What is this? Well…a series I started back in *checks notes* May (MAY!? WTF???) after people freaked out over the John Mulaney/Olivia Munn situation.
You can read the original post here: ONTD University Original: Exploring the Apparent Rise of Parasocial Relationships – Parts 1 + 2
Let's continue:Part 3
My Fans Are My Friends: Cultivating Community (For Profit)
I wanted to use this post to explore the following:
1. The ways in which celebrities cultivate community amongst their already existing fanbase
2. How celebrities utilize social media and traditional media to intensify parasocial attachment
3. Some of the other ways that celebrities connect with their fan communities
4. The benefits and drawbacks of having a strong and passionate fanbase of "friends"
1A. Identifying with a Group: The Importance of a Fandom Name.
Fandom names are not new (what's up, Trekkies?), but the rise of social media has coincided with an absolute explosion in fandom names. Sometimes these are self-given names by the fans - a way for fans to identify and connect with other fans. Other times, the name is bestowed upon a fandom by the artist.
We see varying reactions to these fan names - from Lady Gaga proudly and openly referring to her fans as her Little Monsters (and herself as Mother Monster) to Benedict Cumberbatch frequently seeming embarrassed and uncomfortable by the Cumberbitches name:
We've got the the Lambily, the Beyhive, A.R.M.Y., Rexhars, Beliebers, the Barbz and more (check out this Wikipedia list of fandom names).
While fandom names are a fun way for fans to identify themselves, it also breeds a sense of community and belonging which can be an emotionally fulfilling experience for many. Being a part of a named group fosters parasocial relationships in the sense that it allows for fans to feel more immediately connected to an artist and recognized by said artist. For example, when Ariana Grandeshouts out her Arianators on television - she's talking to you, the self-identified Arianator.
1B. "I do it for my fans!"
Another way artists cultivate community is by utilizing very personal, emotional, and affectionate language when referring to their fans. Language that might otherwise be reserved for only a person's closest relationships in life. Artists "love" their fans. They have the "best fans in the world!" and they even sometimes see their fans as their friends.
It's not uncommon to hear artists say that they make art for the fans or that they're only successful because of their fans. There is obviously truth to those statements and it could easily go unsaid while still being accepted and known to be true. But artists regularly and repeatedly use this language to reinforce the symbiotic nature of the artist-fan dynamic and to highlight the dependency inherent in that relationship. Of course this strengthens parasocial elements of fan interactions when fans are consciously aware that their favourite artist not only "loves" them but, to a certain degree, "needs" them.
1C. Common Goals and Shared Experiences
Fans can further be united through common goals and shared beliefs and experiences. One example is celebrities rallying their fans for charitable causes (like Shawn Mendes), or reaching out to them to connect over world events and politics (like Cardi B encouraging followers to go vote). Fans can connect both together with other fans and with an artist by sharing their perspectives of a largely collective event (like a global pandemic).
It's great when artists use their platforms to raise awareness on important issues. But even in the most altruistic of cases, these campaigns and good deeds still, more often than not, have a net positive effect for the celebrity involved (assuming they don't do something weird like try to sing you through a pandemic).
Fans see the effort and good intentions and in turn have a more positive view of the celebrity. In cases where a cause near and dear to a fan's heart is highlighted, it can create an even stronger sense of loyalty. And at the end of the day, it's loyal fans who spend money.
2A. Using Social Media to Intensify Parasocial Relationships
The two celebrities who immediately come to mind when talking about using social media to foster a relationship with their fans are Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. Taylor has been known to engage with fans on tumblr and certainly seems aware of online communities and comments discussing her career.
Lady Gaga is an avid twitter and social media user - and as I mentioned above, she often tweets emotionally and directly to her fans:
Going live on instagram to "address the fans" directly is commonplace. Celebrities opening up on social media and sharing everyday aspects of their lives is too. We also have the occasional give away in which celebrities will suddenly announce on twitter they're going to pay off student loans or give out money, as Nicki Minaj has done. Paying off the student loans of people who are already fans is a surefire way to instil loyalty and gratitude in the fanbase.
2B. Using Traditional Media to Intensify Parasocial Relationships
Celebrities still use traditional media sources to help shape the parasocial relationships they have with their fans. Mentioning their fans on television or in print interviews is probably the most common method. Sharing stories about impactful fan interactions - or even just opening up and getting very personal in an interview can help make a celebrity seem more relatable. It can help fans connect with them and find commonalities in their lives.
One of the reasons Taylor Swift's fans are so quick to connect her music to her real life relationships is because of apparent "easter eggs" and references in her songs and videos that line up with tabloid photos and media discourse surrounding her relationships and events in her career. This "insider information" approach to fandom can lead fans to feel like their relationship with a celebrity is somehow more intimate and "real" than the standard fan-artist relationship. Taylor left us a message and only real Swifties will get it!
