Adele Sullivan

Adele Sullivan CMC 200 Gournelos Literature Review 13 April 2013 Abstract:

My primary objective is to illustrate why and how we, as members of a fan community, can engage in and become emotionally attached to celebrity figures through parasocial relationships. My research will illustrate that we develop these relationships with celebrities over time as we ourselves are transitioning through life, through repetitious stimulation via the

Internet, TV, and other social and mass media. The parasocial relationship can influence our life positively or negatively and significantly or not, depending upon how close we feel emotionally to the celebrity figures. Additionally, my research demonstrates that it is always challenging for the fan to decipher the authenticity of the celebrity presented in the media. The media sensationalizes the celebrity status, and distorts the real celebrity person. In conducting my investigative research, in conjunction with content and textual analyses, I felt it would be exemplary to use a superstar sports celebrity, Tim Tebow, to show how significantly these parasocial relationships can impact fans’ lives on so many psychological levels. Tim Tebow established his celebrity status through his superior athleticism as a college quarterback at the University of Florida and as an NFL quarterback on the Denver Broncos football team. Born in the Philippines, Tim Tebow was raised by his parents, who were missionary workers there at the time, instilling in him a strong Christian faith and conservative moral values. These prevalent qualities, exemplified by him since the beginning of his college playing days, allowed a fan base to perpetuate to great magnitudes. These parasocial relationships are only more intensified and personalized through the Internet by creating multiple fan clubs and forums. His Christian role model persona and his football superstar celebrity status only made him more attractive to fans, which in turn, could significantly impact their lives as much as they will emotionally allow (Czech et al. 2004)

The extraordinary events of winning a state title his senior year in high school, receiving

All-State honors, being named Florida’s Mr. Football and Player of the Year in Parade magazine, and then winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007, while playing at the University of Florida, put the

All-American, multi-talented quarterback, Tim Tebow, on the road to fame and sports stardom.

He was a naturally gifted athlete with a passion for football. He helped the Gators win the BCS national championship in 2007 and 2009. He was a force to be reckoned with on the field as he held the Southeastern Conference’s all-time records in passing efficiency and rushing touchdowns. Upon graduation, he was drafted by the NFL’s Denver Broncos, where he helped them win their first AFC West title in seven years and a playoff game against the Pittsburgh

Steelers.

Additionally, Tebow is recognized as a Christian role model to many. He has been highly admired by many football players and fans for his demonstration of religious devotion to his Christian faith by kneeling and praying before and after football games, referred to as

“Tebowing.” Tebow is also known for sharing his faith throughout the community.

Whether it is Tebow’s appeal through his football superstar persona and athleticism, or his conviction to his Christian faith and conservative moral values, dedicated fans are fascinated and intrigued by his high profile celebrity status. Fans can relate to him on so many levels that desire to be emotionally closer through a parasocial relationship. Tebow’s credible sports star and

Christian role model “celebrity image” (Choi and Rifon 2007) portray him as a perception of almost perfection physically, spiritually, and emotionally. On the other hand, that same perception leaves others thinking that he is almost too good to be true, thus his societal construction is all fallacy.

The Parasocial Relationship Between Celebrity and the Fan Community

Through technological advancements in communications, the Internet allows a dialogue to be created between the fan community and the celebrity. The parasocial relationship created between the fans and the celebrity allows the fan to personally identify with the celebrity, creating emotional attachment (Soukup 2006). In their psychological attachments to their favorite celebrities, individuals can go to various web sites, including “fan sites,” to further engage in the parasocial relationships (Stever 2011). These multiple fan sites provide a wide array of information, including fan clubs, fan forums, music videos, documentaries, advertisements, endorsements, and magazine articles, philanthropies, and book reviews. Tebow has numerous music videos on YouTube, Google videos, and Godtube, that show football highlights in video clips from his college years through his experiences in the NFL. It is estimated that the number of viewers of these sites reaches into the multi-millions. His social media sites such as his official Facebook page, Twitter account, and Instagram also draw fans in.

By participating in two documentaries, Tebow was featured in ESPN’s “Year of the Quarterback” series in 2011, and again in 2012 on the NFL Network show titled “ The Faces of

Tebow.” These documentaries brought Tebow’s life story, his passion for football, and his sport experiences up close and personal to his fan community. With so much exposure, how could a fan not develop a strong one-sided parasocial relationship with his or her favorite celebrity? With celebrity information available on every level to nurture the parasocial relationship, it causes the fan to connect on a more intimate level; however, the celebrity does not even know that the fan exists as an individual (Stever 2011). As the emotional connection intensifies, fans can become obsessed, causing an unhealthy, unbalanced relationship. Social media keeps the fan community engaged in desiring more information as they seek the truth about their celebrity, and the reality of their celebrity perception (James 1997).

Through this parasocial relationship, the fan community wants to identify with the celebrity on a personal and intimate level, like a close friend, but this is only an illusion created by the media (Choi and Rifon 2007). Fans that become emotionally attached to their favorite celebrities are being manipulated by the media, distorting the perception of reality (Meyers 2009).

