A) Identify a character in a show with whom you have developed (in the past or present) a parasocial relationship. Remember, this personal can be “real” or a character role. Explain why this character/person is compelling to you.
A parasocial relationship is a kind of relationships a person develops with a character or a person, who appears frequently in the media (Klimmt & Vorderer, 2010). There exist different kinds of bonds that people can share with their media ‘partners’. It can be an emotional sympathy, admiration, sexual desire, etc. The majority of people spend their time in front of TV. Some people spend more time, some less. Still, all of us have favorite TV-shows, or talk shows, or simply favorite band (musician). We watch them and we develop a bond with characters we see there. It is often impossible to resist. All the TV-shows even the most scientific provides viewers with some kind of situations and relationship they can relate to. This is the main hook. In TV-shows, a viewer most frequently feels the connection with the life story of characters.
My favorite TV-show is F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I love this show because of the setting and a set of characters. A set of ordinary people who are friends, cope with real life situations. Sometimes they are happy, sometimes they are broke, sometimes they have no place to live. This show provides people with real life. This is why it was and still is popular. My favorite character is Rachel Green. I love her story the most. She starts with a girl who left her fiancé on the wedding day having no place to live and ends the 10th season being a successful executive at Ralph Lauren, with a beautiful baby girl, and in relationships with her best friend. Through the ten seasons, we can see her struggling and trying her best in her life. I love to see this character’s development. I watched this TV-show more than 3 times and I still love Rachel Green story.
B) How do you “know” or view this character outside of their role on the show? Have they influenced you in any way besides the aspect of entertainment?
Jennifer Aniston portraits Rachel Green in TV-show F.R.I.E.N.D.S. She is a well-known Hollywood actress. Her career started in 1900 but she became famous for her role in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. I believe she is one of the six ‘friends’ who built the most successful career after the TV-show. I like her in a real life because he could overcome the role of Rachel and show herself in other characters, which often hard to do. From this, we can guess that she is a hardworking personality. Jennifer Aniston is 47 now and she is in a beautiful shape. She never gives up on her body, which is also inspiring. I cannot say that she is my favorite actress. Still, I watch the majority of her movies because I know that every time I will see a high-quality performance.
C) Explain any emotional attachment to the character or person. Have they disappointed you? Motivated you? How and why?
In the 21st century, not only TV has people and characters for us to admire. Today, YouTube provides people with a bunch of talented, positive, and inspiring personalities. Personally, I always address to my favorite YouTubers, when I need inspiration or a piece of advice. It may seem funny or even stupid but I believe those people because they are real. The majority of YouTubers are simple people who star their channel in order to find friends or deal with difficulties in their life. I like to subscribe to people who were desperate and found rescue on YouTube. I like to see their journey to success; I like to listen to their stories. I like to see their family, friends, boyfriends or girlfriends. They provide us with seemingly true content, which is hard to find on TV.
References
Klimmt, C. & Vorderer, P. (2010). Media entertainment. In C. R. BergerM. E. Roloff & D. R. Roskos-Ewoldsen The handbook of communication science (pp. 345-362). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd. doi: 10.4135/9781412982818.n20