We also see celebrities on talk shows or in interviews reacting to fan art, fan fiction, or fan theories. It's a way of saying "I see you and I hear you" and it blurs the line separating the worlds of artist and fan.
3. Other Ways Celebrities Connect with Fan Communities
Taylor Swift invites fans over to her house for secret listening parties ahead of album launches. Other celebrities make it a point to comment regularly about pop culture or social issues. Some employ the "cult of relatability" tactic that was perfected by Jennifer Lawrence and has since been used by many stars to come across as approachable, normal, and down to earth. We get tours of their homes, highlights of what they eat in a day, and a look inside their beauty routines.
Celebrities use multiple different tactics to engage with, acknowledge, or thank the fanbase that can result in fans feeling a much closer bond to the celebrity in question. Even a vlog or an instagram live can create an artificial sense of closeness and friendliness. Celebrities have never been so accessible. I have no idea what my coworkers eat in a day, or what my friends' beauty routines are like - but I can tell you how Vanessa Hudgens cares for her oily skin. And if I didn't know, then I might follow her on instagram and wait for her to go live so I can ask her directly!
None of this information is needed - it's all unnecessary content that ultimately serves 3 purposes:
1) promote things and sell products, 2) engage existing fans in parasocial behaviour, and 3) attempt to gain new fans (to sell and promote more things to more people).
4A. The Benefits
Well...money! Dedicated fans buy merch, buy music, go to concerts, go to movies, and they will give their favourite stars free promo. We've seen a huge rise in sponsorship deals, collaborations, new celebrity brands (skin care, make up, nail polish, food items, clothing, etc.), and more.
We've also seen new platforms pop up, like Cameo, which allows fans to pay for celebrities to say exactly what they want them to say.
K-Pop uses this fan loyalty to generate profit through things like multiple versions of 1 album - which boosts sales and profit.
Artists are incentivized to foster parasocial attachment in their fanbase because there is a direct financial gain as a result.
4B. The Drawbacks
The "I wouldn't be here without my fans" statements can breed an entitlement in fans who feel responsible for an artist's success - essentially the fandom version of "my taxes pay your salary!"
Acknowledging things like thirst tweets, fan fiction, and fan art breaks down the separation between fan and artist and can sometimes even encourage destructive behaviour (like fan fiction that becomes harmful to real people - more on that in another post).
Fans aren't a celebrity's friends. But engaging with fans like you know them personally can cause some fans to cross lines. It's not just stalkers that are a concern here - some fans take things too far and can even become a danger to other fans. Boundaries are necessary.
Cultivating loyalty and community can be used to do good things and be a positive force in people's lives - but it can also lead to overzealous fans who bully and harass anyone that might even be slightly critical of their favourite celebrities. It can shut down discourse, lead to doxxing, and can even foster racist, sexist, or xenophobic behaviour in online and offline spaces.
Recommended Reading:
⭑Lady Gaga Uses Twitter to Turn Fans into Friends (Futurity. January 8, 2014)
⭑Making Monsters: Lady Gaga, Fan Identification, and Social Media (Melissa A. Click, Hyunji Lee, Holly Wilson Holladay. June 14, 2013)
*Not only is this a proper scholarly article from the Journal of Popular Music and Society, but you don't even have to read it! You can listen to the audio of a robotic voice reading it to you! At ONTD University, we only expect you to do so much. The authors get bonus points for mentioning that...she's Italian!
⭑Scott Brown on Sherlock Holmes, Obsessed Nerds, and Fan Fiction (Wired. April 20, 2009)
⭑Parasocial relationships are becoming very valuable in music and Taylor Swift knows it (ABC. November 23, 2021)
⭑The comments here and in the first post! We've got some actual smart people on ONTD and also a weird, collective knowledge of celebrity and fan culture.
TL;DR:Basically, celebrities are using social media and new tactics to blur the line between artist and fan more than ever before. This breeds a sense of closeness and familiarity, which in turns breeds a type of loyalty that results in financial gains for the artist in question. But this intense fan loyalty comes with a destructive downside.
Sources:YouTube - BBC || Wikipedia || YouTube - Jimmy Kimmel Live || Twitter - Mendes || Twitter - Now This || Twitter - Gaga 1 || Twitter - Gaga 2 || Twitter - Gaga 3 || Futurity || Taylor Francis Online || Wired || ABC
You can read the original post here: ONTD University Original: Exploring the Apparent Rise of Parasocial Relationships – Parts 1 + 2
Let's continue:
My Fans Are My Friends: Cultivating Community (For Profit)
I wanted to use this post to explore the following:
1. The ways in which celebrities cultivate community amongst their already existing fanbase
2. How celebrities utilize social media and traditional media to intensify parasocial attachment
3. Some of the other ways that celebrities connect with their fan communities
4. The benefits and drawbacks of having a strong and passionate fanbase of "friends"
1A. Identifying with a Group: The Importance of a Fandom Name.
