Abstract
Erich Fromm’s philosophy emphasized how love and authenticity facilitate and are essential to human connections and relationships - viewing it as an active power that requires work and desire to express. Authenticity is one of the primary reasons for the popularity of K-pop, specifically the K-pop group BTS. BTS is a seven-member K-pop group that reached 31 billion streams on Spotify on March 3, 2023, beating their own record. Most importantly, ARMY embodies BTS’s message of loving yourself as not a means to an end, but an end unto itself. These events illustrate the authenticity that BTS’s fanbase has for them. Though the intimacy that fans feel with BTS is at a distance, it has fostered a unique iteration of the parasocial relationship that has inspired profound emotional attachments - for BTS, for the self, and the society. By exhibiting ethics of care, BTS inspires ARMY to mirror this care that influences others to contribute positively to their fandom’s culture, improving the community while making the world slightly better. Situating itself within the framework of Erich Fromm, this research examines the authenticity and love of the parasocial relationship between BTS and its fans. This paper argues that an authentic parasocial relationship is found between BTS and its fans because it positions the relationship as a tool to love and care for yourself despite the challenges caused by the pandemic and the general state of the world.
Presenters
Graciel ApoloAssistant Lecturer, Department of Philosophy and Humanities, Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology, Lanao Del Norte, Philippines Lex Rei Brendon Hilario
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2024 Special Focus—Traveling Concepts: The Transfer and Translation of Ideas in the Humanities
KEYWORDS
Authenticity, Authentic relationships, K-pop, BTS, Popular culture, Fan culture, Parasocial
