Parasocial relationships - The SYSK guys have an episode all about weird onesided relationships, focussing on how modern forms of media have normalised this phenominon somewhat. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and I've listenned since the very early days of podcasting. I've also met a few of the podcasters I listen to. To be honest that has been quite strange on occasion, especially in the early days of podcasting.
Back then it literally wasn't even a thing to meet online people IRL, so your brain's only prior art was your real life friends, and so when you met a podcaster the imbalances were super strange and sort of unnexpected. These days I'm totally ok with not meeting or becoming friends with any of the podcasters I listen to. I'm much more interested in just meeting regular people that have similar interests to me, if they are podcasters great, if they aren't also great. I don't spend anytime thinking about it.
I'm not sure the term parasocial relationship really describes the way I feel about the podcasters I listen to very well these days. Maybe at some point many years ago it did. But I'm glad we have a term to describe the phenominon because it's definitely something that didn't previously exist, and it definitely sends your brain for a bit of a trip sometimes. It's a bit like being somewhat annibriated but the people each side of the ear phones are drinking drinks that have different but related effects. Except of course you are sober, and it's still weird, which is itself quite weird.
Anyhow I thought this was a great episode. #