RE: is a strong parasocial relationship with fans beneficiary for the group or the cons are more than the pros?

    Why is this even posted in the anons?


    Anyways to answer your question, like you mentioned it has it's own pros and cons. I personally don't think it's healthy to have such a relationship with fans in the long run. Because by doing that, you are held to extremely high standards and even a bit of controversy can cost your entire career. But if some idols still want to take that risk, it's up to them.


    As a fan, I don't care if my faves are trying to have a parasocial relationship with their fans or not. Whatever they do, I don't see them more than a celebrity. I'm mostly here for the content that has nothing to do with the parasocial thing.


    Thread
    is a strong parasocial relationship with fans beneficiary for the group or the cons are more than the pros?
    i assume everyone knows what a parasocial relationship is, if not then better google it pls.

    I'm making this post because i find it interesting how there are groups with completely different marketing strategies when it comes to interaction with fans which highly affects and reflects on how the fandom thinks and acts towards the said idols.

    for example:

    on the one side, we have groups whose content is highly targeted towards establishing such strong parasocial relationships with fans - stray kids,…
    OP

    𝐁𝐓𝐒 ♡ 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤 ♡ 𝐀𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚

    27dbe724372b809813a823b7367393edb58cad57.gifv

    its obviously beneficial for the group because it means regardless of what scandal they will always have fans riding hard for them (ignoring the obvious like mass streaming, voting and buying) :pepe-shrug: but like you said it also comes with the downside of having to fit to the standards of your fans (no dating or fans end up retaliating since this breaks down the fantasy they have of you). a recent example would be BTS, look at how they were so hesitant in how they let fans know they weren't living together anymore... all because they thought fans would be dissapointed.. that 7 adults weren't living together anymore when it's been over 7 years and unrealistic for them to continue when they need space :pepe-just-smile:


    also laughing at how OP got the groups with the strongest parasocial relationships right :cryingr: stray kids in particular is one of the 4th gen boy groups that i see has the strongest relationship with their fans and know best how to feed it, they're going to rival army soon :pepe-narrow-eyes:

    LAFBL0s.gif

    let us gather around for the lord’s prayer:

    Nævis we love you. You are the one who protected me when i was in trouble. MY victory, one SYNK DIVE. I know your sacrifices. Let’s meet surely after the resurrection.

    Æmen

    :pepe-pray:

    Edited once, last by bobsyouruncle ().

    I think people don’t know what parasocial relationships really mean, that is literally the base of celebrity culture. Someone being considered by a whole country x’s nations first love it’s literally what it is. Anyone saying those kpop groups don’t have that are delusional, if any group has people dedicating their time and/or money in a way that isn’t self beneficial or fighting over the internet like defending someone honors yeah that’s also parasocial relationship, people want to reduce that an idol saying boyfriend or girlfriend and it’s not only that.

    Now about personal experience I think a company can only do so much, if strategy was the only thing responsible for fans engagement then anyone holding fan signs for 1 month would sell 1 million. It’s more about the experience someone will feel while watching the content, a group might not be irl close but when they are filming together they’re showing sincerity and the person watching will feel connection with that moment and be more willingly to support it/attached to it.


    And last did OP seriously just said Bigbang haven’t ever pushed fan interaction like that…

    Quote from paradise52

    if any group has people dedicating their time and/or money in a way that isn’t self beneficial or fighting over the internet like defending someone honors yeah that’s also parasocial relationship, people want to reduce that an idol saying boyfriend or girlfriend and it’s not only that.

    so that means basically all fandoms (not only in kpop) are having a parasocial relationship with their faves. that's interesting! :check-bee:

    𝐁𝐓𝐒 ♡ 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤 ♡ 𝐀𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚

    27dbe724372b809813a823b7367393edb58cad57.gifv

    Quote from YouChanDoThis

    I think this is true, and as a Stay, it's a bit scary for me (because of the cons that come with it).

    its one of the reasons i never engage with the fandom tbh on other spaces (like army aswell) because the majority can be so delulu :pepe-cross:

    LAFBL0s.gif

    let us gather around for the lord’s prayer:

    Nævis we love you. You are the one who protected me when i was in trouble. MY victory, one SYNK DIVE. I know your sacrifices. Let’s meet surely after the resurrection.

    Æmen

    :pepe-pray:

    Initially it is all that groups want - they literally put their life on display, beseeching fans to consume that.

