Parasocial Pups!

Zelig hangs out with Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansen on the beach! (Maybe)

A strange thing seems to be happening – many people and dogs (like Zelig and Humphrey) form attachments to media personalities as a substitute for “real” inter-personal relationships. These so-called “parasocial relationships” occur when people feel as though they know their favorite television characters or celebrities – and sometimes take on a bigger part of life than the real relationships. It’s the way Humphrey hangs on every word television dog Wilfred said during the program’s debut season. It's like Humphrey knows him! He is sure to never miss an episode.

Humphrey meets Santa Claus *and* George Clooney! (Or did he?)

The concept of parasocial relationships is used to describe the way that people attach themselves to celebrities in modern times. In his article, “Identification as a Mediator of Celebrity Effects” (Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 40 no. 4), Michael Basil discusses how celebrity endorsers establish credibility for consumer products (as the likes of Cesar Millan, Ellen DeGeneres and Rachel Ray attempt to do with their lines of dog food!). This strategy, Basil argues, is effective because of parasocial relationships. In other words, late modern diaspora leads people to have a sense of “knowing” celebrities and relating to them as if they were friends. Research suggests that (in humans, anyway) this is a function of people’s need for belonging in a culture where ties to others are very much diminished (see, for example, the synthesis of research by Wendi Gardner and Megan Knowles in their 2008 article, “Love Makes You Real: Favorite Television Characters Are Perceived As “Real” In A Social Facilitation Paradigm” in the journal Social Cognition, 26, no. 2).

Think about it – families are less connected, intensification of work and 24/7 use of technology means fewer “in person” relationships. These parasocial relationships are simpler than “real” ones, especially when you’re a dog! Parasocial relationships require no obligation, effort, or responsibility on the part of the spectator, and can be cancelled at any time. Yet, they can be very powerful in influencing people. 

These parasocial relationships have an interesting connection to dogs. Philsopher Donna Haraway and cultural critic Heidi Nast argue (in various places) that dogs fulfill a similar relationship functions for humans in that they also compensate for people’s increasing isolation from other people. Maybe even blog readers feel a parasocial connection to Humphrey! You never know....

Stephen Colbert's canine friend, the late Finnegan, several Christmases ago.