Parasocial Relationships Final Project Video

Link just in case: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kQAi9R1uEI&feature=youtu.be

#WhyILoveTwitter

In my opinion, twitter is one of the best social medias out there. For several different reasons. I love twitter because if I'm having a busy day and I don't have time to watch or read the news, I can easily pop up my twitter feed and see what is going on in the world. Twitter also allows me to keep up to date with all my friends and family and stay connected with them. I can tweet back at them throughout the day if I want and tell them what's going on with me. One of the main reasons why I love Twitter so much is because I get to follow celebrities. And sometimes they'll even tweet you back. A couple of weeks ago I tweeted Matt Overton, longsnapper for the Indianapolis Colts, to tell him about our Ball State Dance Marathon that I'm involved with because he's very involved with the Riley kids and immediately got a response. Another example is my freshman year I got the chance to meet and have a connection with Pamela Garner, weekend meteorologist for Channel 8, and after we met I immediately followed her on Twitter, tweeted at her and I got a response right back. Ever since she's followed me back, and we still tweet back and forth. It's such a great networking opportunity and a good way to acredidate yourself. It's crazy how well it connects people and allows you to talk to certain people. Twitter is one of the fastest ways to communicate. If my phone is dead and I need a ride home from class, I'll simply get out my laptop or iPad and tweet one of my friends/roommates and ask them for a ride. It's so quick and easy. I prefer Twitter over Facebook any day.    

Sports, Politics & War

Personally, I absolutely love sports. I've grown up with them my whole life and have played on various sports teams including; softball, soccer, gymnastics, dance, and cheerleading. I love all aspects of the game and what comes along with it. When I hear all the negative and bad things that come along with it, it upsets me because I feel like the good that comes along with it is overlooked. For instance, I never once thought that sports or football in particular idealized war. I just always saw it as a way of paying respect to those who serve our country. Our family are season ticket holders for the Colts and when a soldier goes out onto the field and gets applauded or when the planes fly over the stadium, that should never be looked down on. It always makes me smile. I do however understand what the man on the documentary was saying how it's a form of propaganda but I genuinely don't think its all bad. I think sports brings people together and gives people something in common whether it's a love for a certain team or just a love for the sport.
  
I had no idea just how political our nation’s sports organizations were, especially the NFL. The interesting part of this to me is that the coaches and the players have absolutely nothing to do with the politics that go on behind the scenes. We learned earlier in class that our military uses various forms of simulations to recruit our nation’s youth. The “Citizen Soldier” is a great example. I have just come to terms with that we will always be exposed to war, whether that be in a video game, sports or education.  It's difficult to watch any NFL game now without seeing a commercial with the phrase, “the NFL supports (insert branch of military).”  This is probably because so many people associate the NFL with this this war idea. It's that whole manly idea that the most manliest men either play sports or are apart of the military. My dad is in the military and has never played a sport in his life. Does that make him less "macho?"

Who are we to judge?

Ellen DeGeneres is one of my favorite talk show hosts, hands down. If you've ever seen her show, you can't say she doesn't entertain and truly care for her guests that watch live in the studio and the guests who come onto the show that are being interviewed. She's genuine and I love that about her.

 

When Ellen came out that she was a lesbian, there was a lot of controversy about it. I, personally, looked up to her even more for coming out because I can't imagine the kind of strength that took. Deep down, she's a normal human being just like us who has feelings and unlike most of us that are gay who come out, you don't have to come out to the entire world like she did. So I fully support her for making that decision. It couldn't have been easy. Ellen proves every day on her show how selfless she is by donating money to several organizations, giving away a different surprise/gift on the show to her guests and the support she has provided for several families and friends throughout the years.

 

I don't think it should matter if you're straight, gay or white or black, everyone should be treated equal and be given the same rights and opportunities. Ellen is an icon to many and it shouldn't matter what sex she prefers. Who are we to judge? I actually believe more people have looked up to her and watched her show since she's come out. She's hilarious, genuine, outgoing and selfless. All those qualities and so many more are what makes a great talk show host.

