Mission
The goal of this study is to try to look at just how “mom admirers” impact on the current habits from parasocial relationship between admirers and you will idols in order to obtain greater facts towards reasons hidden this new acquisition of idol dolls. On the other hand, because of the including the knowledge and you will views away from men idol fans, the study tries in order to broaden the latest knowledge of fan decisions and you may improve understanding of the fresh new motivations riding idol-doll practices.
Design/methodology/strategy
Taking idol-doll customers once the lookup things, this research held textual study plus in-breadth interview to understand more about fans’ motives for buying idol dolls.
Results
Idol doll sales is actually driven because of the psychological connection, including certainly one of mom admirers whom seek to present a feeling of handle and sustain a moms and dad–child relationships. As well, to order idol dolls may serve as a beneficial disguise to possess girlfriend admirers to hide its intimate dreams about their idols. More over, idol dolls act as semiotic identifiers, drawing eg-oriented admirers and you will putting on community identification. It must be listed you to definitely male idol admirers, that are noticed deviant regarding the male normative, deal with scrutiny into the female-controlled organizations, in need of further proof credibility.
Basic implications
This study promotes knowing the motives trailing idol-doll sales and can help marketers from inside the providing to your emotional means out of fans, like mommy fans, from the developing and you may marketing dolls you to definitely resonate and their wanted experience of connection.
Public ramifications
By the recognizing and you will focusing on the positive aspects of enthusiast points, this study leads to the newest constant means of de–demonization and normalization from fandom. In addition, this study along with seeks in order to subscribe a full expertise of the struggles and you may mental means of Chinese more youthful age bracket.
Originality/value
This study examines this new not as much as-explored mother-enthusiast group’s psychological needs in addition to their motives of shopping for idol-dolls. It also recognizes the collection of perspectives and you will experience away from men idol fans, bringing a unique and you may unique thoughts for the idol-doll practices.
step 1 Addition
” tabindex=”0″> centered on celebrities’ appearances was in fact offered due to the fact yet another mode having Chinese admirers to share the solid affection due to their beloved idols, leading to the creation of an alternate Chinese fandom area. Towards Weibo (perhaps one of the most preferred social media programs inside Asia), the web based people to own idol-doll-creators, buyers, and you will idol admirers is now offering built-up more 460,000 supporters and is highly female-controlled. About this system, extremely common enthusiasts, that an enormous collection of idol dolls, to publish adorable photographs and you may show the experiences in the putting on a costume and you can applying cosmetics on their “newborns.” Depending on the current user declaration, among idol-toy users, the latest blog post-2000 age bracket means the greatest ratio, getting 43 %, followed closely by the latest blog post-1995 age group ranks next, having an amount in the twenty six % (“2021 Cotton Toy Professionals Opinion Report” 2021). Hence, Age group Z, people, someone created between the later 90s plus the very early 2010s (Priporas mais aussi al. 2020), earnestly activates that have idol-toy sales compliment of entertaining social networking platforms.
From the era of participatory fandom and lover benefit, fans’ use choice as well as their thought of experience of idols are particularly victims off academic research. The way admirers get in touch with superstars has been defined as parasocial interaction-the latest nonreciprocal, imaginary interaction ranging from admirers and you may media personae (Liebers and you can Schramm 2019; Yan and you will Yang 2021). Lately, admirers definitely engaging in brand new parasocial matchmaking dream throughout the an almost kinship with idols, providing they might manage, or at least enjoys a noticeable level of effect on their idols. To the Chinese social media, there’s a development where fans, especially women, make reference to themselves as idols’ moms and dads, aunts, otherwise siblings. Whenever you are early in the day studies have extensively checked out parasocial relationships predicated on heterosexual norms and you may fans’ personal hopes and dreams on idols (we.elizabeth., “girlfriend/partner admirers” out of idols), nothing has been known on “mom admirers”,“Mother admirers,” reference fans (generally women admirers) hongkongcupid-appen who’re co-cultivating idols/celebrities because their elder female friends. It is said by themselves because the mommy of the idol and are also indulgent in order to idols, getting them since cute, innocent kids who require its additional care (Yan and you will Yang 2021).