Word of the Day: Parasocial
I should've known this word, but somehow I didn't.
adjective
US /ˌper.əˈsoʊ.ʃəl/ UK /ˌpær.əˈsəʊ.ʃəl/
involving or relating to a connection between a person and someone they do not know personally, for example a famous person or a character in a book:
parasocial relationship Psychologists have long known that people can engage in parasocial relationships with fictional characters.
For many fans it is the strong parasocial association with the star which acts as the incentive to seek out like-minded people.
It’s probably coincidental that “The Idea of You” comes on the heels of Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” on which she strongly implies that her carefully cultivated fandom has made her love life a nightmare. But spiritually, at least, they’re of a piece — even if the origins of the film’s plot seem as much borne of parasociality as a critique of it. And that makes Hathaway’s performance extra poignant. She’s been dragged into that buzz saw before. And somehow, she’s figured out how to make a life on the other side of it.
| Alissa Wilkinson, ‘The Idea of You’ Review: Surviving Celebrity