Honey Boo Boo

I've never actually seen an episode of Honey Boo Boo, but after seeing a clip in class, talking about the show and reading all the articles and seeing all the drama and hype across all forms of social media, I can relate because I come from a small town where there are people just like their family. Many of us look at people that are like Honey Boo Boo's family and instantly think they are ignorant and cannot do much for themselves. I have to admit, before I knew what the show was about, I was one of those people. I think the reason America thinks this way is because the media portrays these people in such a negative light. They show all the crude things they do and not the things that would relate “us” to them. The producers make the family look poor and stupid. Honey Boo Boo's family is not poor though. The mother is putting money they get from the show away for the girls college.

I know a lot of people that watch honey boo boo and they thoroughly enjoy it and get a kick out of it. It's all part of 'reality TV' though to give off that persona. Even though Honey Boo Boo's family may not really act like that, it's pure entertainment and the viewers like it. What irritates me is as a parent, no matter the price, I would never put my child in that type of situation. If it were for that show or Toddler's and Tiara's, it doesn't matter. It gives off the wrong idea for the children and I don't think it's the right way to raise a child. Are these shows really in good fun like the article "Honey Boo Boo could be my neighbor" says they are not. I’d have to agree with him. People who live like Honey Boo Boo's family are then also getting a bad light on their way of living.

Social Media

There are so many different positive and negative aspects involved with social media. Social media is used to tell stories across the world, network with colleagues and reconnect with old friends or family members that may live in a different city or state than you. The internet has made it so easy for all of us to stay connected that sometimes we take it for granted in our every day lives. Our generation is so dependent on constantly checking our cell phones, that when we're apart from the outside world, we lose that emotional attachment and we suddenly don't know what to do with ourselves. It's a sad anxiety that unfortunately I don't think will get any better overtime.

For example, with social media some people don't consider themselves in a legitimate relationship until it's 'Facebook official.' And with Instagram, the pictures people upload get so altered that if you were to see that person in real life, you wouldn't recognize them. Information displayed on social media is most likely altered or inadequate. People think that bullying is okay if it's through Twitter, or any other social media site for that matter. Bullying rates have increased significantly through Twitter. People think it's easier to hide behind a computer screen to make themselves feel better.

Unfortunately, in today's society, we view social media as one of our top priorities. It's slowly taking away from what is really important in the world. It's almost like it's a popularity contest with people on different social media sites to see how many 'likes' they can get or how many 'friends' they have. It shouldn't matter what's perceived online. What we portray to the world every day is what counts.

Parasocial Relationship

 

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would've had a parasocial relationship. But after our class lecture on the subject, I came to realize that I do in fact have a parasocial relationship with the characters on "Friends." Even though parasocial relationships may seem stupid, I think we've all caught ourselves having the same problem with our favorite TV show or movie characters. "Friends" has been around for a long time, but I haven't started watching it until a few years ago. I now own every season on DVD and have seen every episode.



Even though this relationship may be one-sided, having the connection I do with these characters has helped me get through some tough times in my life. It may sound crazy but I like to think my friends relate to the characters of "Friends" in so many different ways. Thinking back to all the episodes I've watched, reminds me so much of my life and my friends. The characters give off this persona that they're you're typical normal people who do every day things just like we do which is what I love about the show. It's realistic. They're always making fun of eachother, laughing, having a good time, getting in to trouble most times but they also have hard times. Just like we do.



I remember the final episode of "Friends" when the show was ending and thinking how crazy I was for being so upset but I couldn't help it. I cried. I just felt like I had some sort of attachment to them and that I was connected to them in some way. I identified myself so much with the characters, I saw myself in Rachel, Monica and Phoebe. It was so surreal. I still can't watch an episode without laughing and crying at the same time.


Parasocial relationships are not fake, I can say from a personal experience. TV shows are not just shows, they are people we identify with and have characters we fight for and cry about. It's what we love.