Just when you think the Willy’s Chocolate Experience event in Glasgow couldn’t get more weird, it does. Actress Kirsty Paterson, the most bummed-out Oompla Loompa ever, has joined Cameo. That’s right- you can get a personalized video from the person behind the meme from the failed Wonka experience.
Willy’s Chocolate Experience promised families a whimsical, immersive, event. While it isn’t affiliated with the Roald Dahl novel or any of the films based on it, organizers got as close as they legally could to claiming a vague connection. They used colorful AI-generated art to sell tickets, but the result was more like a “Fyre Fest for Kids.”
Instead of a world of pure imagination, families found a sparely decorated warehouse with a few plastic props and some backdrops pinned to the walls. As a reward for traversing this, kids were rewarded with a jelly bean and a quarter of a can of lemonade. Fellow actor Paul Connell, who played Willy Wonka, has confirmed that despite the name, no chocolate was even available. The event was so bad the police were called and it was shut down.
Becoming A Meme
After the news broke, the internet did its thing and posted images from Willy’s Chocolate Experience and the website as the ultimate expectation vs reality. One of the most shared photos was of Paterson in a cheap wig with a thousand-yard stare. She was supposed to be an Oompla Loompa but the image made her look like Augustus Gloop’s parents after he is sucked into a pipe. Her standing near some test tubes also fueled a lot of “meth lab” jokes.
Paterson is embracing her meme status and selling videos on Cameo for the low price of $45. Keep in mind, a Willy’s Chocolate Experience ticket cost £35 or $44. But her available videos already seem worlds more entertaining than this Wonka thing ended up being. Customers seem to agree given her 4.95 rating with 20 glowing reviews. In these personalized videos, she even sports her Oompla Loompa outfit, cheap green wig and all.
You can check out Paterson’s Cameo here. We wish her and her fellow performers the best of luck in trying to turn this unexpected notoriety around.