    And it is the "addiction" part of K-pop, that makes fans- fans i.e. fanatics, spending money and time, stretching their means, therefore earning the group fame and fortune.


    But after fame and fortune have been earned, the bill comes home to the idols, who then are aware of the constant microscope of million eyes, they have to live under. Not many can handle that well and it takes the toll by stress and what not.


    So beneficial - depends on which phase the group is at - nugudom, average fame or extreme fame. And then varies from individual idol to idol.


    Yet it is the prevailing model of K-pop profit making. While other entertainment/Sports industries also have this to an extent, I think it is K-pop which has refined parasocial profit making to the highest degree.

    Edited 2 times, last by bbgc ().

    Quote from kingkook

    so that means basically all fandoms (not only in kpop) are having a parasocial relationship with their faves. that's interesting! :check-bee:

    Yeah, because it's a very normal thing in life tbh. Since this term has been hip people have been reducing it to fans being mad because their idol is dating (or weird people who like to use big words to explaing why kpop is bad) when in reality it can come in many forms and affect people differently, it can even be benefitial to some extent. Like OP said I will just copy and past the google definition.

    Quote

    Parasocial interaction (PSI) refers to a kind of psychological relationship experienced by an audience in their mediated encounters with performers in the mass media, particularly on television and on online platforms. Viewers or listeners come to consider media personalities as friends, despite having no or limited interactions with them. PSI is described as an illusionary experience, such that media audiences interact with personas (e.g., talk show hosts, celebrities, fictional characters, social media influencers) as if they are engaged in a reciprocal relationship with them. The term was coined by Donald Horton and Richard Wohl in 1956.

    Obviously I won't deny this can led to crazy people turning into stalkers and being nasty and going on episodes thinking the celebrities own they something, but something like a woman who likes to watch Oprah and highly value what she says because she thinks watching Oprah makes her validated or is a nice companion kinda like being a friend of her is also considered parasocial relationship.

    Quote from dummi

    Even Twitch streamers benefit off of these parasocial relationships, because they breed a fandom around the person rather than their job so no matter what endeavor they go into their fans will be ready to support them

    There is a vtuber i was watching who at the beginning was just playing horror games (which are my favorite to watch as im too much of a scary cat to play them) and he did some ~fan service~ etc but i have noticed it has evolved to bf rp streams, because it has been getting him a SHIT ton of fans. Till recently he was full on feeding these delusions till he got a wake up call and understood that ah yeah, he done fucked up, those people DO believe they're dating and he loves them.


    So, while technically fan culture as a whole could be considered parasocial relationships, the groups who feed into that truly take it to the next level. It makes it that much easier for those fans to develop to stalkers (sasaengs) etc. Not blaming the groups, its obviously a company strategy, but it's extremely fucked up.

    Quote from TikiTiki

    There is a vtuber i was watching who at the beginning was just playing horror games (which are my favorite to watch as im too much of a scary cat to play them) and he did some ~fan service~ etc but i have noticed it has evolved to bf rp streams, because it has been getting him a SHIT ton of fans. Till recently he was full on feeding these delusions till he got a wake up call and understood that ah yeah, he done fucked up, those people DO believe they're dating and he loves them.


    So, while technically fan culture as a whole could be considered parasocial relationships, the groups who feed into that truly take it to the next level. It makes it that much easier for those fans to develop to stalkers (sasaengs) etc. Not blaming the groups, its obviously a company strategy, but it's extremely fucked up.

    That honestly sounds scary and I hope he's doing okay. At least he cut it off at some point, even though I'm sure it cost him a fair number of subscribers because of that. Also, you're right, it is super messed up.

    Quote from YouChanDoThis

    That honestly sounds scary and I hope he's doing okay. At least he cut it off at some point, even though I'm sure it cost him a fair number of subscribers because of that. Also, you're right, it is super messed up.

    He tried to play it off but they had been attacking another friend of his (who happened to be a female, since they only like to ship him with guys but that's a talk for another day...) so he decided to step up and tell them to fuck up. I'm sure it was quite the shock for them lol

    Quote from TikiTiki

    He tried to play it off but they had been attacking another friend of his (who happened to be a female, since they only like to ship him with guys but that's a talk for another day...) so he decided to step up and tell them to fuck up. I'm sure it was quite the shock for them lol

    Wait, they actually did that? And I thought K-Pop fans are bad. I feel bad that he gets stuck with such a messed up fandom and I hope he gets a better one soon and that he's been doing better recently. I'm glad he stood up for his friends though. I'm sure it was to them, but it really shouldn't have been. Some people really are stupid.

