Could social media and cameo aid in the issue with fans thinking they’re friends

[Theatrefanboy1]

Today I was on Instagram and a friend of mine who does connect with fans through social media to prompt events or his products started his Cameo profile today. It is a great way to help make ends meet especially during this time where performers have no idea when they will return to their work.
But it got me thinking. Could these apps have been aiding in the stalker like fandom that has plagued broadway especially over the last number of years. Where people reference to their paid video person as friend or have their performersona (performer persona come out. Could it make these fans believe that they are actually friends and therefore seeing someone at the stage door as seeing theirfriend. Yes, to me thats weird. But I was just curious what people think the root of the issue is.

In the west end. Ive found it neither to be meeting my friend or a crowded mayhem mess really on any of the very few times Ive chosen to stage door.

[LizzieCurry]

Absolutely.

Related, I saw this yesterday and instantly thought of theatre fandom, though it's not specifically about theatre.

"There are children’s authors who share snippets of their personal lives on Twitter, Instagrammers who use lush food photography as a way of inviting their followers into their homes, relatable podcasters who keep commuters company on long drives, and sex workers who share glimpses of their dildo collections online. Though we don’t actually know these people, it can surely feel as if we do."

 

https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/parasocial-relationships-ruining-the-internet

[hearthemsing22]

Oh 100%. Absolutely. You can also ask them to say anything, for advice, to sing a song, anything...so it does give a false sense of being close to the person you get a cameo from. I got one for my birthday, but I don't expect anything from the person who did it for me. It was just a nice message to get. We''re not friends now or anything. 

[hearthemsing22]

Sorry one more thing--it's like people will do anything to get their favorites attention via social media. Once they do get acknowledged by the person, it seems like their friends come out of the woodwork to be like, OMG THAT PERSON LOVES YOU, OMG WHAT YOU DESERVE...I want to roll my eyes. You know it doesn't automatically mean you're BFFs, right??

[joevitus]

No question. In general, the concept of a private life that is no one's business is harder in this day and age. And definitely, the greater access fans have to stars, the more some of them are likely to think they are friends with those stars.

[JBroadway]

I'm not so sure as the rest of you, actually. 

I would think that the stage-door culture contributes to this issue more than Cameo does. At the stage-door, the actors give their time freely, and anyone can wait there and talk to them. And for a lot of these musicals with active fan-bases, it's not uncommon for the actors to recognize repeat-attenders and validate them in a variety of ways (learning their name, giving them hugs, chatting with them). And all of this is done for free. 


Meanwhile, I have to imagine that if I were one of these young fans, and if I received a video from Cameo, knowing full-well that this is a paid service, then the video would feel far less real and personal to me than an interaction at the stage-door. In fact, a video of that nature might help them come to their senses; because it may make them realize that if they were really friends, the actor wouldn't have needed to be paid to send a personal video. 

So if a fan knows that the actor only made the video because they were paid to, and yet they STILL take it to mean that they are friends with the actor, then odds are they had already bought into their own delusion well before receiving the video on Cameo. Maybe Cameo helps re-enforce it, but at that point, the fan must be in so deep that they can spin anything to re-enforce their delusion.

[fosterfan2]

 I'm reading a book about the Beatles right now,and I'm reminded of John Lennon's tragic,needless death. I can understand why more Broadway stars are choosing to have a driver to take them home after their shows in order to avoid stalkers. Before the shutdown,I saw a picture of the Jacobs Theatre at the end of one of Company's previews and there were fancy cars lined up in front,obviously waiting to drive Patti LuPone,Katrina Lenk,et al,home. (I'm guessing,unless maybe they belonged to the chauffeurs of rich audience members)  I've also read about several performers,including Lenk,who are said to be extremely private and share very very little about their personal lives,not even "vital statistics". I don't blame them one bit;there are some crazy people out there.

