for an “unpermitted event that significantly interfered with ordinary park use” — and even followed a Cease and Desist letter that was sent on Friday.
The $500 total is nothing in comparison to the estimated $4,000 Po shelled out to put on the event itself.
The jokester said he paid for the labor and transportation for his crew of 12 people, plus a trove of props like a penny-farthing and a $250 trophy for the winner.
Po said he even plans on paying the fine that was handed down to the Timothée who was detained during the event.
“I think it’s fair. And I think it’s funny,” said Po.
