Mass communication and para-social interaction

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Horton, D. & Wohl, R. R. (2006) Mass communication and para-social interaction: Observations on intimacy at a distance. Particip@tions, Volume 3, Issue 1, May.

  • New media give the "illusion of face-to-face relationship with the performer" (1)
  • Seeming f2f is parasocial (1)
  • If a participant finds the experience unsatisfying, the only recourse is to "withdraw" (2)
    • Communicating with actors, producers is possible but outside of the para-social
  • Personae proliferate in radio/tv
    • Exist solely as a function of the medium (2)

Contents

The role of the persona

  • Achieve intimacy with "multitudes" (2)
  • A "continuing relationship", his appearance "regular", "dependable" (3)
  • No trouble in the relationship
    • At least none too difficult to solve (3)

Illsory bond of intimacy

  • Personae "duplicate the gestures ... of face-to-face" (4)
  • Constant stream of "small talk" to imply conversation with a silent interlocutor
    • "Mastered" by Dave Garroway (4)
  • "Step out", mingling w studio audience (5)
  • Camera used as "eyes of the audience" (5)

The role of the audience

  • Spectator has a "collaborative expectancy" (6)
  • Persona + staff maintain para-social relationship, referring to "home audience" as 3rd party (6)
  • Audience does not "identify" with characters on-screen
    • As he might with drama (6)
  • Instead, audience response is one of kinship
    • Intimacy, sympathy, socialibility (7)

Coaching the audience

  • Various techniques for modeling appropriate para-social responses to personae (7)
  • "Every attempt made to strengthen the illusion of reciprocity" (7)

Conditions of acceptance of the para-social role by audience

  • Progressive alienation occurs when on-screen action breaks the illusion
  • Mere viewing is not evidence of para-sociality (9)

Values of para-social role for audience

  • Achievement of an idealized version of everyday performance
  • Performance, relationship not typically achieved (10)
  • On screen, "ordinary people are shown being treated as people of consequence" (11)
  • Every viewer feels that he or she might voluntary enter the scene

Extreme para-socialibility

  • For great majority of audiences, para-social is complementary to social (11)
  • But it may substitute among groups of people who are otherwise not engaged in a rich social life (11)

Lonesome Girl

  • Speaking of mundane things in a sexy voice (12)
  • Providing erotic stimulation in the evenings
  • Wildly popular
    • But only among the socially isolated? Pathologized?

Count sheep

  • Nancy Berg dances around her bedroom
  • Plays with a dog
  • Goes to bed
  • Whispers "good night" (13)
  • Sexual suggestiveness ... a cue to supposed intimacy? (14)

The image as artifact

  • "Public preoccupation with the private lives of stars and personae is not self explanatory" (15)

Making contact

  • Para-social becomes dissatisfying
  • Many people attempt to make "actual contact" with the personae (16)
  • Contact with the celeb transfers some prestige onto the fan (16)

Magic mirror effect

  • Para-social interaction produces a sense that the persona is an "ideal"
  • Local people cannot measure up (17)

Conclusion

Personae and their programs are an important part of many lives

  • Challenging the "passive spectator" hypothesis
  • Need for studyin the effects that these responses have on the attitudes and actions of the devoted audiences
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