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A Cambridge academic, known for her work on the “politics of smell,” found herself at the centre of an unexpected social media storm after internet users began pairing her with Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione, a 26-year-old software engineer, was arrested in connection with Mr Thompson's murder. A week after the alleged crime, the suspect's name became synonymous with viral memes and online campaigns calling for his release. Amid the flood of social media content, an unusual trend emerged — users began “shipping” Mangione with Dr Ally Louks, whose academic work on the role of scent in literature had already drawn significant attention.
The connection between Louks and Mangione was made after users on X shared pictures of the two, alongside playful commentary.
One post read, “I ship them,” with a photo of Louks and Mangione.
I ship them pic.twitter.com/1FutEXpB0J
— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) December 9, 2024
In response, Louks expressed confusion about the pairing. “I saw a bunch of tweets shipping me with Luigi and I thought y'all meant the character from Mario,” she joked, referencing the popular video game character.
I saw a bunch of tweets shipping me with Luigi and I thought y'all meant the character from Mario ????
— Dr Ally Louks (@DrAllyLouks) December 11, 2024
Despite the confusion, Louks took the attention in stride, with many users finding her reaction endearing.
One user wrote, “She was a PhD student who had a peaceful life, but fate took her to New York, where she saw a shocking event. Now, she was on the run with a young Italian guy with many secrets. What could happen between them? Sorry for any mistakes, English is not my first language.”
"She was a PhD student who had a peaceful life, but fate took her to New York, where she saw a shocking event. Now, she was on the run with a young Italian guy with many secrets. What could possibly happen between them?"Sorry for any mistakes, english is not my first language.
— Little moon???? (@moony_iss) December 11, 2024
Another user suggested Louks make the most of her brief viral fame by launching a crypto coin, a tongue-in-cheek reference to how some celebrities or influencers capitalise on fleeting popularity by creating their digital currencies.
Ally enjoy your 15 minutes of fame. Maybe launch a crypto coin. Then fade into obscurity.
— rusted ????⚙️ (@rusttokratr) December 11, 2024
The user who posted the “I ship them” comment also apologised to Louks, saying, “I'm so sorry, Dr. Louks.”
I'm so sorry, Dr. Louks https://t.co/1z7mnqQFJr
— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) December 11, 2024
Another person said that Louks' viral fame made her an unavoidable presence on social media, commenting, “The number of times you're on my feed despite not following. You should be starting your podcast!! The algorithm loves you.”
The number of times you're on my feed despite not following.
You should be starting your own podcast !!
The algorithm loves you.
— surya (@subygan) December 11, 2024
“No one could have predicted how this month would turn out for you!” wrote another user.
No one could have predicted how this month would turn out for you!
— susanec (@susanec) December 11, 2024
Ally Louks' unexpected rise to viral fame, though not in the best way, began just a few days ago when she posted about being “PhDone” with her English literature thesis. The post featured Louks smiling while holding a bound copy of her University of Cambridge thesis on the politics of smell in literature.
Thrilled to say I passed my viva with no corrections and am officially PhDone. pic.twitter.com/4qwCyFYocX
— Dr Ally Louks (@DrAllyLouks) November 27, 2024
What was meant to be a simple moment of personal achievement quickly turned into a controversy. Within days, her post garnered over 119 million views, made global headlines and thrust Louks into the spotlight. While she received praise from many, the attention also brought vitriol and a rape threat, which is now under investigation by the police.