The Investment Game:the Changing Idol-fan Relationship

The uncertainty of stars in the situation of modern world has been noticed.The works,personality,potential and fame of a star make up the image the star showing in front of audiences.This paper concentrates on the question how fans keep their passion of their idols within the uncertainty of idols.The research method used in this paper is participatory observation method,virtual ethnography and interviewing method.At the first of all,this paper reviews the definition of the relationship between fans and idols,finding that there have been four kinds of definition of the relationship between fans and idols-the aesthetic relationship,the consumption relationship,the identity relationship and the parasocial relationship.All of the four definitions failed to demonstrate the uncertainty of the idol and its influence on the relationship.They also ignored the reasons of fans keep passion and oblation towards their idols.Therefore,this paper puts forward a new definition of the relationship between the fans and idols-the investment game.In the investment game,the idol can be regard as"instrument" and its '"value" is in great fluctuation.Fans are "investors".When the value of the idol keeps in high level or can get raised in the future,the fans will made additional investment;while when the idol faces the risk of devalue,the fans would develop "pathetic narration" and "hopeful narration" to maintain "investment".When the fans disbelieve the authenticity of their idol or feel despair of him or her,then they will stop the "investment" and stop being fans.This paper also notices the playfulness of being fans.To some extent,the playfulness is the by product of being fans instead of the target itself.Fans can get playfulness in the process of waiting for the information of their idols.The information of idols is exposed gradually so the fans are in the cycle of the uncertainty and the exposure.Suspense rises up in the process and the fans fall in the nervousness of the suspense and get addicted to the new information of their idols.Another way to get playfulness is to act to promote the value of their idol.By communicating and interacting with producers of the movies,TV series and popular songs,other audiences and their idols,fans can achieve their aims of promotion the value of their idols.In this process fans can get subjectivity and power.Fans also need to make plan of how to act,which is mental involvement and can raise the difficulty and fun of being fans.This paper regards the uncertainty as an important nature of stars and should be stressed in the research of fans.The "investment game" can be an enlightening perspective of studying fans within the uncertainty of idols.