    Anyone who invests time, emotional energy, or money into something is in a parasocial relationship. There are delusional people in very fandom so it always feels weird when people single out kpop.


    Are you super into Star Wars? You're in a parasocial relationship.


    Do you subscribe to someone on Twitch? Parasocial relationship.


    Are you a major fan of a sports team? Definitely a parasocial relationship.

    Quote from paradise52

    I think people don’t know what parasocial relationships really mean, that is literally the base of celebrity culture. Anyone saying those kpop groups don’t have that are delusional

    i do agree but i think OP stated "strong" parasocial relationship for a reason. being a fan indeed means already having some one-sided connection with that person but it's not as "strong" as with people who are basically obsessed with the said celebrity

    kpop is the only one out of these that actively feeds into it with the idols in question constantly pumping out content aimed specifically towards fans (bubble, fan songs , vlives) and them talking about how much they love their fans... like other then maybe twitch theres no comparison here :pepewhat: lets not even talk about the crazy shit lee soo man had his groups doing for fanservice :pepe-back-away:


    there's a reason people say "im taking a break from kpop" but y'all never hear them saying "im taking a break from rap" "im taking a break from pop" one of these is built on the fandom the rest aren't, not that western artists don't have parasocial relationships because they do but they're levels below kpop.. just look at the reactions when a western artist dates now and when a kpop artist does.

    LAFBL0s.gif

    let us gather around for the lord’s prayer:

    Nævis we love you. You are the one who protected me when i was in trouble. MY victory, one SYNK DIVE. I know your sacrifices. Let’s meet surely after the resurrection.

    Æmen

    :pepe-pray:

    Quote from bobsyouruncle

    kpop is the only one out of these that actively feeds into it with the idols in question constantly pumping out content aimed specifically towards fans (bubble, fan songs , vlives) and them talking about how much they love their fans... like other then maybe twitch theres no comparison here :pepewhat: lets not even talk about the crazy shit lee soo man had his groups doing for fanservice

    Sports fans literally start riots when their teams lose. Do you think that's more or less crazy than what kpop fans do?

    Quote from quarkie

    Sports fans literally start riots when their teams lose. Do you think that's more or less crazy than what kpop fans do?

    you asked why people single out kpop and I told you why lol

    LAFBL0s.gif

    let us gather around for the lord’s prayer:

    Nævis we love you. You are the one who protected me when i was in trouble. MY victory, one SYNK DIVE. I know your sacrifices. Let’s meet surely after the resurrection.

    Æmen

    :pepe-pray:

    Quote from Sweet-Spice

    Honestly, I'm a bit confused by those who think it's simply dating or relationship delusions. Done a few papers and read a lot on it back in uni and it's way more than that.

    People here are just mistaking facets and the far more extreme levels to it for what qualifies as such. Shit is super interesting though. The dependency or daily ritual you keep to, to observe about your obsessions.

    People have to put down kpop fans as the bottom of the barrel when it comes to fandom for some reason. :pepe-just-smile:


    Hell kpop fans are nowhere near the only people who get disappointed when a celebrity dates... or even breaks up! Look at the millions of people who were over invested in Taylor Swift's dating life and hoping she chose the "right" guy.

    Quote from bobsyouruncle

    you asked why people single out kpop and I told you why lol

    And as I said... kpop fans are nowhere near the worst when it comes to parasocial relationships.


    Gossip magazines and websites in the western world are a billion dollar industry because people are just as obsessed with celebrity dating lives as kpop fans.

    Quote from quarkie

    Gossip magazines and websites in the western world are a billion dollar industry because people are just as obsessed with celebrity dating lives as kpop fans.

    but is gossiping about someone's dating life really called a parasocial relationship? I'm interested in everyone's dating life, even my neighbours. I'm just noisy :-)

    𝐁𝐓𝐒 ♡ 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤 ♡ 𝐀𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐚

    27dbe724372b809813a823b7367393edb58cad57.gifv

  • This thread contains 39 more posts that have been hidden for guests, please register yourself or login to continue reading.

Participate now!

Don’t have an account yet? Register yourself now and be a part of our community!

Register Yourself Login