Hot topics on our radar 👁️
Parasocialism and more
👋 Hello! We’re The Z Link, a global Gen Z-led social media agency that helps brands reach our generation. The Digital Native, written by our Trends Reporter, Shaurya, takes a deep dive into niche internet micro-trends and subcultures, and analyzes them so you don’t have to. For any feedback, questions or suggestions, just reply to this email!
Guys we’re in a slow news month so here’s a rundown and a ~small~ analysis of topics that caught my eye. These are lukewarm takes, to be honest. To me they make sense but to some these might be hot takes to someone else???? We’ve got three (four, including this) introductions today and I know how much y’all love my introductions, so without further blabber, let’s take a deep dive into hot topics (not the brand) of the month. 😼
Writer’s note: The writer’s been moving countries… again… and had been stressed and busy and that’s why we’re so late. BACK TO REGULARLY SCHEDULED NEWSLETTERS Y’ALL. The writer has also completed a year writing and working for The Z Link and she is very ecstatic about it, everyone say congratulations right now. 😾
Rise in demonic imagery in media? 👀
Is that a plane? No that’s a bird, I think. Both wrong answers, that’s Doja Cat on a horned goblin. I cannot make this up, y’all. Also I thought we agreed that Beyoncé isn’t in the illuminati… She runs it. Come on I raised you better than this. My segues aren’t what they used to be but I think this is a cool way to introduce this hot topic to you: “demonic” imagery in entertainment and media… because apparently Beyoncé using 4 horses across her career is predicting the apocalypse. Huh? 😸 I think it’s a big cosmic joke that new-age/TikTok spirituality is trending at the same time as the rise in demonic imagery so I wanted to explore that a bit more, so let’s go down this pole to hell (if you get this, we’re best friends).
Anti-religious or just art?
So if you’re not aware, which I’m really hoping you are, Doja Cat dropped a new album and with album come new lyrics, visuals, trends, everything — except a PR team apparently. Her song ‘Paint the Town Red’ has been going viral for two things — the lyrics as a dance trend and the visuals for being ~Satanic~. Getting people outraged everywhere. The lyrics go “mmm, she the devil, she a bad lil’ b*tch she a rebel” and obviously people are talking about it and also dancing to it. What’s a ‘bigger issue’ is the music video which shows symbolism like the Grim Reaper, her interpretation of the Devil, and she also has her own Lady Gaga moment with raw meat because that’s also shown so heavily in the music video.
Obviously Doja isn’t the first victim to the rumour. We’ve had Beyoncé, Jay-z, Rihanna, Ye and Taylor be associated to illuminati or devil worshipping. She’s just the newest victim and has been on that side of the internet’s radar since her Eyes Wide Shut themed birthday party. Do I think a cult themed birthday party is weird? Yeah. Do I think she’s in a deal with the devil? No, I just think that she knows how to stir up controversy. It’s so clearly a marketing tactic which musicians have used for AGES. Using ‘anti-religious’ imagery is just a way to get press because it gets to so many people. It’s literally just for engagement and also creative expression and what not. Doja, however, is not doing the marketing correctly because if you want to be edgy, you do it in a way where you’re not rude to your fans. Set boundaries, sure, but be kind. It’s the bare minimum. It’s why this formula has worked for so long.
Demonic imagery since the renaissance
Now the question is, is it anti-religious or just art? It’s obviously a subjective answer because art is subjective. And music and subsequently the music videos and related images are their forms of art. Is it anti-religious in someone’s eyes? Yes. But is it also a manifestation of expression that arises due to religious righteousness and rigidity (at least in modern times)? Also yes. Besides, symbolism and depictions that deviate from religious norms have been around since the Renaissance. Hieronymus Bosch is well known for using religious and deviating symbolism. Does this mean he sold his soul or was he just painting? Francisco Goya painted witches a lot, do you think he was on Satan’s lap doing that? 😭 No. People forget that there’s various religions that don’t have the concept of a Devil. Religious and spiritual symbolism looks different to everyone, so calling anything that doesn’t align with major religions demonic is wrong.
And besides, a common trend is to mainly accuse women of being in deal with the Devil and occasionally a man here and there like they’re diversity hires. Like, this isn’t the 1600s anymore, let’s stop accusing women (and people at large) of being witches or in cahoots with the Devil when they just have excellent industry connections. This isn’t Salem, just Hollywood.
Parasocialism
Gather ‘round, folks. It’s time to call ourselves out. And to give people a reality check because we tend to forget celebrities aren’t our friends. Not even Keanu Reeves. I know it’s heartbreaking, but it’s true. We’re going to talk about parasocialism, celebrity personas, boundaries and a lot more in this world of celebrity-fan relationships.
Celebrity personas
So the first thing I want to explain is celebrity personas. Your favourite celebrities all have a curated persona. You rarely see their real selves. For the sake of this newsletter, I’ll be taking The Try Guys and Taylor Swift as an example and compare them to their contemporaries.