If the fan community finds a celebrity attractive and personable, and aligns with many of their commonalities, the celebrity will gain a larger fan base through popularity (Soukup 2006).

The disconnect begins when the fan community views the celebrity as they appear on TV and social media, and not as they are in real life (Meyers 2009). How can fans truly know their favorite celebrity? The psychological attraction to a celebrity is identified through a process that lends itself to admiration and commonalities (Mehrabian and Blum 1997). From a fan community perspective, we admire our favorite celebrities as they have qualities that we like, and qualities that we wish that we had (Sun and Wu 2012). By examining the physical attractiveness features for a celebrity, one can assess the concurrent emotional responses that physical attraction brings. Research on physical attractiveness found that “attractiveness of men was increased by greater self-care, more masculinity, and greater pleasantness” (Mehrabian and Blum 1997). By examining these physical criteria, we can gain better insight into how the fan community and media view Tim Tebow.

Authenticity of the Celebrity Image

It is difficult for the fan community to make the determination as to whether a celebrity’s image is authentic or fabricated (Fink et al. 2009). The question becomes: is the “reality” the celebrity image created by the media or the one revealed by the actual celebrity (Meyers 2009).

The fan community has difficulty deciphering the celebrity’s manufactured image seen by the media in comparison to that celebrity in everyday life situations (McNamara 2009).

Tim Tebow’s celebrity image is based on his agility as a powerhouse football quarterback, which evolved in high school, continuing through college, and then the NFL.

Through his significant accomplishments, he has truly won the hearts of football fans as well as his Christian followers. Tebow’s devoted fan base is captivated by his humble beginnings in

Manila, Philippines where his parents worked as missionaries to help others. When his family returned to the U.S., they resided in Florida. Tebow and his four siblings were home-schooled by his parents, who worked to ensure the children had Christian values and beliefs. Due to a minor controversy in high school, Tim assisted with Florida legislation in 1996, known as the “Tim

Tebow law,” that specifies that homeschooled students may participate on the team of the local high school in the school district in which they live. With his Christian foundation, Tebow knew no limits and, after graduating from high school, catapulted into stardom as the “All-American

Football Quarterback” for the Florida Gators, and from there to the NFL. As a result, Tebow’s fan community is filled with admiration as he has been helping others and doing extraordinary things that make a difference in others lives since his childhood.

Tebow, with his multi-million fan base, creates his celebrity persona through his sportsmanship, playing football as quarterback, his Christian beliefs, and marketing endorsements. These various views of Tebow provide images to his fans, through which they are able to fantasize and personalize the celebrity. The fan community appreciates celebrities with whom they can identify with on many emotional levels. There is, however, overlap between fantasy and reality, and it is difficult for the dedicated fan to make this distinction. The celebrity image that exists in their mind and heart may not exist at all. This is the challenge that is faced by Tim Tebow as his career progresses.

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Czech, Daniel R. and Craig A. Wrisberg and Leslee A. Fisher and Charles L. Thompson and Gene Hayes. 2004. “The Experience of Christian Prayer in Sport: An Existential Phenomenological Investigation.” Journal of Psychology and Christianity 25: 3-11. http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2004-13674-001

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James, Jeffrey D. 1997. “Becoming a Sports Fan: Understanding Cognitive Development and Socialization in the Development of Fan Loyalty.” Dissertation, The Ohio State University.

McNamara, Kim. “Publicising Private Lives: Celebrities, Image Control and the Reconfiguration of Public Space.” Social & Cultural Geography 10, no. 1 (2009): 9-23. doi: 10.1080/14649360802553178.

Mehrabian, Albert and Jeffrey S. Blum. “Physical Appearance, Attractiveness, and the Mediating Role of Emotions.” Current Psychology 16, no. 1 (1997): 20-42. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a0c68f10-b5c9-4201- ab19-bfefab3759ba%40sessionmgr110&vid=4&hid=110.

Meyers, Erin. “’Can You Handle My Truth?’: Authenticity and the Celebrity Star Image.” Journal of Popular Culture 42, no. 5 (2009): 890-907. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5931.2009.00713.x.

Soukup, Charles. “Hitching a Ride on a Star: Celebrity, Fandom, and Identification on the World Wide Web.” Southern Communication Journal 71, no. 4 (2006): 319-337. doi: 10.1080/10417940601000410.

Stever, Gayle. “Fan Behavior and Lifespan Development Theory: Explaining Para-social and Social Attachment to Celebrities.” Journal of Adult Development 18, no. 1 (2011): 1-7. doi: 10.1007/s10804-010-9100-0.

Sun, Tao and Guohua Wu. 2012. “Influence of personality traits on parasocial relationship with sports celebrities: A hierarchical approach.” Journal of Consumer Behaviour 11: 136-146. doi: 10.1002/cb.1378.

“On my honor, I have not given, nor received, nor witnessed any unauthorized assistance on this work.