In class we talked about parasocial
interactions and the way in which adolescent girls admire certain idols. The articles we read tended to focus on movie stars but when I
think of idols I used to admire I immediately think of singers/performers. As I
was reading the article by Karniol (2001) I immediately thought about the
country music lifestyle and the persona that comes along with country music.
Why is it that people fall in love with country music in the summer? What kind
of country artists are popular and why? When I googled popular country artists
I got Luke Brian, Florida Georgia Line, Brett Eldredge, Dierks Bentley, and Jake Owen. What do all of these men have
in common? They all have physically masculine traits and tend to have tons of songs
focusing on love as well as what it means to be a man. These men are emotional
in their music, yet they have such traditionally masculine traits, which I
believe is why women craze over them.
In the
article Adolescent Females’ Idolization
of Male Media S tars as a Transition Into Sexuality, Karniol (2001) talks about
adolescent girls and the whether they gravitate towards feminine looking or masculine
looking men as idols based on their perspective on wanting or having a
boyfriend. It was found that girls that had boyfriends were more willing to
admire more masculine looking men. Was this because they were more biologically
developed than other girls? What is driving maturing girls to want more
masculine looking men? And at what point in time does their admiration of feminine
looking men change to masculine? I am fascinated with the concept of
relationship statuses and admiring different sorts of men because this isn’t a
typical idea that we focus on in our daily lives when we admire famous men. The
article briefly explains how masculine looking men are associated with sex and
sexual drives rather than love, which interested me as to why girls with
boyfriends would gravitate towards sex more when they are currently in a
relationship. This might be because girls in relationships are not seeking out
men anymore, and instead are ready to explore their sexuality.
In country
music most of the men are physically masculine looking and young girls as well
as older women idolize them. I think country artists feel as if they have to
have masculine traits because they are so sensitive in their lyrics at times. If
you watch the music video of the country song called “Something Bout a Truck”
by Kip Moore you will fall in love with the idea he is presenting. The whole
video is about falling in love with a girl, while promoting masculinity by
riding around in a truck and drinking beer. In the video Kip Moore is not
cleanly shaven, wears ruffed up jeans and drives around in a truck while admiring
a women that he desires. Women tend to gravitate towards a man that looks this
way because they might feel as if a man like this might love them the way he
does about the women in the video. And men might admire Kip Moore’s figure
because he gets the girl, and presents masculinity in a way that is seen as
desirable in a woman’s eyes.
When this song was being played on
the radio all the time, every time I would hear it I would be reminded of the
values invested in the song and immediately get a feeling of excitement and
enjoyment in the story he is telling. Unlike a movie, songs are constantly
played throughout the day and someone can even listen to the same song multiple
times a day. In this sense the story and admiration of an idol is constantly
engaging with someone all the time, unlike the idolization of an actor in which
you see in a show or a movie but then can disappear throughout the day. That is
why I believe musician idols effect individuals much more because every time
you hear their song you are constantly reminded of your idol. And men and women
tend to idolize these country musicians, which is why I think they are an
entire new and important realm to investigate when it comes to parasocial
interactions.
I chose to
focus on country music as a form of media to analyze because it is not just
young girls who idolize these figures; older women do as well. Every year I go
to a country music festival called Faster Horses in Michigan. My entire family
goes as well as my boyfriend and for the past two years we have all thought it
was the best weekend of our entire lives. Why is this? I believe it is because
we are in love with the environment that country music brings to us. It excites
us, and fills us with relaxation and enjoyment because most country lyrics have
a fun and comforting beat to them. Country songs can be focused on love and
relationships, as well as sunshine and drinking beer in warm weather. Who doesn’t
like drinking a little bit of alcohol on a beautiful summer day and falling in
love? Not only does this concert bring all of us together for a weekend, but it
allows us to create memories that will last a lifetime, and the country artists
are the makers behind this wonderful feeling, they are the ones who make
formulate ideas of what happiness and love is like. It is no wonder these idols
are so easily admired by women and men of all ages. Women are not the only ones
falling in love with Luke Brian because of his sensitive funny side, men are
also falling in love with Luke Brian because he can relate to you and present
you with masculine traits that a man can hope to aspire one day. (Even my dad
drinks Miller Light beer because Luke Brian does) That is why country music is
so important with idols because both men and women can contribute to this
feeling that the artists instill in our bodies. So in conclusion, if these
masculine looking men are writing about love then according to Karniol (2001)
then these musicians are perfect candidates for young women who have boyfriends
to idolize. And because these lyrics tend to be positively motivating and
desirable, I believe that country artists, no matter what their gender, tend to
attract admirers of all ages and genders.
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