Fanatics

The modern-day entertainment industry has blurred the lines between reality and fantasy. In the world of social media, celebrities are overly accessible to the public through media consumption. While celebrities keep us entertained, there is a lack of healthy boundaries between celebrities and audiences. Parasocial relationships, or fans who believe they have a personal relationship with a celebrity they idolize, are incredibly common in the industry. These imaginary relationships make us think we are connected to people that we have never met, simply because we watch them on-screen.

With the accessibility of celebrity’s everyday lives through social media, users feel as though they know the person intimately. Scandals, heartbreaks and issues of Hollywood stars are increasingly public, and users feel as though they deserve statements on the personal issues of these celebrities. Fans take sides in a messy public breakup, demand explanations for career choices and call out celebrities for mistakes handled improperly. This creates an unforgiving pressure on celebrities, who cannot meet the standards that they are held to.

Many problems with celebrity culture stem from social media. Celebrities and influencers show their lives outside of their persona through social apps like Instagram to post the highlight reel of their daily activities. Social media began as a platform to post photos for friends and family. Over recent years, it has turned into a venue for influencers and celebrities to post curated feeds filled with photoshopped content, which alters their natural body, to conform to beauty standards.

Cosmetic surgeries are a norm in Hollywood circles and post-op nose job comparisons have normalized the idea that surgery to reverse natural features is needed to achieve beauty. Celebrities like the Kardashians have been accused of lying about editing photos of their bodies and changing their appearances through plastic surgery.

While people are not entitled to the personal information of a celebrity, those with large social influence changing their appearance to fit unrealistic standards can cause a ripple of body issues for their followers. People believe that the altered images are what they must look like to be considered beautiful and insecure for not looking like famous influencers. It can be difficult for viewers to know that photos are both edited and selectively posted, further blurring the line between reality and fantasy. We think we need to be perfect and have no flaws. We feel the need to change our natural features, in order to fit with the standards set by those with social influence.

It is almost impossible to avoid celebrities in our media-saturated environment. Everyone watches movies and listens to music, which steeps us in entertainment culture. Additionally, the glamorization of the

fictional narratives that are consumed throughout the media can be dangerous. Imagine someone loves “Sex and the City” to the point where they think they embody the Carrie Bradshaw persona. These acts are harmless to a certain extent, but can develop into toxicity if taken too far. We can wish to be like someone from a show or movie because they are a journalist living in New York. We can wish we had the easy, carefree lifestyle depicted in sitcoms like “Friends” or “New Girl.” We can draw inspiration from these stories and use it to pursue dreams. However, when reality and fantasy mix, it can be damaging to our perception. This is because we expect the same amazing outcomes achieved in fiction without putting in any effort. 15

Films can provide us with inspiration but also it can give us a false sense of reality and a feeling of failure or desperation when real life does not match the lives constructed in the media.

Beauty standards and personal relationships today are different from how they used to be. Celebrity obsessions and investment into their personal lives are norms in fan culture, and continuing to leave it unaddressed further pushes this unhealthy behavior. These relationships are created because of how close we feel to the people we idolize. We defend them like they are our friends, and we follow the standards they set. We believe that we know who they are and their intentions but, in reality, we do not. Further, everyone wants to look like the people who do not have natural characteristics, instead feeling secure with natural features. Whether it be a false perception of body-shape standards or creating an unrealistic bond between celebrity and fan, the sensationalism of celebrities has shaped how individuals see themselves. As a first step towards creating a safer space for all, both celebrities and fans must be held accountable in addressing their side of a parasocial relationship and eliminating these delusions.

Style: Kiara Reyes and Grace Oluwole Glam: Evan Yalowitz Photo: Trina Fiebig and Lauren Snyder Writer: Emily Komer Model: Kiara Reyes