Episode #198: A Perplexing Panoply of Parasociality

Relationships are funny things. They can take a lot of forms, too. Family, romantic, friendship...even emnity counts. But the rise of the internet, celebrity culture and social media has give rise to a bizarre variant: the parasocial relationship. Loosely defined, a parasocial relationship is any one-sided situation wherein one individual invests time and emotion in the other, while party two is completely unaware of the first person's existence. Sometimes, these relationships are just fine: I like the singer, I went to the show, I bought the t-shirt. Other times, these bonds can border on worshipful, cult-like behavior. So, in the wake of some public figures (e.g. Chappell Roan) having to be pretty clear as of late about establishing clearer boundaries surrounding their public vs. private personas, Saint and Jim thought they'd take a look at some of the underlying issues surrounding parasocial behavior.