Congratulations Wonka, you’ve officially snapped me out of my Timothée Chalamet obsession
Back when it dawned on the world that Timothée Chalamet’s Call Me By Your Name co-star and close friend Armie Hammer turned out to be—brace yourselves—a literal cannibal, my adoration for the American-French actor didn’t waver one bit. I mean, come on, how was he supposed to know, right?
And then, in a glorious moment on the French television show Quotidien, as Chalamet, amid promoting Dune: Part One, was asked to reveal his favourite song, he ultimately gifted us an awkward 15-second clip of him attempting to rap along to Kid Cudi’s ‘Sad People’. Did my loyalty waver? Not in the slightest. I bit the bullet and continued to stan.
Even when the news broke about his latest romance with none other than American socialite and reality TV star Kylie Jenner—an announcement which sent the internet into a frenzy and led to countless opinions on why the two don’t belong together being shared—I stood firm, unfazed by the naysayers and resolute in my feelings.
You’d think all these incidents would be ample evidence that my Timothée obsession was unshakable. Yet, all it took was hearing him say, “So quiet up, and listen down. Nope. Scratch that, reverse it,” in the first released trailer for Wonka to break the spell he had me under. I don’t care how many rave reviews dub his 2023 performance as “charming,” “pitch-perfect,” and “intoxicating.” That’s it girlies—this top hat-induced ick has officially cured me of my long-lasting crush on Timothée Chalamet.
And it’s not just Chalamet’s take on the notoriously creepy Willy Wonka that seems to have altered my perception of him—there’s something about his recent foray into experimental fashion that has expedited the transformation of my adoration into aversion.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware that Chalamet has been praised in the past for his bold red carpet looks. When he showed up to the Venice Film Festival premiere of Bones and All wearing a bright red sparkling backless pantsuit paired with dark leather boots featuring a small heel and a pair of black cat eye sunglasses, I was among his most ardent defenders.
But I just can’t and won’t get on board with the actor’s wardrobe choice for the Tokyo premiere of Wonka. In what seemed like an attempt to pay homage to the film’s character, Chalamet sported a custom purple two-piece latex look by Prada. He accessorised this ‘outfit’ with a diamond necklace, matching ring and chunky white Chelsea boots. Honestly, none of it worked for me.
View this post on Instagram
“Timothée is so good looking, we often forgive him for his clothes,” wrote one netizen, while another suggested that the suit is “AI generated.” Another commenter perfectly summed up the internal struggle that was tearing me apart by stating: “Sometimes he looks good, sometimes he doesn’t… huh.”
It’s worth noting that it was after seeing this particular ensemble on the actor’s Instagram that I decided to finally use my Timothée Chalamet-engraved wooden spoon, a Christmas gift from my secret Santa. For a whole year, I had staunchly declared that no one could use it for cooking, fearing it might damage his beautiful face on the back of the spoon. Yet, I threw caution to the wind and used it to stir the Thai red curry I was making that day.
All that being said, and although I won’t be seeking solace in that TikTok edit of Chalamet dancing in Call Me By Your Name any longer, I’d never endorse or justify any form of hate towards the actor. Comparing his Tokyo lilac outfit to a “grape-flavoured condom” is where I draw the line.
@mrbisky @stcrvds y’all don’t understand the GRIP that this edit had on everyone back then #timotheechalamet #callmebyyourname
♬ Play Date - Melanie Martinez
