If you cast your mind back just three weeks, the internet imploded over the news that Justin Timberlake had been arrested in the Hamptons in New York.
The pop singer and actor was arrested in Sag Harbor and released without bail after his BMW ran a stop sign, before drifting into another lane.
The officer on the scene determined the recording artist was "in an intoxicated condition" so he was "placed under arrest, processed and held overnight for morning arraignment," a police statement said.
After being pulled over, Timberlake maintained he only had "one martini" but he refused to take a breathalyser and failed a field sobriety test.
This would be enough of a scandal to inspire countless memes but then more information came to light over what Timberlake had allegedly said when he was arrested.
According to Page Six, the police officer who arrested the 43-year-old was "so young that he didn’t even know" who the singer was. Then came one of the most iconic conversations this year:
"This is going to ruin the tour," Justin reportedly said under his breath.
"What tour?" the cop queried.
"The world tour," Justin replied.
And with that, a new meme was born.
But now that the dust has settled on the arrest and JT is back on tour — What tour? The world tour! — the location of the pop star's arrest has become a tourist attraction. Naturally!
From people driving by 'the scene of the crime' to visiting the bar Timberlake drank that fateful 'one martini' at — people can't get enough of Justin Timberlake's arrest tourism.
Page Six has reported that in the wake of Timberlake's arrest for a DWI, tourists are flocking to the Sag Harbor establishment, aptly titled American Hotel, to get the full experience.
"We absolutely went to the American Hotel on purpose," one pub-goer, Daniel Evans, told the tabloid.
"The bartender knew right away that we wanted a martini," joked his wife, Jessica Evans. While Jessica ordered the 'JT Special', she said others simply ordered 'The Justin', but another local has dubbed the drinks 'Justinis'.
"We were laughing a lot," added Jessica.
The couple went on to reveal they had spent another night in the Hamptons dancing and drinking alongside Michael Arkinson, the cop who made the arrest.
"He was there partying," said Jessica. “It was awesome. I guess we only hang out where famous people drink.”
The American Hotel doesn't seem to be embracing its new brand. A 30-something New Yorker said she was met with 'stone-faced compliance' when she told one bartender "I want to bring sexy back."
But some of the locals are embracing the recent surge in tourism.
"There is just a lot of hype around Sag Harbor and the incident," one local, Bob D'andria, said. "I think it's really good for the town — as long as we can still get our table here."
And it's not just the local pub getting a boost in popularity, a colourful print of Timberlake's mugshot is being sold across the street from the American Hotel at the Romany Kramoris Gallery. The Andy Warhol-inspired prints by artist duo Godfrey & Lohman are selling for $520 in the US (roughly $770AUD) each.
"It's flying off the shelves," Robert Lohman told Artnet.
“When I first saw this image of Timberlake, I said, 'this is iconic.' I felt a calling to develop it,” Lohman said.
"Andy Warhol's genius was in knowing which images would capture and evoke a moment in time, and Justin's mugshot seemed to me to do exactly that. I thought it was deserving of the Warhol treatment, and I believe Andy would approve."
The portrait, titled 'Tuesday Night Out Featuring Justin Timberlake', has proven to be a hit with incoming tourists.
"People have been lining up all day long taking pictures through the window," gallery owner Romany Kramoris said.
"We've been getting calls from all around the world—Germany, Australia, and Canada, as well as all over the United States," he added.
"It's a moment in history, a moment in time. People relate to Justin Timberlake and enjoy him, and in a sense they feel sorry that this happened — as do I. He'll have to suffer the consequences, but there’s a lot of support behind him."
May I suggest, a 'This is Going To Ruin The Tour' t-shirt line next?
Feature image: Getty, Romany Kramoris Gallery, Sag Harbor.
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