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by twicetwice 970 days ago
Yes, this is a textbook parasocial relationship. No judgment—me too. I've been listening to the "New Heights" podcast a lot recently, so my most recent parasocial relationship is feeling like Jason and Travis Kelce are my friends. Of course I know they're not, it's just how these things work. Parasocial relationships are ubiquitous in the modern day.

My favorite analogy is that parasocial relationships are the Doritos of socialization: appealing. delicious, addictive, can temporarily keep hunger at bay—but fundamentally not satiating, lacking in essential nutrients, and unhealthy when they displace their original natural & more nutritious alternatives.
1 comments
pjc50 970 days ago
Genuinely I think a lot of these people would be better off if they got into k-pop or something rather than geopolitics.
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hnreport 970 days ago
Bro, so what u saying, u saying millions of us are effectively Rogan simps in a parasocial relationship?

These relationships are on both sides (e.g AOC on the left).

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pjc50 970 days ago
Yes, and yes?

It's kind of inescapable in modern politics, because it's effective at getting people elected and/or making money. It's not the worst way to get elected; certainly better than relying on narrow donor class money. Just .. recognize the limitations of it.

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hnreport 970 days ago
I’m inclined to agree. The problem is, unlike High School where the kids just grow the fuck out of all the stupid teenage bullshit, adults seem to not have that kinda structure going on.

So instead of being a Rogan stan for those weird years in High School, you are grown ass 30 year year old Stan who’s been stanning for 5 years now minimum.

Adults today don’t know how to snap out of the high school shit they easily snapped out of after high school. It’s like we’re in a high school that never ends.

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KittenInABox 970 days ago
I don't think that's "adults today". Adults in the past also had parasocial shit going on. Do you think the people banging on Sherlock Holmes's author feeling personally betrayed by the ending were all young kiddos?

I think the issue with being an adult is that you often think you've outgrown childish inclinations. In actuality, I find adults will act childishly and then assume, because they are adults, their behavior must be mature and taken seriously.

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hindsightbias 970 days ago
I know a lot of leftists. Not one has ever sent me a link to an AOC podcast. Does she even have a podcast?

Until I dropped social media, I was getting Rogan links all the time.

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