Try Guys and hyperbolised personas:
So I absolutely love the try guys, even after the Ned Fulmer scandal (I don’t like Ned, don’t worry)- but after the scandal, it brought to light just how exaggerated their on-screen personalities are. Keith’s the funny one, Eugene’s the alcoholic, Zac’s the cutie patootie and Ned… Well he WAS the wife guy. But the thing with the other three guys is that they had a lot more going on for them, they weren’t one-dimensional, while Ned was. Like a broken record going “my wife, my wife, my wife”.
Another really successful trio from Buzzfeed is Watcher, started by Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej and Steven Lim. Out of the three, Ryan and Shane’s duo have the most prominent personalities that have been around since Buzzfeed Unsolved days — that of a believer and a non believer (also a demon) respectively.
In both situations, the exaggerated personalities work because it’s only a part of what they do on-screen. They have chemistry with each other and bring a lot more to the table than just their family. :)
However, even though these are exaggerated personas, they’re an extension of who they really are. What they preach is what they practise which makes them so likeable and STILL keeps them relatable and relevant (unlike a certain family man).
The genius of Taylor Swift’s marketing
Listen, I’m not a die hard Taylor Swift fan, although I love her popular work so much. Look What You Made Me Do used to be on REPEAT. But I applaud her marketing, PR and business mind. I adore it.
Easter eggs, secret sessions at her house — I’m sorry to be the one breaking the news but everything she does IS a calculated move. I’m not saying that ALL of it is PR, some of it could be genuine, but there’s no way of knowing.
She’s selling essentially the same records over and over again in different colours, and dropping easter eggs with every action she does in the public eye. She dated Tom Hiddleston and Matty Healy as a PR stunt and dropped a remix with Ice Spice and an extended version of her collaboration with Lana Del Rey.
My favourite PR stunt has to be her Reputation comeback. The way she bounced back after snakegate was amazing to see in real time. She went radio silent and dropped this banger of an album which was a visual treat, with receipts after receipts. She took all the criticism she got IN STRIDE and made it profitable. She’s ‘self aware’ (self aware in quotes because of the private jet fiasco) and that’s what makes her likeable. She’s a millionaire but she also represented girlhood and womanhood in her songs. She knew what would sell and stuck to that formula. She might not be experimental but her business prowess is what I adore her for.
Women are absolute powerhouses when it comes to marketing — Kris Jenner, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are my faves in the entertainment sphere right now when it comes to marketing. I would’ve also said Doja but we all saw what happened. Which brings me to my next point — boundaries.
Celebrities aren’t your friends: fans v. stans
So Doja was right, celebrities aren’t your friends. They’re entertainers and they’re just doing their job. Making friends along the way is just a plus but they’re regular people and this what makes all the difference between a fan and a stan. A fan understands that celebrities can AND WILL make mistakes, they aren’t barred from that. They see them as humans. Stans on the other hand… take it a little too far.
Doxxing people because people criticised your fave, thinking you ACTUALLY know them and know what goes on behind the scenes, refusing to acknowledge that they can make mistakes and gatekeeping their faves amongst other concerning behaviour, is all stan culture. And Doja was right to call them out, just not in the way she did. Stans often intertwine work and celebrity when they shouldn’t be, and with recent celebrity drama, that’s what people are realising. Your fave IS NOT their body of work. You can like a celebrity’s work while actively calling out their BS.
The parasocialism runs crazy in stan culture because there’s no need to be defending a celebrity that doesn’t know we exist. It’s a behaviour I’m trying to unlearn too. There’s a difference in commenting on a celebrity situation vs defending them with your entire being. We don’t need to get into their personal lives, we can enjoy what they produce and keep it moving. You can call out problematic behaviours that do have an affect on lives like Taylor Swift’s carbon emission because like, come on. You can also call out problematic behaviours in their private lives like Ariana’s cheating allegations BUT you cannot expect a comment or response because at the end of the day, it’s her personal life.
Conclusion
So, what have we learnt? Beyoncé isn’t in the illuminati and neither is Taylor Swift, she just really likes the number 13. There’s nothing evil or demonic about ‘anti-religious’ imagery in media because it is artistic and creative expression. It’s been done for centuries it’s nothing new, people are just bored. What else have learned? Celebrities aren’t your friends and owe you nothing. It’s okay to like their art and not them as a person, it’s also okay to call-out their behaviours. What do you think? Let us know!
Any questions/suggestions as to what we should cover next? Reach out to us and we’re always here to chat!
— Written by Shaurya, Trends Reporter at The Z Link
Connect with Shaurya on Instagram where she shares great content and lives her best influencer life as a fashion student in London. And she writes all of these great issues too. What can’t she do??? 🧐 Thank you for reading!
Loved this! I think the topic of parasocialism also opens up the conversation of how much of the artist should we separate from the art. Do we really want to continue supporting someone who might not be a great person but is a great artist and creator...?