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Third Place In A Lookalike Contest

GNC

GNC

King-Sized Canary
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In the latest FT there's a question in Mythconceptions about Max Bygraves coming fifth in a Max Bygraves impressions contest. Surely this is another variant on the Charlie Chaplin entering a lookey-likey contest and coming third?

Apart from the fact you'd have to believe there was such a thing as a Max Bygraves impersonations contest, and that it had more than four contestants, which is less likely than the Chaplin one.
 
I recall hearing David Belamy saying that he came third in a David Belamy impersonation phone in on local radio.

That, I can believe, he has a very distinctive style which lends itself to impersonations which are rather overblown.
 
Might be some truth in then. I'll bet Lenny Henry was first. Oh, and it's Max Bygraves' birthday today, happy birthday Max.
 
Maybe it's just something that happens all the time?
 
James_H2 said:
Maybe it's just something that happens all the time?
Click to expand...

I can accept lookalike contests being a regular occurence on nights out, but do celebs enter them all that often?
 
Reading an Alan Whicker obituary today, they told a tale of Whicker phoning up a Whicker soundalike contest on American radio at the height of his fame, and he came third. True or false? Can't ask him now, sadly.
 
I also seem to remember it happened to Penfold in Dangermouse too ;)
 
I remember another variation of this UL from the early 90s: that Noel Edmonds had entered a Noel Edmonds Lookalike Contest at Butlins and come third.

I always had two main doubts about this story though - 1 - Is there really likely to be enough people in a holiday camp who look a bit like Noel Edmonds to make a Noel Edmonds Lookalike Contest worthwhile?

And, 2 - Was Noel Edmonds really going on holiday to Butlins at the height of his fame?
 
Goliath said:
I remember another variation of this UL from the early 90s: that Noel Edmonds had entered a Noel Edmonds Lookalike Contest at Butlins and come third...
Click to expand...

I always thought Noel Edmonds had a face like a cat's arse - an image which often distracts me with chaps who've patently tried to camouflage a weak mouth and chin behind facial foliage.

Perhaps Butlins run a regular 'guess your cat from it's backside' competition (I went once, nothing would surprise me) and Edmonds just took a wrong turn...and third place to Bunny and Tiddles.

I do not like Noel Edmonds, but don't allow it to cloud my judgement. Clearly.
 
On last week's Have I Got News For You, host Kirsty Young told us author Graham Greene entered a magazine's Graham Greene parody contest and came second. Are all these celebs really entering all these competitions revolving around themselves? Egomaniacs!
 
On this link of Charlotte Church entering her own Tribute act show, she mentions a myth of Elvis entering an Elvis look alike contest, coming third.

There's very little I can find about this online as far as a little proof goes, just seems to be an UL.

Here's the CC video mentioned:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/245254/lookalike_prank/
 
GNC mentioned an Alan Whicker obituary claiming Whicker came in third in an Alan Whicker soundalike contest - on American radio. Speaking as a fairly well-read American, I sincerely doubt most people in the U.S. know (or knew) who Alan Whicker is - and most who do probably think of him as only a fictional character in that Monty Python sketch.
 
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Elvis was the first version of the urban legend I heard, though it seems to have begun as a story about Chaplin. Apparently the earliest version of the story is around 1918, and re-told throughout the early '20s, saying that Chaplin entered a "Chaplin walk" contest and came anything from 20th to 27th.

It seemed to be a fairly common thing in gossip columns, always kept vague enough to not pin it down - "at a US Fair", with no location or date given, that sort of thing, always told through a friend of a friend. Snopes says it's true, but only references a biography that, itself, references one such gossip column. There's no mention in Chaplin's autobiography, or his son's, or anything more reputable.


I suppose it's a recurring idea because it plays on archetypes in a fun way - Elvis impersonators stop impersonating Elvis, and start impersonating impersonations, or impersonating the idea of Elvis. Some things get exaggerated and oversimplified. Eventually, you end up with a set of tropes that are instantly recognisable as "Elvis", while not being an accurate representation of the man himself, so if the real thing came along you'd think he wasn't doing a very good job! And the same would likely have been true of Chaplin, or anyone else with enough instantly recognisable characteristics.
 
This might not really belong here, but reading the thread reminded me of this neat video from a few years ago. Jewel comes across as a pretty cool person, and a good time was had by all.

 
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