The idolatry of public figures has become intertwined with religious worship. The line between appreciation and parasocial interaction has been blurred, and I have begun to notice too many similarities between religious practices and public figure admiration. Content creator @zachary.rants said, “being a fan of someone you don’t know is kind of weird,” and I have to agree–to an extent.
I consider myself to be a “fangirl” or someone involved with fan culture. I follow update accounts, I monitor setlist changes and I know when there is a new song dropping from my favorite artists far earlier than I should. I have been to about 30 concerts and I am a chronic show and movie rewatcher. From my teenage years to the present day, I have come to realize that connecting with other people over media is a very special, singular experience. It is comforting, it feels safe and it provides community for things that people enjoy. Regardless of a person’s gender or the media being discussed, I have always believed that people being able to bond over their shared interests is one of the best aspects of humanity.
However, nobody is perfect. Celebrities are no exception, no matter how hard their public relations teams may try to scrub old Twitter posts off the internet. I like to think that I have always viewed celebrities as human beings, but that would most certainly be a lie if anyone ever talked to younger me about her obsession with pop stars from the 2010s. All I heard was the songs, all I saw was the posters and music videos and all I thought was that these people were the greatest to ever walk planet Earth. At the time, it was harmless; I was a child, and I am glad to say I have matured and now care about the work more than the individuals themselves.
I still cry at concerts and stay up until midnight for new album releases, but I prefer to keep the people putting out those albums at a distance. I think it is incredibly important for us to recognize that while we can acknowledge and admire the effort that goes into producing media for consumption, we do not personally know the minds behind it. It should not be shocking when something negative comes out about them, because we do not actually know them.
It is likely that you see their names in the headlines of “trusted outlets” like PopCrave or TMZ, along with hundreds of thousands of social media posts breaking down every step they take, but when it comes down to it, celebrities are not our friends. I think the best way I could describe my view of celebrities is disinterested, but not disengaged. I will wait outside of a venue for a photo and a quick chat, but I will not be spending hours online responding to hate comments towards a person I have never met, solely because that person wrote my top song of the year.
This sentiment is also applicable to politicians. With the rise of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, we have witnessed efforts of political support that have not been done before. The Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, may be the most obvious example; however, my concern is in regard to the recently developed consensus that President Donald Trump was sent from God.
In reference to Paul Harvey’s 1978 “So God Made a Farmer” speech, President Trump’s media team has brought back the “God Gave Us Trump” promotional video and has been broadcasting it at pro-Trump rallies. Regardless of political affiliation, this should raise some red flags.
The video includes a soft piano score and starts with a story about God needing a “caretaker for his planned paradise,” which leads to “God gave us Trump.” Throughout the video, a variety of statements all in favor of Trump are made, and after each one, the phrase “God made Trump.”
This is not the only instance where MAGA has referred to Trump as a God, nor will it be the last, especially with the upcoming Nov. 3 elections. We see this sentiment put towards a multitude of politicians and often even the parties themselves. It seems that most politicians prefer to campaign on why we should not vote for the other side as opposed to explaining why we should vote for them. I cannot speak for all of Generation Z, but I can personally say that when a candidate opts to tell me what their opponent does wrong instead of what they themselves would do right, they have already lost my vote.
The rise in extreme support for public figures is alarming, no matter the context or person it is applied to. In many cases, what used to be fan culture has transformed into a cult following, refusal to address fault and lack of boundaries from fans. I wholeheartedly believe that the worst consequence of this has been the implementation of these tactics into politics.
One could argue that blind adoration in support of a candidate is different from that being extended to a person’s favorite singer, but I disagree. Politicians are public servants; they are supposed to go above and beyond to appeal to us. They should be treated as if they are actively campaigning, actively fiending for support and hoping to win the primaries. I do not expect a perfect candidate, nor do I expect people to know everything about politics, especially with the way the U.S. political system is set up. What I do expect is common sense, critical thinking and self-awareness. We should not be enabling politicians to feel secure in their position. We should always be expecting more and bringing to light the flaws in their policies or actions for the greater well-being.
Religious beliefs, fan culture and voting for a candidate are three separate categories, and treating them as interchangeable is a bad idea for all parties involved.
Celebrities have to deal with stalking, no privacy, a loss of their ability to feel “human,” and analytical video essays being published that dissect the clothing they wear, the way they walk or talk and especially their personal lives. Many actors, singers and social media stars have talked about feeling like a zoo animal or sideshow attraction after hitting mainstream recognition, even decades into their careers. While I often find it hard to extend sympathy to the wealthy one percent, I do try to tap into the younger fangirl in me to find compassion for some people who really just want to put out work and pursue a creative career.
I think it is possible to support public figures in a healthy, non-parasocial manner, the same way I feel that religious people can follow their faith and not enforce it as law. I question if people are truly ready to self-reflect and acknowledge the flaws in their own perceptions.
Are fans able to hold public figures accountable while simultaneously understanding that they are complex people who make mistakes? Is there a middle ground that varies per situation or person involved? Would online trolls and haters be willing to stop the witch hunts and hate trains to focus on bigger problems? Is the glorification of politicians too massive to even be stopped?
These concepts are lost on the majority, as society is too comfortable with the distraction of worship to even consider the consequences of it. Content creator @zachary.rants said it best: “If you are comfortable saying one entity can be perfect and can save you, then perhaps you might accidentally, subconsciously, apply that to a person.”
Samantha Menard can be contacted at
smenard@kscequinox.com
