Taylor Swift Every night during her “Eras” tour, she takes the stage to an arena full of screaming fans – many of whom paid hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars for their ticket, arrived in a Swift-inspired look and lined up outside the singer’s tour- Merch and are ready for an hour-long experience singing every lyric to their favorite singer’s songs. But Swift’s success doesn’t end there.
There are people who then watch the singer’s concert film, engage in Swiftie content online, theorize about each of her relationships (romantic or platonic), and maybe even come to a Kansas City Chiefs game hoping to see as she cheers on her friend Travis Kelce.
Some might call this the nature of being a fan, others would call it an obsession. However, it turns out that the categorization is not subjective, but rather an examination of the extent of celebrity adoration, which could tell us something about the cognitive and psychological abilities of the worshipers themselves.
What is celebrity worship?
According to psychologist Lynn McCutcheon, celebrity worship is the phenomenon of increased admiration toward a famous person, sometimes expressed as an excessive interest in a celebrity’s life. The editor-in-chief of the North American Journal of Psychology has spent more than two decades researching fan behavior and defining its various expressions. He came to the conclusion that it could be harmless, but also potentially harmful.
Interest in this topic dates back to the 1950s, when the term “parasocial relationships” was developed, which refers to one-sided relationships between people and celebrities and public figures. This was sparked by the increasing accessibility of television personalities and has evolved over the years as new forms of media give people the impression that they know their favorite public figures.
While celebrity worship is viewed as a continuum, it is measured using a questionnaire called the Celebrity Attitude Scale, co-developed by McCutcheon in 2002, which divides behavior into three categories.
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Level 1 indicates interest in a celebrity for entertainment purposes. “It’s a lot of fun to learn the life story of my favorite star” is one of the points from the questionnaire that fits this type of fandom.
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Level 2 refers to a person who identifies more deeply and personally with their favorite star. “I consider my favorite celebrity to be my soulmate” would apply to someone on this level.
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Level 3 is called “borderline pathological” and shows a more severe impact on a person’s behavior or attitudes. “If I were lucky enough to meet my favorite celebrity and he/she asked me to do something illegal as a favor, I would probably do it,” is a statement a celebrity admirer would agree with.
McCutcheon’s scale represents the way celebrity worship goes from simple curiosity to something of an addiction. However, Samantha Brooks, a postdoctoral researcher at King’s College London who has studied celebrity worship, tells Yahoo Life that the most extreme level is also the rarest.
Why do people worship celebrities?
The nature of parasocial relationships allows people to feel truly connected to a celebrity they see or hear on their screens every day. And with the rise of social media, these interactions no longer seem so one-sided.
“Twenty years ago we didn’t know nearly as much about the private lives of celebrities. We might see a few interviews with them here and there, but that was it,” says Brooks. “Nowadays, many public figures post openly about their private lives, their thoughts, feelings, opinions, everyday life, etc. on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok. They’re much more ‘accessible’.”
This may make them feel more likable, but they are still distant and ambitious towards their audience in many aspects of their lives.
“I think a lot of people idolize certain celebrities because they want to be like them, especially if they see certain characteristics of themselves in their favorite celebrity. It’s easy to think, ‘They’re like me, but better,'” says Brooks. “Idolizing celebrities can also be a form of escapism for people. So when we obsess over someone who we believe has this amazing, glamorous, simple life, we can relieve ourselves of our everyday stress and tension.”
Manifesting a more intimate connection with that character could also “fill a gap in a person’s life,” she explains. “It could be that we identify with someone who has qualities that we feel are missing in our own lives, or it could be that attachment to a celebrity – even a parasocial one that is not reciprocated – is a kind of equalizer can be for the lack of real personalities.” Life relationships, real intimacy, real bonds with people in our own lives.
This can be beneficial to some extent. “Celebrity ties can actually help young people develop their sense of identity and autonomy and help them realize the kind of person they want to be,” says Brooks. Research shows it can also help develop a sense of community, which is helpful in combating loneliness.
When does celebrity worship become problematic?
Celebrity worship can become problematic when admiration becomes an obsession.
“It can be dangerous if [an attachment to a celebrity] “takes on too much meaning, to the point where real relationships and friendships suffer, or to the point where a person becomes overly obsessed with a celebrity,” says Brooks. An example of the latter is extreme cases of celebrity stalking, or in the way fans interact with the celebrity and others on social media.
The obsession can lead to feelings of distress and encourage addictive behavior. “Spending time or money you don’t have, or going into debt for a product or celebrity endorsement, for example, is unhealthy behavior,” says therapist Nicholette Leanza about Shondaland.
But a strong obsession with celebrities could also indicate that a person already has certain mental illnesses, according to growing research. McCutcheon’s recent findings on the subject even suggest that there is a connection between high levels of celebrity worship and low cognitive abilities.
“Celebrity obsession can impair cognitive abilities because maintaining this one-sided emotional connection requires high levels of concentration and attention,” reports IFLScience. “People with higher levels of intelligence may be less likely to idolize celebrities because they are better able to recognize the marketing strategies behind a famous person.”
Rest assured, according to Brooks, embracing your inner fangirl probably won’t be a problem, so you can continue rocking out to your Swiftie playlist in peace.
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Brooks says of fandom. “Most people don’t go too far.”
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