Goal

The reason for this study is to check how “mother fans” effect on current designs of parasocial matchmaking ranging from admirers and idols in order to obtain better information with the reasons fundamental the new acquisition of idol dolls. Likewise, by for instance the experiences and you will views regarding men idol admirers, the study tries so you can increase new knowledge of lover conclusion and you can improve understanding of the newest reasons driving idol-doll practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Bringing idol-toy consumers since look items, this study used textual data along with-depth interview to explore fans’ motives for purchasing idol dolls.

Conclusions

Idol doll instructions are passionate from the emotional accessory, such certainly mommy fans which attempt Läs mer to introduce a feeling of manage and keep maintaining a mother or father–youngster relationships. On top of that, to invest in idol dolls also can serve as a good disguise getting girlfriend fans to cover up their romantic hopes and dreams about their idols. Additionally, idol dolls serve as semiotic identifiers, attracting such as for instance-inclined admirers and you will gaining people detection. It must be indexed one to male idol fans, that happen to be sensed deviant regarding the masculine normative, deal with scrutiny when you look at the female-reigned over groups, needing after that evidence of authenticity.

Practical effects

This study produces understanding the reasons behind idol-toy purchases and can assist marketers in catering toward emotional need out-of fans, such mom fans, of the creating and you will sales dolls one resonate with the wanted sense away from connection.

Personal implications

From the accepting and you may centering on the good regions of enthusiast situations, this study contributes to new constant procedure for de-demonization and you will normalization regarding fandom. Simultaneously, this research and aims to help you subscribe a total skills of your own struggles and emotional means of your Chinese younger generation.

Originality/value

This research examines the fresh new lower than-researched mom-enthusiast group’s psychological means and their reasons of purchasing idol-dolls. Additionally recognizes brand new line of views and feel of men idol admirers, getting a brand new and you can unique view on idol-toy use.

1 Addition

” tabindex=”0″> predicated on celebrities’ looks was indeed ended up selling since the an alternate function getting Chinese fans to share their good love because of their dear idols, leading to the manufacture of yet another Chinese fandom community. On the Weibo (perhaps one of the most well-known social media programs inside the China), the online community getting idol-doll-creators, buyers, and you will idol admirers now has obtained more than 460,000 supporters that is very feminine-ruled. About this program, extremely common enthusiasts, having an enormous collection of idol dolls, to share lovable photos and you may share their experiences during the putting on a costume and you can using make-up to their “infants.” Depending on the most recent user statement, among the idol-toy members, the latest blog post-2000 age group stands for the greatest proportion, reaching 43 %, followed closely by this new post-1995 age group ranking second, which have a percentage during the 26 % (“2021 Thread Doll Participants Perception Report” 2021). Ergo, Age group Z, individuals, some one created between the late 90s plus the early 2010s (Priporas et al. 2020), actively engages which have idol-toy sales using entertaining social network systems.

On the day and age out of participatory fandom and you may enthusiast benefit, fans’ consumption choice as well as their thought experience of idols are particularly subjects regarding instructional browse. Just how fans relate with stars has been defined as parasocial interaction-new nonreciprocal, fictional communications anywhere between fans and you will media personae (Liebers and you can Schramm 2019; Yan and you may Yang 2021). Nowadays, fans definitely stepping into new parasocial relationships fantasize from the a close kinship with idols, provided they could control, or perhaps have an evident degree of effect on their idols. Toward Chinese social network, you will find a trend in which admirers, particularly people, make reference to themselves just like the idols’ parents, aunts, otherwise siblings. If you are past research has widely checked-out parasocial dating according to heterosexual norms and you will fans’ close hopes and dreams on the idols (i.e., “girlfriend/spouse admirers” out-of idols), little might have been understood on “mom fans”,“Mother admirers,” relate to fans (usually women fans) who happen to be co-cultivating idols/superstars as their elder female members of the family. They say themselves as mother of your idol and are also indulgent to help you idols, delivering them as cute, innocent students who require their special care (Yan and you will Yang 2021).