Mission
The objective of this study is always to view just how “mother admirers” affect the present patterns off parasocial relationship anywhere between fans and you will idols and also to acquire higher facts with the motives hidden the fresh new purchase of idol dolls. While doing so, by the including the feel and views off male idol fans, the analysis aims in order to increase the newest comprehension of fan decisions and you may enhance comprehension of new motives operating idol-toy usage.
Design/methodology/means
Getting idol-doll consumers as research things, this study used textual studies plus-breadth interview to understand more about fans’ motives for buying idol dolls.
Findings
Idol doll purchases is actually determined by the mental connection, including certainly one of mommy admirers just who seek to expose a feeling of control and maintain a parent–youngster matchmaking. Simultaneously, buying idol dolls can also serve as an effective disguise getting girlfriend admirers to hide their close fantasies about their idols. Also, idol dolls serve as semiotic identifiers, attracting like-inclined fans and wearing community detection. It ought to be noted one to men idol admirers, who happen to be felt deviant regarding male normative, deal with scrutiny for the female-reigned over groups, looking for after that proof of authenticity.
Practical implications
This study produces understanding the motivations about idol-toy commands and certainly will assist advertisers into the providing into the psychological needs of admirers, such as for example mother fans, by creating and deals dolls that resonate making use of their need feel away from accessory.
Public ramifications
By the taking and you will focusing on the good regions of lover situations, this study contributes to the new ongoing procedure for de-demonization and you may normalization from fandom. Likewise, this research together with aims in order to sign up for a far more total insights of your struggles and you may emotional demands of one’s Chinese more youthful generation.
Originality/value
This research examines the fresh lower than-explored mommy-enthusiast group’s mental needs as well as their motives of purchasing idol-dolls. What’s more, it recognizes the latest distinctive line of viewpoints and you may feel from https://getbride.org/sv/heta-filipina-kvinnor/ men idol fans, getting another and you can book view towards idol-toy consumption.
step one Inclusion
” tabindex=”0″> predicated on celebrities’ looks was indeed sold given that a unique means having Chinese fans to generally share its good affection for their precious idols, ultimately causing the production of a different sort of Chinese fandom community. Into Weibo (one of the most well-known social network networks inside Asia), the online people to possess idol-doll-founders, customers, and you may idol admirers now has obtained over 460,000 supporters that’s very women-ruled. With this program, extremely common enthusiasts, that a massive distinctive line of idol dolls, to create lovable photographs and show the experiences inside dressing and implementing make-up on the “babies.” With respect to the newest user statement, one of the idol-doll players, the latest article-2000 age group means the highest ratio, interacting with 43 %, followed by new post-1995 age group positions 2nd, with an amount within 26 % (“2021 Thread Toy Participants Perception Report” 2021). Therefore, Generation Z, some one, anyone born between the later 1990’s plus the very early 2010s (Priporas ainsi que al. 2020), definitely engages having idol-doll purchases as a result of entertaining social media systems.
On time away from participatory fandom and you will lover benefit, fans’ use needs as well as their perceived relationship with idols are very subjects regarding educational browse. How fans relate solely to celebrities could have been identified as parasocial interaction-brand new nonreciprocal, imaginary telecommunications ranging from fans and you can mass media personae (Liebers and you can Schramm 2019; Yan and you can Yang 2021). In recent times, admirers earnestly getting into this new parasocial relationships fantasize from the a near kinship with idols, as long as they could manage, or at least has actually an obvious amount of influence on the idols. With the Chinese social networking, there clearly was a pattern where admirers, especially female, reference themselves while the idols’ moms and dads, aunts, otherwise siblings. If you’re previous studies have widely tested parasocial relationships according to heterosexual norms and you will fans’ personal fantasies from the idols (i.e., “girlfriend/wife admirers” out-of idols), nothing might have been recognized about “mother fans”,“Mother fans,” reference fans (generally speaking women admirers) who happen to be co-cultivating idols/superstars as their senior female nearest and dearest. They say by themselves as mom of your own idol and are also indulgent in order to idols, bringing them as the precious, innocent high school students who require its additional care (Yan and Yang 2021).