The recent development of entertainment media and its consumption has ended up creating a void as there is very limited research on this field. The rapid growth and diversity in entertainment media has led to the development of a wide range of social issues that need to be researched on and addressed (Klimmt & Vorderer, n.d.). One such issue is parasocial relationships.
Many people have at one time experienced a unilateral and one-sided relationship with celebrities and fictional television characters (Chung & Cho, 2014). The phenomenon is at times referred to as a parasocial relationship. Storytelling is a way through which ideas can be spread and be inspiring to other people (Dibble, Hartmann, & Rosaen, 2015). Therefore, we can end up having strong bonds and relationships with the characters of these shows. At times we may even show more empathy for fictional TV character as compared to the people we interact with on a daily basis.
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As much as a character cannot communicate back to an individual or engage with them, watching a television show for hours may make a person form a bond with the character and get attached to him or her. Additionally, showing love and affection to such characters shows that an individual is capable of developing empathy (Chung & Cho, 2014).
Chandler Bing is a character that appears in the television series aired on the NBC network between 1994 and 2004 and lasted ten seasons. The show was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman. Chandler is one of the show’s funniest characters, and his wit and sarcasm are some of the reasons as to why people have fallen in love with him.
I developed a parasocial relationship with the character while binge-watching the show a couple of years ago. There are several reasons for this. First, as mentioned earlier, his wit and sarcasm are endearing qualities. His use of humor and sarcasm makes it easy for him to handle some tough and awkward situations quite easily ( Paus-Hasebrink, 2007) . He is not extraordinary in any way, but his humor, wit, and good use of sarcasm make him loveable. I look up to him especially because of these three virtues.
Additionally, Chandler readily accepts himself for who he is. He knows that he is not sexy, or a hero and women do not find him particularly endearing, but he agrees with these facts and does not have a problem with them. He admits his flaws and only thinks positively.
I also adored Chandler as he showed that we could all learn to love. He says that by the age of 25 he had been turned down by a lot of women. Chandler showed us that love is quite simplistic and that no matter how many times one gets turned down we ought to always pick ourselves up, dust ourselves and try again. In the end, you will find the right person, and it will all be worth it (Chung & Cho, 2014).
Another quality that I found appealing from Chandler was his honesty. He is easily the most honest character in the series. He accepts the fact that he is far from charming and that he is not good with women. When he is unsatisfied or disappointed with something, he quickly says it. Chandler also shows support to his friends and loved ones ( Paus-Hasebrink, 2007) . He knows that Monica has several flaws in character, but he still loves her for who she is. At the same time, Chandler has shown financial and emotional support to Joey’s roommate many times.
When it comes to real life, Matthew Perry who played the character is known for fighting against addiction to drugs such as Eutanazol, amphetamines, and methadone. Currently, he has had several campaigns in the fight against drug addiction. The character has motivated me always to take things in life lightly as there is always light at the end of the tunnel. The only disappointment that I have with the character is that he often used sarcasm to deflect some essential issues.
References
Chung, S., & Cho, H. (2014). Parasocial relationship via reality TV and social media. Proceedings of the 2014 ACM International Conference on Interactive Experiences for TV and Online Video - TVX 14 . doi:10.1145/2602299.2602306
Dibble, J. L., Hartmann, T., & Rosaen, S. F. (2015). Parasocial Interaction and Parasocial Relationship: Conceptual Clarification and a Critical Assessment of Measures. Human Communication Research, 42 (1), 21-44. doi:10.1111/hcre.12063
Klimmt, C., & Vorderer, P. (n.d.). Media Entertainment. The Handbook of Communication Science, 345-362. doi:10.4135/9781412982818.n20. Retrieved 06/09/2018, from: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412982818.n20
