Para-kin dating ranging from fans and you may idols: an effective qualitative investigation out of fans’ motivations for purchasing idol-dolls

Goal

The intention of this research is to try to check just how “mother fans” affect the present activities from parasocial relationships between fans and idols in order to obtain greater skills on motivations underlying the fresh new acquisition of idol dolls. Simultaneously, from the such as the experience and you can viewpoints off men idol admirers, the analysis aims to broaden the fresh knowledge of partner choices and you can augment understanding of brand new motivations riding idol-toy usage.

Design/methodology/method

Bringing idol-toy people given that look items, this study used textual analysis plus in-depth interview to understand more about fans’ reasons for buying idol dolls.

Findings

Idol toy instructions is determined by the mental connection, instance certainly one of mom admirers just who attempt to introduce a feeling of manage and maintain a mother–youngster relationship. While doing so, to invest in idol dolls may also serve as a beneficial disguise to possess girlfriend fans to full cover up their personal aspirations about their idols. Additionally, idol dolls act as semiotic identifiers, attracting instance-minded admirers and you can putting on neighborhood detection. It ought to be detailed you to men idol fans, who’re noticed deviant regarding the male normative, face scrutiny in the women-ruled groups, searching for after that proof credibility.

Practical implications

This research produces knowing the reasons about idol-toy requests and will assist advertisers within the providing with the psychological need out of admirers, such as for instance mom fans, of the making and you can deals dolls one resonate through its desired experience from accessory.

Public ramifications

Of the taking and you will centering on the good aspects of enthusiast points, this study causes the new constant process of de–demonization and you can normalization out of fandom. Concurrently, this research together with tries in order to contribute to a far more comprehensive skills of the struggles and you can mental requires of Chinese more youthful generation.

Originality/worthy of

This research explores brand new under-researched mom-partner group’s mental need in addition to their reasons of purchasing idol-dolls. In addition recognizes new type of perspectives and you will knowledge of men idol fans, getting an innovative new and novel advice toward idol-toy practices.

step one Inclusion

“ tabindex=“0″> predicated on celebrities’ appearances was in fact sold because the yet another form to possess Chinese admirers to generally share its strong passion for their precious idols, leading to the production of a unique Chinese fandom society. Towards Weibo (one of the most common social networking networks into the China), the internet society to possess idol-doll-founders, customers, and idol fans is now offering gathered more than 460,000 supporters and that’s highly female-ruled. On this subject program, extremely common enthusiasts, who’s got a massive distinct idol dolls, to publish adorable photographs and express its experiences for the dressing up and using cosmetics on the “newborns.” According to current user declaration, among the many idol-toy players, the fresh new article-2000 age group means the best proportion, reaching 43 %, followed closely by the fresh post-1995 age bracket ranking next, which have a percentage within 26 % (“2021 Cotton fiber Doll Professionals Opinion Statement” 2021). For this reason, Age bracket Z, anyone, individuals produced within later 1990’s as well as the very early 2010s (Priporas ainsi que al. 2020), positively activates that have idol-toy purchases because of interactive social network programs.

Throughout the era from participatory fandom and you will partner economy, fans’ use preferences as well as their identified relationship with idols are particularly victims from educational search. The way fans connect with stars could have been defined as parasocial interaction-the new nonreciprocal, fictional interaction between fans and you may mass media personae (Liebers and you can Schramm 2019; Yan and you may Yang 2021). Lately, admirers actively entering the brand new parasocial dating dream about an almost kinship with idols, assuming that they could handle, or perhaps has actually an apparent degree of impact on the idols. On the Chinese social media, there’s a trend in which admirers, particularly people, relate to by themselves given that idols’ mothers, aunts, or sisters. If you’re previous studies have extensively het Ryssland-flicka looked at parasocial matchmaking based on heterosexual norms and you will fans’ romantic goals on the idols (i.age., “girlfriend/spouse admirers” off idols), nothing has been identified throughout the “mommy admirers”,“Mother fans,” reference admirers (normally female fans) who will be co-cultivating idols/a-listers as his or her elder women family unit members. They claim on their own just like the mom of your own idol and generally are indulgent to help you idols, taking them because the cute, innocent students who require its additional care (Yan and you can Yang 2021).