“Taylor! Taylor! Taylor!” a crowd cheers. Except that’s not Taylor Swift–that’s Taylor Sheesh.
Celebrity impersonators gain fame by recreating what’s already been done. By dressing up and practicing mannerisms of celebrities, these impersonators have been subject to controversy. Paige Niemann and John Mac Coronel are two celebrity impersonators with different approaches.
Jon Mac Land Coronel, known by fans as “Taylor Sheesh,” is a 28-year-old Filipino drag queen. Since Taylor Swift herself isn’t currently bringing “The Eras Tour” to the Philippines, Coronel is stepping into her heels and giving the fans what they want.
Coronel has been a genuine Taylor Swift fan since he was in high school.
“Forever and always, I’ll be a Swiftie.” Coronel said.
Performing in shopping malls or at private events in the Philippines, Coronel replicates “The Eras Tour” with lip-synced songs and recreations of Swift’s iconic outfits. His concerts are more than a place for him to perform; they’re a place where Filipinos can celebrate their love for Taylor Swift. Sophomore Honora Griffiths of Red Bank supports Coronel’s recreation performance.
“I think that’s nice and considerate because not a lot of people got to see the tour,” Griffiths said.
Coronel uses the persona of Taylor Sheesh as a form of self-expression in efforts to give back to the “Swifties.” Meanwhile, other impersonators, such as Paige Niemann have gained recognition based on their physical appearance.
Niemann, who bears a striking resemblance to Ariana Grande, came into the public eye at 15 years old. With currently 10.4 million TikTok followers, Niemann has gained popularity by lip-syncing to Grande’s songs or acting out scenes from “Victorious,” a popular show Grande starred on.
Her most recent claim to fame was modeling for the Creators Inc. x Bossi fashion show during New York Fashion Week.
“Notoriously controversial Ariana Grande look-alike and social media influencer Paige Niemann, walked — or ran, rather — down the runway at New York Fashion Week this past weekend, drawing doubles from the audience as well as online,” an article published on PopCrush said.
Neimann has been ridiculed by the media for the awkward nature of her walk. Videos of Niemann’s walk went viral on TikTok with users such as @mo_rae commenting on how out of place she looked on the runway.
“When someone holds the door for you but you’re still a little far away,” user @mo_rae wrote. Grande herself has expressed her discomfort, to which Niemann responded in an Instagram live stream.
“I’m used to Ariana shading me, so it’s whatever,” Niemann said. “I’m just here to entertain people. It’s not how I am in real life. It’s kind of why I’m not a fan of her anymore, honestly.”
Keeping up with her statement, Niemann continues to make content relating to Grande. There are many perspectives on impersonations. To
Sophomore Anna Claps of Colts Neck the motive behind impersonating is important.
“[It can be justified] as long as she has good intentions,” Claps said. “There are some people who are trying to trick the public into thinking they are celebrities, and then there are some people who are just putting on shows.”
