Parasocial interactions in Reality Shows: Analysis of Facebook Comments on the narcoreality Cartel Crew

Abstract

This study examined 4 883 Facebook comments on the female protagonists from the Cartel Crew series. The objective is to analyze the parasocial relationships established between the audience and the protagonists. The results revealed that behavior and personality were more frequently mentioned, with simple comments and parasocial relationships being more prevalent. Empathy was reflected in the justification of the characters’ behaviors. Another key finding was the limited feedback on the Facebook page, as only 6.6% of the comments mentioned the characters. Overall, comments were more negative than positive toward the protagonists, criticizing Nicole’s appearance or accent, as well as Stephanie’s behavior, indicating an unfriendly parasocial relationship from the followers.