The film star — the Phenomenon of a Parasocial Relation

Abstract

The parasocial relation is a reality of interaction of the communica-
tor, integrated into a complex media structure, and of his fans. The relationship
between them are regulated not by a mutuality of rights and obligations. The film
star as a communicator addresses a (de facto) anonymous audience. At the same
time the former’s message is received, pondered upon and mastered individually
which engenders the spectator’s impression of a face-to-face interaction. In the
capacity of a film star the given actor comes on as a good virtual acquaintance
for a large number of the audience, kindred to them in spirit, bringing out their
amicability, a desire to become actually acquainted. In pursuit of commercial
goals, the film industry purposefully constructs and utilizes this feature of an
actor. Fielding itself on the screen in a specific social role, the film star — thanks to
the fans’ parasocial relation to it — promotes for the mass consciousness behavior
patterns, norms and values of the given society that are embodied in it. The article
adduces sociological evidence for the transplantation — in the transit period of
the 1990s — into young Russians’ mass consciousness of values disseminated by
Western cinema. The film star also constitutes a factor of the competitiveness of
a given cinematography on a given spectator market. In this regard the Russian
cinema loses to Hollywood on its home market. As a sociological study has shown
(the city of Kirov, 2016), Russian-filmgoer rating of stars is headed by American
masters: Johnny Depp with 60% of the spectator «votes»; Leonardo Di Caprio —
58%; Anjelina Joli — 56%. The top three of Russian actors noticeably lag behind:
Sergey Bezrukov — 55%, Daniil Kozlovsky — 44%; Konstantin Khabensky — 43%.