With the implementation of social media, and the intimacy we have into strangers’ lives, parasocial relationships have become common in today’s world. Everywhere you see articles and blogs about celebrities. Posts that ask what relationships they’re in, what they do on a day to day basis, asking intimate questions you wouldn’t normally ask a stranger. And it is no surprise that these parasocial relationships, relationships where people believe they have a form of connection to a celebrity or internet personality, can extend to criminals.
The most famous example was the craze that surrounded famous serial killer Ted Bundy. With his trials and story being reported on nearly every news station and newspaper, flocks of women fell in love. Sending him love letters, gifts and attending his trials like they were a concert, he became a sensation for his looks despite the horrific crimes he had committed. But because of the amount of reporting, those women fell in love and believed that they had a chance with the dashing murder-rapist.
More recently, in 2021 a young man by the name of Cameron Herrin killed a mother and her daughter while racing in south Florida. His car was reported to have been going at 102 MPH and killed the pair instantly. However, when photos of Herrin released he gained a massive cult following, not dissimilar to Ted Bundy. Thousands of women on both TikTok and Twitter were coming to the young man’s defense solely for his attractiveness. They believed that because he was “too cute” that he should not be given a harsh jail sentence, even though he murdered a mother and daughter with his vehicle.
The phenomenon of people being attracted to criminals, no matter how obscene or disgusting the crime, is a mystery. With countless examples other than Bundy and Herrin, it is interesting to see the development of parasocial relationships and how “fans” of the killers have more access into their lives than previously. Possibly causing their perceived relationships with the criminals to deepen even further, creating an imaginary sense of connection that bonds the viewer with the killer.
I feel like this whole thing is just reflecting the trend of people idolizing celebrities that is reinforced by our culture. Still, it is bizarre that this trend is so deep that is extended to people accused of major crimes. I suspect the specific demographic effected by have had a history with being attracted to .. similar things. I wonder if it’s also the fact that the crime may also appear masculine that contributes to the attraction. Still I wonder, if this is also reflected on men as well, and may just be under reported
I feel like this whole thing is just reflecting the trend of people idolizing celebrities that is reinforced by our culture. Still, it is bizarre that this trend is so deep that is extended to people accused of major crimes. I suspect the specific demographic effected by have had a history with being attracted to .. simialr things. I wonder if it’s also the fact that the crime may also appear masculine that contributes to the attraction. Still I wonder, if this is also reflected on men as well, and may just be under reported .
Parasocial relationships have been increasingly discussed in our culture now with how ubiquitous social media is for the world. Fan culture and the undying admiration fans would have for certain celebrities and even criminals have fascinated psychology. With convicted criminals it’s intriguing to see how they manage to gain a following despite how it is objectively proven that they have done bad things that have harmed people severely. Although with the way the media sensationalizes the documentation of these types of crimes, it is almost glorified how these gruesome acts are portrayed and the attention is on the person committing the act, not the victims. Perhaps how we portray these types of events would be contributing to how we notice this phenomenon. For example, dramatic re-imaginings of these events are packaged into shows and/or movies, and potentially portraying it in a way that strikes an emphatic chord for the audience.
The phenomenon of people (especially girls) falling in love with convicted murderers/criminals due to their physical attractiveness is interesting and also concerning. I think in part, it may have to do with the fact that we have been brainwashed by media, etc to believe that beauty = good and ugly = evil. When the beautiful act evil, it can feel a bit confusing because it goes against all of the messages we have been told (think Disney characters… who is beautiful and who is ugly?). People seem to think that incredibly attractive people could not commit horrendous crimes, or give them a pass because maybe they assume they have other redeeming qualities (such as their looks?).
This phenomenon is very strange indeed. It is no secret that people with “pretty privilege”, or people that are naturally beautiful in the eyes of the majority, often have it easier than others in terms of the consequences of their actions. This is seen in how the severity of these murderers’ crimes was downplayed simply because the criminals were attractive. Also, I think this phenomenon is because of the obsessive trait many of these serial killers have. Generally, people want to be obsessed over and paid attention to, and the level that these killers take their obsession to is attractive to them which is why they “fall in love” with them despite the absolutely awful things these people have done.
As someone who did not grow up in the US I have always found this phenomenon very surreal, and concerning. I am not sure why someone would feel so inclined to defend a murderer based solely on his looks, although I do have a theory. I believe that they way most of us have been raised has, firmly made us put a lot of weight on people’s appearances, and second it’s made both man and woman (not everyone of course) very prone to forgiving man for wrongdoing, for man I believe is more of an inclination to unconsciously believe that men are better that women and seeing themselves in other men that leads them to be empathetic to men who are being judged for their wrongdoings. And I think for women it a little different since we are thought that in some way or another men are better than us and thus we should be more forgiving and have more empathy towards them. And I think both phenomenons present commonly but we as a society are used to point out women’s mistakes more often, and that we get so focused on how women react to these cases.
Although this article supposes we do not know why people are attracted to criminals just because they are good-looking, I personally think it might be due to maternal/paternal instinct. People who like that person should probably be delusional thinking ‘Oh, I would like to care for him with love and he will be changed into a new person because of me!’. I do not understand them, but if I was a researcher researching this topic, I would do some research on the maternal/paternal instinct.
