Para-kin relationships between fans and idols: an effective qualitative investigation out of fans’ reasons for purchasing idol-dolls

Goal

The reason for this study is to examine exactly how “mommy admirers” affect current activities of parasocial dating anywhere between admirers and you can idols and also to obtain higher knowledge towards the motives fundamental the fresh purchase of idol dolls. At exactly the same time, because of the including the knowledge and views away from men idol admirers, the analysis aims to broaden the new knowledge of lover choices and promote knowledge of the newest motivations driving idol-toy application.

Design/methodology/approach

Bringing idol-doll people just like the lookup things, this research conducted textual studies along with-breadth interviews to understand more about fans' motivations for buying idol dolls.

Results

Idol doll sales was passionate by mental accessory, such as certainly one of mother fans exactly who seek to establish a sense of manage and keep maintaining a moms and dad–child matchmaking. As well, to get idol dolls may act as a disguise having girlfriend admirers to full cover up the close dreams about their idols. Moreover, idol dolls act as semiotic identifiers, drawing including-oriented fans and you will putting on neighborhood recognition. It ought to be indexed one to men idol fans, who are noticed deviant about masculine normative, face scrutiny for the female-controlled organizations, searching for subsequent proof credibility.

Practical implications

This study encourages understanding the reasons behind idol-toy purchases and can let advertisers for the catering into emotional requires away from fans, such as for example mom admirers, of the making and purchases dolls one to resonate along with their wished sense off connection.

Societal ramifications

By taking and you can focusing on the good areas of enthusiast facts, this study causes the fresh new constant procedure of de--demonization and you will normalization away from fandom. As well, this study and additionally seeks to donate to a more complete skills of fight and you may mental demands of Chinese young generation.

Originality/worth

This study explores brand new significantly less than-investigated mom-fan group's mental need in addition to their motives of buying idol-dolls. it recognizes the newest type of views and you can experiences away from fru british male idol fans, delivering a new and you may novel thoughts to the idol-doll application.

step one Introduction

" tabindex="0"> predicated on celebrities' styles had been offered since another type of means to possess Chinese fans to express the good love for their precious idols, causing producing another type of Chinese fandom society. Into Weibo (perhaps one of the most well-known social network systems in Asia), the internet area to possess idol-doll-founders, buyers, and you will idol admirers presently has accumulated over 460,000 supporters which will be very female-dominated. On this program, it's quite common for fans, that a huge collection of idol dolls, to post adorable images and you will display the feel inside putting on a costume and you may using makeup on their “babies.” Depending on the newest consumer declaration, one of several idol-toy people, new post-2000 age group means the best ratio, reaching 43 %, followed closely by the fresh new post-1995 generation ranking 2nd, which have an amount during the 26 % (“2021 Pure cotton Toy People Opinion Statement” 2021). Thus, Age bracket Z, somebody, somebody produced between the late 90s additionally the early 2010s (Priporas mais aussi al. 2020), positively engages which have idol-toy commands courtesy interactive social media systems.

Regarding the era out-of participatory fandom and you can enthusiast savings, fans' use preferences and their seen reference to idols are sufferers of academic lookup. The way in which fans relate to superstars has been recognized as parasocial interaction-the fresh new nonreciprocal, fictional communication anywhere between fans and you will media personae (Liebers and you may Schramm 2019; Yan and Yang 2021). Lately, fans positively stepping into the brand new parasocial relationship fantasize regarding an almost kinship having idols, if they could manage, or at least possess a noticeable standard of influence on its idols. Into Chinese social networking, there was a trend where fans, especially lady, refer to by themselves because the idols' mothers, aunts, otherwise sisters. If you're early in the day studies have widely tested parasocial relationships predicated on heterosexual norms and you can fans' intimate hopes and dreams regarding idols (i.elizabeth., “girlfriend/partner admirers” away from idols), nothing could have been identified on the “mom fans”,“Mommy fans,” relate to fans (usually women fans) that are co-cultivating idols/celebrities since their older female loved ones. They state on their own while the mom of your idol and are also indulgent so you can idols, providing all of them since adorable, innocent high school students who want its extra care (Yan and you can Yang 2021).