UCLA: The riots, protests, and police violence continued on the campus last night. More information is also coming out about the faculty and staff's response to the administrations handling of this sitaution and their statements on the Gaza - Israel conflict.
Euphoria: Kendrick Lamar's newest diss song aimed at Drake, has fans on X dissecting the lyrics and looking for all the hidden messages.
#Survivor: 46 seasons in and still trending. Last night had an iconic moment in TV history as a woman completely melted down after not getting chosen for a reward to eat....Applebees? Users are creating reaction gifs, joking about the video, and questioning the Applebees of it all.
The Parasocial Relationship of Viewers & Characters
What it is: The latest meme format is a new twist on the cultural truth and meme of 'yore regarding the kinds of morning texts people send. This one is a bit more meta, even utilizing a FB-esque "grandma meme" at the bottom to showcase how extra some people are when wishing their loved ones a happy morning. Users on X and Reddit have taken the template and begun dropping in their favorite characters, and even some celebrity athletes and actors into the blank spaces. The meme relies on users feeling they understand the character/person and how they would wish someone a good morning. It's an example of a character trait being surmised by other information around them, similar to how fans will attribute astrological signs and traits to their favorite characters based on behaviors they exhibit.
This has taken off in communities where three characters are either in opposition or radically similar to show how they truly differentiate from each other. The usage of this with real people or actors is even more interesting as it seems to be users basing these assignments of morning texts on enthusiasm during press tours and interviews.
What brands can learn: This trend is another example of the blurred lines of fandom. While it is fun to speculate on characters and their personalities beyond what's on the page or screen, it creates a parasocial sense of knowing these people better than others. This behavior has been flagged as concerning in certain standoms with real-life artists, and how invested in their personal lives these fans become. Because social has connected us closer to our favorite artists, characters, and the fandoms surrounding them, it's fueled competition and desire to know them better, and have insight into everything about them.
We see this play out innocently in celebrity and influencer content that gives a peek behind the curtain at our favorite's deeper lives. Whether content includes celebs reacting to mean or thirsty tweets, eating flaming wings on Hot Ones, or giving us a home tour on Architectural Digest, we see an appetite for this "exclusive" look at others' lives. Ultimately when working with real people or fictional characters, we have to consider, how much is good to reveal to the public to drive engagement and interest in the person, or how much we know about these fictional characters. Brands should do a deep dive into the fandom around the person or character(s) to truly understand the prevailing opinions, whether they're based in reality or fandom supposition. After all, we want the posts that peek behind the curtain at celebs or charcters to actually align with that fandom's thoughts on their hypothetical behaviors.
The SNL Beavis and Butt-Head Sketch continues on The Fall Guy red carpet. 🤔
Barbra Streisand clarifies her Ozempic comment on Melissa McCarthy's IG page 💬
Starting your summer reading list? Here are some beach reads of 2024! 📚
Sound off: Do nice people get promoted less at work? 📢
The Idea of You - Prime Video, Now Streaming
I Saw the TV Glow - Theatres, 5/3
The Fall Guy - Theatres, 5/3
Selling the OC - Netflix, 5/3
Tarot - Theatres, 5/3
Radical Optimism - Dua Lipa
Reasonable Woman - Sia
Lost Themes IV: Noir - John Carpenter
Romanticism - Hana Vu
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