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Simone Gonzalez's avatar

you worded it perfectly! These successful women are also people who deserve to be treated with respect!!

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daneen k.'s avatar

thank you sm!! fully agreed!!

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pages in shots aka Yasha's avatar

This is a brilliant look into stardom and what the stars owe their fans. I think elements of the patriarchy, gender norms, capitalism, and a skewed sense of fame lend themselves to the phenomenon of parasocial relationships.

Perhaps folks want stars to be blank canvases upon which they can paint their ideal selves. I think the same thing happens when one has a crush on someone. They build this person up to be someone they are not, and when confronted with their humanity, the they are disappointed and confused.

Mutualism can be healthy—it's good to love art and its creators, but parasocial relationships are plain and simple weird.

Also, that's a clever title! :)

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daneen k.'s avatar

aa thank you!! definitely agree on the celebrity stardom obsession being almost like an intense crush, we fall in love with the ideas of people and romanticize them to an unrecognizable point. i think that’s why parasocial relationships are so common, because these celebrities exist in a world where their beauty and charm propels them forward and fans begin to fixate onto that!!

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pages in shots aka Yasha's avatar

absolutely!!! it's a twisted aspect of fame and recognition!

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