Para-kin relationship anywhere between fans and you will idols: an effective qualitative studies away from admirers’ reasons for buying idol-dolls

Purpose

The goal of this research will be to have a look at exactly how “mom fans” impact on the existing habits off parasocial relationships ranging from fans and you may idols in order to obtain better understanding with the reasons hidden the new purchase of idol dolls. At exactly the same time, by the including the experience and you may perspectives out-of men idol admirers, the research aims so you can develop the brand new understanding of partner decisions and promote knowledge of new motives riding idol-toy usage.

Design/methodology/means

Getting idol-doll customers given that search things, this study used textual study and also in-depth interview to understand more about fans’ motives for purchasing idol dolls.

Conclusions

Idol toy sales try determined by the emotional connection, particularly certainly one of mommy fans just who attempt to present a sense of manage and maintain a mother–youngster relationship. While doing so, to acquire idol dolls may also act as good disguise to possess girlfriend fans to hide the close ambitions about their idols. Additionally, idol dolls serve as semiotic identifiers, drawing such as for example-inclined admirers and putting on community detection. It ought to be listed that men idol fans, who are believed deviant on male normative, deal with scrutiny inside female-ruled communities, trying to find further evidence of authenticity.

Important ramifications

This research encourages understanding the reasons trailing idol-toy orders and will assist marketers when you look at the catering towards emotional needs out-of fans, such as for instance mother fans, because of the making and you will marketing dolls one to resonate and their wished feel from connection.

Societal ramifications

From the acknowledging and you will centering on the positive areas of fan affairs, this research results in the new lingering procedure for de–demonization and normalization of fandom. While doing so, this research and tries so you’re able to donate to a far more complete insights of fight and you may mental requires of Chinese younger age bracket.

Originality/value

This research explores new not as much as-investigated mother-fan group’s mental needs in addition to their reasons of buying idol-dolls. What’s more, it recognizes brand new line of views and you will knowledge off men idol fans, bringing a and you may book thoughts with the idol-toy consumption.

1 Introduction

” tabindex=”0″> predicated on celebrities’ looks was ended up selling given that a special function to own Chinese admirers to share their strong affection due to their beloved idols, leading to the creation of a unique Chinese fandom people. Into the Weibo (perhaps one of the most preferred social media platforms when you look at the China), the online community having idol-doll-creators, people, and idol fans is now offering accumulated over 460,000 followers and that is extremely women-dominated. About platform, it’s quite common for fans, who may have a huge collection of idol dolls, to share adorable photo and you may share their feel inside dressing and you will implementing makeup to their “infants.” According to newest consumer declaration, among idol-toy people, the fresh post-2000 age group stands for the greatest ratio, interacting with 43 %, accompanied by the brand new blog post-1995 age group ranks second, that het Jemeni tjej have an amount on twenty six % (“2021 Pure cotton Toy Members Insight Report” 2021). Thus, Age group Z, some body, somebody produced amongst the later 90s while the early 2010s (Priporas et al. 2020), positively activates with idol-toy purchases through interactive social networking networks.

From the era from participatory fandom and you will enthusiast savings, fans’ usage choice in addition to their perceived experience of idols have become sufferers of academic search. The way in which admirers connect to celebs has been identified as parasocial interaction-the fresh nonreciprocal, fictional communication between fans and you will news personae (Liebers and you may Schramm 2019; Yan and Yang 2021). In recent years, fans earnestly engaging in the new parasocial dating dream regarding a virtually kinship with idols, if they may control, or perhaps enjoys a noticeable level of affect its idols. For the Chinese social media, there is a development where admirers, specifically people, make reference to themselves since idols’ mothers, aunts, or siblings. When you are past studies have commonly checked-out parasocial relationships predicated on heterosexual norms and you may fans’ personal aspirations on idols (we.elizabeth., “girlfriend/wife fans” of idols), absolutely nothing might have been recognized in the “mother fans”,“Mommy fans,” relate to admirers (generally speaking female admirers) that co-fostering idols/famous people because their older feminine family members. It is said themselves because the mom of one’s idol and are generally indulgent in order to idols, providing them since the pretty, innocent students who want their extra care (Yan and you will Yang 2021).