[poisonivy2]

I find the cameo thing really weird. I mean to pay for a personal message is really ... transactional. The closes thing I can think of are autograph shows or paid meet and greets but there the format is much more potted. I don;t think it would lead to people thinking they were friends, but I think it could lead to people thinking their favorite stars are warm and friendly when actually you paid them to be warm and friendly in a video.

I also think it's really weird when stars talk about how much they want privacy but then are on cameo. I mean if I was a celeb and wanted privacy I wouldn't be on cameo, just sayin' ...

[LightsOut90]

why do these threads keep popping up every two weeks, who cares worry about your own lives....

[scripps]

I have not used this service (missed out on chipping in for my friend's birthday message from Lance Bass that one summer) but I am amused by the pricing, talk about social credit ...

[Islander_fan]

I find it sad that there are people who are way too into Broadway to the point of making others uncomfortable and having no idea that their actions are doing so. The thing is, in this day and age, if you're an actor, you're your own "brand" as it were and put yourself out there, specially nowadays with social media. It can, at times, be a balancing act. Putting them between a rock and a hard place. I mean on one hand they have to get themselves out there and give themselves a presence. Yet, at the same time there are those who way over the top, thinking that they are bff's with a given cast member etc. It is a tough balancing act. 

And, as for Cameo, the difference is that an actor is choosing to be on there in the first place. And, they aren't being put on the spot like they may be with one intense fan at the stage door. Furthermore, If it's something they don't feel comfortable doing, they don't have to.

[Scarlet Leigh]

I have seen TOO much where someone has said a nice word to a person at the stage door, accepted a friend request on social media, and the fan getting the impression that "OMG! They took my FRIEND request! That means we are FRIENDS!" Not just when it comes to stage actors. I have a number of friends (like legit hang out in person, known for years/before the were famous, friends) that hit it off in the voice over industry and have a lot of problems with people stalking them on social media thinking they are "friends" to the point they have had to create fake named social media profiles to add actual family and friends and keep the fans out just to have a social life with their actual social circle not drowning in wackos on every social media posting. 

I will never forget running into someone I know (not well but enough to know they have the "we are friends" delusions over a handful of people in the business) and seeing them SCREAM at their parent when their mother suggested that the 'friend' they were gushing over was not really a friend. The yelling was along the lines of "Don't you dare tell me they are not my friend, mom! He has HUGGED ME! He's my FRIEND and he has HUGGED ME!"

I don't think Cameo plays so much into this as other social media does. Then again, Cameo is a new part of this delusional phenomena. It might not be something that I think will start delusions but can certainly feed the delusional if they pay for messages from people they already think are their friends. But it's more social media and (previously) face to face interaction where it all starts. They can't seem to tell the difference between a friend interaction and a friendLY interaction.

[fosterfan2]

Your story about the person who thought they were really "friends" with a celebrity they met reminded of a very similar story a former co-worker told me: Her grandmother had a much younger friend at her church who had a 12-year-old daughter,who was on Facebook,and thought she had "friended" Justin Bieber,back when he was a huge teen idol. The young girl insisted it was really him,and I told my co-worker it was most likely someone impersonating him. She was suspicious,too. But then,this isn't all that unusual behavior for a 12-year-old. I don't know the end of this story.

Sadly,I also used to know someone who engaged in "stalkerish" behavior. She was obsessed with the actor Scott Bakula  and was convinced they were engaged. Very sad and seriously delusional.

I'm a big fan of Katrina Lenk and she responded to me in a friendly way (on paper,since I don't live in NYC and have not met her in person) and I've kept the paper,but I know we're not BFFs. It's just a nice little memento with some kind words.

[dramamama611]

I don't know about you, but I don't have to PAY my friends to talk to me.  (Well....not usually.)

[fosterfan2]

Neither do I...maybe a bribe sometimes. Joking.

[Kad]

Honestly, all I can think of is the old trope of men who think because an exotic dancer pays attention to them, it means they're romantically interested.