Why the parasocial relationship we have with BTS is stronger than that of other fandoms with their groups or idols, a thread based on the idea of R.G. Collingwood

First things first, this isn’t meant to throw shade, it’s just my speculation and subjective, I’m sure other fandoms also love their idols, and no parasocial relationship is superior to the other

Before we start, let’s define what a parasocial relationship is and how I relate it to kpop and differentiate our bond with BTS. A parasocial relationship is, according to http://oxfordreference.com ,

“A term coined by Horton and Wohl in 1956 to refer to a kind of psychological relationship experienced by members of an audience in their mediated encounters with certain performers in the mass media, particularly on television.

Regular viewers come to feel that they know familiar television personalities almost as friends. Parasocial relationships psychologically resemble those of face-to-face interaction but they are of course mediated and one-sided.”

It’s basically the type of relationship fans have with their idols. One side doesn’t know that you, as an individual fan, exist, but is aware of the existence of general fanbase. Yes, as in kpop.

Now, let’s talk about kpop and how *I* percieve it. It’s an industry, and like any other music industry, has an audience. Mostly young people, depending on the group, mostly a female audience too, and this isn’t anything bad!

Considering the heteronormative structure of SK, and the stigma around the male audience of kpop, that’s expected. Just look at how the groups are marketed, even tho this has been changing, BGs still are marketed to a mostly female audience and GGs vice versa.

Again, is that bad? No, the stigma and heteronormativity is. This doesn’t apply to all, not at all, but still, due to fanservice, and the way industry has been operating, with contracts banning dating in some cases, kpop sells and idea. An escapism.

Visuals still play a big part, that’s why some fans felt called out when army said it made no sense to stan sb bc of the visuals or the idol’s character. Now, personality can make or break a person but what about the music? Isn’t it the main focus of the industry n why ppl stan?

Turns out, no. Not for most fans. How can we tell? The aforementioned argument and the behaviour of treating groups or songs as a trend they abandon 3 or 4 weeks after the comeback. Which leads me to….

Multis. When someone uses music as escapism and amusement, they’ll be in constant search of new songs to circulate the system. Which is why there are so many wrongly self identified multis that are, in fact, just casual listeners.

But groups act like a type of currency in this system and the more groups they stan, the better, the richer. More groups mean constant new comebacks and constant escapism, just like they want. Which is why most kpop fans suck at streaming and consistency.

Now, this falls under the amusement type of art according to Collingwood. He identifies two art types: amusement and magic art.

The first helps the audience escape from reality, to unwind and avoid stakes in a fictional world. And that in and of itself is not wrong. Art could function like this, I’m not against it. It’s basically art for art’s sake.

So, to make it short, kpop is amusement art. What about magic art? It’s stuff that helps the audience learn how beter to interact with this world’s reality. Art for society’s sake. That is where BTS comes in.

From messages of love and speak yourself, it’s okay not to have a dream, and the critical approach to society, education system, politics, speaking up abt mental health etc., BTS is magic art at its best. Art for our sake, armys’ sake.

Which hits closer to home than an idol with amusement art ever could. It’s direct, real, authentic and unique. Armys of course have a deeper bond with BTS due to all these.