There’s been a widespread public debate on how we, as fans and consumers, should engage with celebrities and vice versa. It goes down to the heart of “why do we like celebrities?”
Why do we as fans engage in fanservice?
Why do we pay upwards of thousands of dollars to see people we don’t know?
Parasocial relationships are one-sided relationships: when one person extends emotional energy, interest and time, and the other party, the persona, is completely unaware of the other’s existence. – https://www.findapsychologist.org/
The term sounds daunting, so I’ll make it simpler.
Imagine you’re a big fan of a celebrity named Grant Bucket. You really love Grant. You listen to all of his interviews, and you know everything about him, from his favorite color to his shoe size. You feel connected to him. When you listen to his music, it feels like it was written just for you.
Grant always says that he loves and appreciates his fans so deeply, which makes you feel even more special and connected to him. You feel like you know him; you love him.
Now, replace the name Grant Bucket with your favorite celebrity.
Parasocial relationships aren’t always as scary as they are portrayed to be. 51% of Americans, by definition, are actively in one, though only 16% would admit to it.
Now, I’m not saying that you can’t have emotional connections with celebrities. Studies have actually shown that parasocial relationships can, “help people form an identity and develop autonomy.”
Feeling attached to a celebrity or character can create feelings of comfort, and even being in a fandom can help to promote community.
The only issue that arises is that there must be some kind of boundary or limit to it. Social media has blurred those boundaries to a large extent. It’s important to remember that, above all, celebrities are humans too.
Especially when they get into controversies, they still are human beings with their own thoughts, beliefs, and struggles–struggles that we don’t know about.
The best way to avoid becoming unhealthily attached is to put yourself in another celebrity’s shoes. Would you feel weird if you read that comment? Would you be uncomfortable with that?
At the core, we don’t really know these people. We know their outward personas. It’s vital to remember that, especially when celebrities are embroiled in controversy.
Sometimes (there are exceptions), it’s not our place to comment or hate on situations that are personal, and that we can’t understand.
Parasocial relationships, in a whole, aren’t necessarily a bad things, as long as you are aware and are sensitive to the humanity in the people that we place on such high pedestals.