Fandom names are not new (what's up, Trekkies?), but the rise of social media has coincided with an absolute explosion in fandom names. Sometimes these are self-given names by the fans - a way for fans to identify and connect with other fans. Other times, the name is bestowed upon a fandom by the artist.
We see varying reactions to these fan names - from Lady Gaga proudly and openly referring to her fans as her Little Monsters (and herself as Mother Monster) to Benedict Cumberbatch frequently seeming embarrassed and uncomfortable by the Cumberbitches name:
We've got the the Lambily, the Beyhive, A.R.M.Y., Rexhars, Beliebers, the Barbz and more (check out this Wikipedia list of fandom names).
While fandom names are a fun way for fans to identify themselves, it also breeds a sense of community and belonging which can be an emotionally fulfilling experience for many. Being a part of a named group fosters parasocial relationships in the sense that it allows for fans to feel more immediately connected to an artist and recognized by said artist. For example, when Ariana Grandeshouts out her Arianators on television - she's talking to you, the self-identified Arianator.
1B. "I do it for my fans!"
Another way artists cultivate community is by utilizing very personal, emotional, and affectionate language when referring to their fans. Language that might otherwise be reserved for only a person's closest relationships in life. Artists "love" their fans. They have the "best fans in the world!" and they even sometimes see their fans as their friends.
We had a killer time performing and I’m so honored that we won Favorite Pop/Rock female I was so surprised I “ugly cried”. My fans are the real deal and our love is forever! #PawsUp#LittleMonsters#ladygaga#AMAspic.twitter.com/caYs17G6uh
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) November 20, 2017
It's not uncommon to hear artists say that they make art for the fans or that they're only successful because of their fans. There is obviously truth to those statements and it could easily go unsaid while still being accepted and known to be true. But artists regularly and repeatedly use this language to reinforce the symbiotic nature of the artist-fan dynamic and to highlight the dependency inherent in that relationship. Of course this strengthens parasocial elements of fan interactions when fans are consciously aware that their favourite artist not only "loves" them but, to a certain degree, "needs" them.
1C. Common Goals and Shared Experiences
Fans can further be united through common goals and shared beliefs and experiences. One example is celebrities rallying their fans for charitable causes (like Shawn Mendes), or reaching out to them to connect over world events and politics (like Cardi B encouraging followers to go vote). Fans can connect both together with other fans and with an artist by sharing their perspectives of a largely collective event (like a global pandemic).
It's great when artists use their platforms to raise awareness on important issues. But even in the most altruistic of cases, these campaigns and good deeds still, more often than not, have a net positive effect for the celebrity involved (assuming they don't do something weird like try to sing you through a pandemic).
Fans see the effort and good intentions and in turn have a more positive view of the celebrity. In cases where a cause near and dear to a fan's heart is highlighted, it can create an even stronger sense of loyalty. And at the end of the day, it's loyal fans who spend money.
2A. Using Social Media to Intensify Parasocial Relationships
The two celebrities who immediately come to mind when talking about using social media to foster a relationship with their fans are Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. Taylor has been known to engage with fans on tumblr and certainly seems aware of online communities and comments discussing her career.
Lady Gaga is an avid twitter and social media user - and as I mentioned above, she often tweets emotionally and directly to her fans:
Merry Christmas Eve little monsters. Thank you for blessing my life the way you have.
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) December 24, 2012
I called myself mother monster for a long time+ still do, it's not uncommon or delusional. My fans are unique + our bond is too ❤️
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) September 22, 2017
Going live on instagram to "address the fans" directly is commonplace. Celebrities opening up on social media and sharing everyday aspects of their lives is too. We also have the occasional give away in which celebrities will suddenly announce on twitter they're going to pay off student loans or give out money, as Nicki Minaj has done. Paying off the student loans of people who are already fans is a surefire way to instil loyalty and gratitude in the fanbase.
2B. Using Traditional Media to Intensify Parasocial Relationships
Celebrities still use traditional media sources to help shape the parasocial relationships they have with their fans. Mentioning their fans on television or in print interviews is probably the most common method. Sharing stories about impactful fan interactions - or even just opening up and getting very personal in an interview can help make a celebrity seem more relatable. It can help fans connect with them and find commonalities in their lives.
