Our interest in the lives of celebrities is rooted in our innate human tendencies, Forster says. We are wired to process relationships, whether real or one-sided and mediated through our screens, as genuine social bonds. “Media hasn’t been around long enough for us to have a specialized brain area devoted to parasocial relationships,” says Forster, who studies media psychology, including the celebrity crush phenomenon. “So just like we connect with some people, same goes for celebrities. We feel like we know them.”
And we feel entitled to weigh in on their choices, Forster adds. “Like, should Justin Bieber be with Selena Gomez or Hailey Bieber?” Or—to cite an example from my own para-social life—why on Earth did Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Schwartz bleach his hair without consulting me first?
Communications professor Bradley J. Bond, from the University of San Diego, notes that celebrities’ fame and influence mean their aesthetic choices have cultural ramifications, and so it makes sense that we track their evolution. “When those individuals do something that greatly alters their appearance or violates our expectations for that individual, it creates a shift in what’s trendy [and] a shift in what we see as the acceptable social norm,” he says.
Take, for example, “the Rachel” haircut from Friends—a shoulder-length honeyed bob with shaggy face-framing layers. Crafted by hairstylist Chris McMillan, the iconic look was the most requested haircut in the ‘90s, thanks to the beloved Jennifer Aniston. Nearly three decades later, the hairdo has resurfaced with the Y2K revival. On TikTok, #rachelgreen boasts a staggering 5.2 billion views; #therachel has over 18 million views. But, if this coif is pinned to your Pinterest board, awaiting its debut, don’t worry about being labeled as just another trend follower. “It’s human nature for us to want to feel like we are part of a group,” says Bond. “We often understand our own identity based off the people we surround ourselves with.”
Photo: Getty Images
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