ABSTRACT
This chapter examines three powerful processes through which audiences become involved with and affected by celebrities: parasocial interaction, identification and worship. Studies of these processes are found in celebrity-related research throughout the academic literature, particularly in communication, social psychology, psychology and sociology journals. The chapter discusses conceptualizations of celebrity involvement and how parasocial interaction, identification and worship with celebrities are defined. It explores how these three processes of celebrity involvement are related to each other. The chapter reviews several powerful examples that show how audiences develop parasocial relationships with celebrities, how they identify with them, and how strong identification can lead to worship of celebrities. It considers future theory and research of celebrity involvement and its effects on audiences. Media consumers who establish parasocial relationships with celebrities also look to some of them as role models for their own values, beliefs and behavior. The role-modeling process creates celebrity identification, which involves actively adopting the values, beliefs and behavior of celebrities.