One of the reasons Taylor Swift's fans are so quick to connect her music to her real life relationships is because of apparent "easter eggs" and references in her songs and videos that line up with tabloid photos and media discourse surrounding her relationships and events in her career. This "insider information" approach to fandom can lead fans to feel like their relationship with a celebrity is somehow more intimate and "real" than the standard fan-artist relationship. Taylor left us a message and only real Swifties will get it!
We also see celebrities on talk shows or in interviews reacting to fan art, fan fiction, or fan theories. It's a way of saying "I see you and I hear you" and it blurs the line separating the worlds of artist and fan.
3. Other Ways Celebrities Connect with Fan Communities
Taylor Swift invites fans over to her house for secret listening parties ahead of album launches. Other celebrities make it a point to comment regularly about pop culture or social issues. Some employ the "cult of relatability" tactic that was perfected by Jennifer Lawrence and has since been used by many stars to come across as approachable, normal, and down to earth. We get tours of their homes, highlights of what they eat in a day, and a look inside their beauty routines.
Celebrities use multiple different tactics to engage with, acknowledge, or thank the fanbase that can result in fans feeling a much closer bond to the celebrity in question. Even a vlog or an instagram live can create an artificial sense of closeness and friendliness. Celebrities have never been so accessible. I have no idea what my coworkers eat in a day, or what my friends' beauty routines are like - but I can tell you how Vanessa Hudgens cares for her oily skin. And if I didn't know, then I might follow her on instagram and wait for her to go live so I can ask her directly!
None of this information is needed - it's all unnecessary content that ultimately serves 3 purposes:
1) promote things and sell products, 2) engage existing fans in parasocial behaviour, and 3) attempt to gain new fans (to sell and promote more things to more people).
4A. The Benefits
Well...money! Dedicated fans buy merch, buy music, go to concerts, go to movies, and they will give their favourite stars free promo. We've seen a huge rise in sponsorship deals, collaborations, new celebrity brands (skin care, make up, nail polish, food items, clothing, etc.), and more.
We've also seen new platforms pop up, like Cameo, which allows fans to pay for celebrities to say exactly what they want them to say.
K-Pop uses this fan loyalty to generate profit through things like multiple versions of 1 album - which boosts sales and profit.
Artists are incentivized to foster parasocial attachment in their fanbase because there is a direct financial gain as a result.
4B. The Drawbacks
The "I wouldn't be here without my fans" statements can breed an entitlement in fans who feel responsible for an artist's success - essentially the fandom version of "my taxes pay your salary!"
Acknowledging things like thirst tweets, fan fiction, and fan art breaks down the separation between fan and artist and can sometimes even encourage destructive behaviour (like fan fiction that becomes harmful to real people - more on that in another post).
Fans aren't a celebrity's friends. But engaging with fans like you know them personally can cause some fans to cross lines. It's not just stalkers that are a concern here - some fans take things too far and can even become a danger to other fans. Boundaries are necessary.
Cultivating loyalty and community can be used to do good things and be a positive force in people's lives - but it can also lead to overzealous fans who bully and harass anyone that might even be slightly critical of their favourite celebrities. It can shut down discourse, lead to doxxing, and can even foster racist, sexist, or xenophobic behaviour in online and offline spaces.
Recommended Reading:
⭑Lady Gaga Uses Twitter to Turn Fans into Friends (Futurity. January 8, 2014)
⭑Making Monsters: Lady Gaga, Fan Identification, and Social Media (Melissa A. Click, Hyunji Lee, Holly Wilson Holladay. June 14, 2013)
*Not only is this a proper scholarly article from the Journal of Popular Music and Society, but you don't even have to read it! You can listen to the audio of a robotic voice reading it to you! At ONTD University, we only expect you to do so much. The authors get bonus points for mentioning that...she's Italian!
⭑Scott Brown on Sherlock Holmes, Obsessed Nerds, and Fan Fiction (Wired. April 20, 2009)
⭑Parasocial relationships are becoming very valuable in music and Taylor Swift knows it (ABC. November 23, 2021)
⭑The comments here and in the first post! We've got some actual smart people on ONTD and also a weird, collective knowledge of celebrity and fan culture.
TL;DR:Basically, celebrities are using social media and new tactics to blur the line between artist and fan more than ever before. This breeds a sense of closeness and familiarity, which in turns breeds a type of loyalty that results in financial gains for the artist in question. But this intense fan loyalty comes with a destructive downside.
Sources:YouTube - BBC || Wikipedia || YouTube - Jimmy Kimmel Live || Twitter - Mendes || Twitter - Now This || Twitter - Gaga 1 || Twitter - Gaga 2 || Twitter - Gaga 3 || Futurity || Taylor Francis Online || Wired || ABC