The article says that we cannot know the reason why many people are attracted to criminals. However, I have thought that it might be due to the wrong thought of those people. I think there might be a chance of them thinking ‘Oh, maybe I can change that handsome guy and make him a new person with love and care!’. I am not sure, but if I was doing research on this, I would like to do research on the aspects of maternal/paternal instinct.
I’m going to be straightforward and say that this phenomenon is strange. I cannot understand why people become obsessed or grow attached to people they do not know. I understand people can be drawn by looks but not to the point that they look past criminal charges or eccentric behaviors. Thinking someone is attractive is one thing, but going out of your way to connect with people who want nothing to do with you is obsessive and scary. The act of women sending Ted Bundy love letters reminds me of erotomania where people think celebrities are secretly in love with them and sending them messages. This brushes on the topic of celebrity crushes, but there’s plenty more where that came from.
The parasocial relationships and attachment to criminals that we see today is concerning. It’s true that psychology explains that attractive people are seen in a better light, or as “good people” and thus easily forgiven or leading people to deny their negative traits or behaviors, but when it comes to criminals who have committed horrific acts, and all the evidence of that being public, it is worrying that people, especially young women, continue to idealize them due to their looks. However, I do also blame the media and how it portrays the criminals, whether it’s news outlets that mention their good looks or the posts about them that spread into a fanbase and cause more people to feel comfortable with agreeing.
The rise of social media has brought about a disturbing trend of parasocial relationships, wherein people feel a connection to celebrities or even criminals. I think this phenomenon is fueled by more than just the intimate glimpses into strangers’ lives that platforms offer. Maybe certain kinds of people, younger individuals for example, are more prone to have the lapses in judgment wherein they put appearance at the top of their priorities. Regardless of age, I would like to see a a study examine the personalities and upbringings of people who are found to genuinely be infatuated with such killers/criminals to see if there are any commonalities. I also think media, movies, shows, also play a part in romanticizing these types of characters. And of course extensive media coverage surrounding these cases has contributed to the formation of devoted followings, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. As access to criminals’ lives becomes more accessible, it is crucial to examine the psychological factors behind these relationships and their potential implications on society.
This phenomenon is a confusing one. I find it hard to imagine that people are able to look past heinous crimes simply because of their own perceived attraction to the killer. Additionally, I wonder how parasocial relationships could be studied.
Parasocial relationships are becoming a lot more common as people are getting more connected through social media. The concept of virality is helping propagate these parasocial relationships with celebrities and influencers. When the parasocial relationships formed concern criminals, the line gets blurry for some people. This could be harming when deciding how to deal with the extent of the crimes people commit.
Its interesting to see just how much parasocial relationships are often influenced by some sort of visual or emotional appeal towards these criminals. I feel like the reason for these relationships could be highly influenced by first their physical appearance but then maybe a women’s psychological need to nurture, or protect what they think is cute, like babies. Maybe it’s infantilization. So by making these criminals these so-called “celebrities” because they’re either cute or know what to say, it kind of makes more and more people become obsessed with this idea or made up story of a criminal because its easier to be obsessed with someone that is “cute” and bad that someone that is “ugly” and bad.
It’s interesting how the same parasocial relationships occur over and over again. It really does start with increased media presence, like how Ted Bundy’s trial was the first criminal trial to be nationally televised. It started with the push that the American justice system be transparent, but now with social media, I think this resulted in little control on the process. Anything can be shared online, regardless of whether or not it is true. I personally see a lot of women “falling” for men who commit heinous crimes, and I wonder why women are more susceptible to this phenomenon.
The idea of parasocial relationships is honestly distasteful because it dismisses the harm done to the victims. Just because people, and especially women, think these criminals are attractive, it excuses the disgusting things they have done. It makes me sad for the families of the victims.
The prevalence of parasocial relationships in today’s society, fueled by social media and extensive coverage of celebrities and criminals, is a concerning phenomenon. It is astonishing to witness how individuals can develop an attachment to criminals, such as Ted Bundy and Cameron Herrin, despite the heinous nature of their actions. The accessibility and exposure provided by media platforms may contribute to a distorted perception of connection, blurring the lines between reality and fiction in these imagined relationships.
The prevalence of parasocial relationships in today’s society, fueled by social media and extensive coverage of celebrities and criminals, is a concerning phenomenon. It is astonishing to witness how individuals can develop an attachment to criminals, such as Ted Bundy and Cameron Herrin, despite the heinous nature of their actions. The accessibility and exposure provided by media platforms may contribute to a distorted perception of connection, blurring the lines between reality and fiction in these imagined relationships.
As a young adult female, I notice these parasocial fascinations with criminals becoming increasingly more prevalent but I’ve only noticed this to hold true among women. I wonder if, biologically and psychologically, men are able to maintain awareness of a criminal’s wrongdoings despite their potential good looks. Additionally if there is something hardwired into us as women to make us more susceptible to being blinded by a man’s good looks, perhaps influencing us to overlook their dark past.