At some point or another you’ve likely been let down by a celebrity who you previously thought could do no wrong.
But why do we feel this way about figures we don’t even know?
You can blame it on parasocial relationships.
Feeling disappointed by celebrities has become an inevitable part of fan culture.
The term parasocial relationship refers to a one-sided relationship formed when a person becomes emotionally attached to a media persona.
The relationship formed can often feel like a friendship as you are frequently exposed to content from that persona.
Celebrities will often share parts of their lives with the public, allowing fans to learn more about and feel more connected to them.
These relationships have become more common as it is practically unheard of for a celebrity not to have any form of social media.
Parasocial relationships tend to mimic our real-life relationships.
This is the main reason why we feel let down when celebrities.
When a celebrity does something unexpected or unwanted, we feel the same way we would if it were our friend.
When people become fans of someone they will often join a community of other fans who share similar interests.
This community then falls apart when their common interest suddenly becomes problematic.
It also disrupts the image we have of that celebrity in our heads.
Since celebrities often manage their social media presence by only showing off the best version of themselves, when they get into a scandal this version of them no longer exists in our minds.
Our criticisms can often be a sign of love or care as we would hope or wish for them to to better.
What do you think of parasocial relationships? Let us know!
