Hundreds of UF students gathered at the Plaza of the Americas on Thursday afternoon for a Luigi Mangione lookalike contest, showcasing Generation Z’s unique ability to transform somber news into a source of shared humor and entertainment.
The event unfolded against the backdrop of a high-profile murder investigation garnering national attention. Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old University of Pennsylvania computer science graduate, was accused of assassinating UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson Dec. 4. Thompson was fatally shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel around 6:40 a.m. sparking a five-day manhunt.
Mangione was arrested earlier this week in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s and charged with firearms violations, among other charges. On Tuesday, a Pennsylvania court denied Mangione bail as he contests extradition to New York City, where the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office is pursuing murder charges for the shooting. Despite the gravity of the allegations, Mangione’s distinct appearance and ivy league background have made him an unlikely internet sensation. Social media platforms like TikTok, particularly popular among Gen Z, have been flooded with memes and commentary.
Gen Z tends to support young people standing up for a cause they believe in, 20-year-old Delena Nguyen said, which may explain the generation's positive reaction to Mangione's actions.
“People might think it's pretty privilege, but also he stands for a cause,” Nguyen said. “It's a good thing to see someone standing up for something.”
The UF biochemistry and economics sophomore attended the lookalike contest for Luigi Mangione on campus as a means of fun after hearing about it on Instagram and YikYak, she said.
Similar events, such as a Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in NYC and others featuring Harry Styles and Jeremy Allen White, have also gone viral in recent weeks.
Rows of students sat and stood across the Plaza of the Americas, their phones and cameras poised to capture the spectacle. UF students Cortney Smith and Chelsie Colin, along with a few friends, organized the contest and promoted it through an Instagram account, @Luigilookalikecontest, which garnered over 400 likes within three days. Posts gained additional traction on platforms like Reddit and YikYak, fueling campus-wide buzz.
Smith dressed in a rat suit on Wednesday night and handed out promotional flyers on campus. The flyers, also posted around campus including in Marston Science Library and Library West, directed students to a Google form to enter the competition. A sign reading “Luigi Lookalike Contest Here 3 p.m.” marked the event location at Plaza of the Americas.
Colin, a 20-year-old biology junior, said she heavily promoted the event because it was something to look forward to amid final exams.
“I was afraid at first, [that] people would take it wrong, but at the end of the day, a lot of people had fun,” she said. “People have their different opinions and today was very positive.”
Smith and Colin, wielding a megaphone, emceed the event, cracking jokes and hyping up the crowd. The top three winners were awarded unconventional prizes: a Nerf gun for first place, a date with the hosts for second place and a $5 McDonald’s gift card for third. Cookies and candy were handed out to attendees, adding to the welcoming atmosphere.
Contestants introduced themselves to the audience, some sharing short speeches. The winner was determined based on which contestant had the loudest applause from the crowd. Contestant No. 13, a UF computer science and math sophomore who declined to provide his name to The Alligator, used his chance in the spotlight to speak on the broader issue at hand.
“I want to say that the American healthcare system has destroyed Americans. It is insane that the media will say that the CEO, a man who has killed hundreds of thousands of people, is the innocent one,” he said, using a megaphone to address the crowd. “I am so thankful that people like you have came together to realize and celebrate someone who has done something that is a beautiful thing.”
The speech by contestant No. 13 was followed by cheers and applause from the audience.
The first-place winner of the contest, a 21-year-old UF psychology senior who also requested to remain unnamed, said he found out about the event through Instagram and was encouraged to enter by friends, citing his curly hair and distinctive eyebrows as similar to that of Mangione.
Labeled contestant No. 1 by the event runners, the winner dressed in a medical mask, hoodie and backpack and brought a makeshift gun and a Happy Meal along as props.
"A lot of people are struggling economically. A lot of people are struggling socially. And so the healthcare industry has caused a lot of these struggles,” he said. “We’ve been exposed to violence and we've been exposed to the very worst society has to offer from the top down for many years. It's an inevitability, not a surprise, in my opinion.”
Contact Sabrina Castro at scastro@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sabs_wurld.
Sabrina Castro is a rising senior studying journalism at the University of Florida and a Summer 2024 reporter for The Avenue. In her free time you can find her scrolling TikTok or searching for hidden gems at local thrift stores.
