This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Kelly Xiong. Find her on Instagram at @k.3lly. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
In this age of social media, we have gained greater access to our favorite celebrities and personalities than anyone else at any other time. This can be a good and bad thing. Social media allows us to connect with celebrities on a more personal level. We can watch their live streams, comment on their posts — and maybe get a reply back, follow along their success journey and essentially see as much of their lives as they’re willing to show us. We see their personality shine through in ways that interviews may not be able to show. Sure, it’s exciting and fun to connect with your favorite celebrity, influencer or personality. However, we have to realize that there is a limit and boundary to this connection. The overstepping of this boundary is what created parasocial relationships. Parasocial relationships are described as “one-sided relationships, where one person extends emotional energy, interest and time, and the other party, the persona, is completely unaware of the other’s existence”.
The phenomenon of parasocial relationships with celebrities is a fairly new and recent occurrence. It has only really started in this past decade when social media really took off. Before the 2010s and social media, we didn’t really have access to celebrities on such a personal level as we do now. This has led to some fans idolizing their idols to an extreme. Many big names such as Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Harry Styles are put on a pedestal by many of their fans. They are pretty much seen as a “holier than thou” being. In the eyes of fans, these people can almost do no wrong, they will defend their favorite celebrities no matter what. Though I’m sure they [celebrities] appreciate this dedication, we have to realize that they are people just like us — flaws and all. Having millions of followers and fans does not — and should not — make someone above any criticism. We as fans should be able to hold our idols accountable without being called a “fake fan” or a hater.
A big example of this is Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. Taylor Swift has always been receiving hate and criticism, but that’s not news to anyone. What people are upset at her now are her private jet usage and her silence on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Many of these criticisms are coming from Swifties. Arab and Muslim Swifties are upset and disappointed that Taylor, with the massive platform she has, has chosen to not say a single thing about the ongoing conflict. Many others are also calling her out on how frequently she uses her private jet, emitting more carbon emissions than a regular person does in their lifetime. These are all valid things to be upset over, and that should not make you any less of a fan. While some are still defending her, you’re allowed to have differing opinions about your favorite celebs. You should not have to blindly support someone no matter what to be labeled a fan.
Ariana Grande has also recently been called out online. Since her relationship with Ethan Slader came to light, she has been labeled a homewrecker by the internet. Some fans are defending her behavior, others are calling her out on it saying that breaking up a family is no light matter. I’ve known people who have been homewreckers and people who have had their “homes” wrecked. It’s not a pretty sight for either party and my friends and I have definitely called out that kind of behavior amongst our group. Ariana isn’t above these criticisms. And while we all have differing opinions on these scandals, we should remember that they are just people too. It doesn’t excuse any behavior, but this is all to show that the people we are putting on pedestals are flawed human beings too. Do they make absolute bangers and bops? Absolutely. And we can continue to listen to their music and support them as artists.
Though we may feel that we know these celebrities well due to what they’re showing in the media, we have to remember that we don’t actually know them personally. Social media has made it extremely easy to find information about celebrities. From paparazzi pictures to leaked songs to rumors and gossip, it can feel like we’re living alongside them. It’s a normal feeling to have but we should put up some sort of boundary with relationships with our favorite celebrities and remember that they’re just people too.
What are your thoughts on parasocial relationships with celebrities? Leave a comment below.
Leave a Reply