Hopelessly Devoted

By Nicola Uy of 10-Temperance

Graphic by Erin Chua

IMPLICIT BIAS refers to the unconscious, automatic preferences that tend to influence actions, decisions, and opinions. This may manifest itself in a wide range of settings, including marketing and brand perception, social events, corporate hiring—virtually anywhere. As it normally operates on a subconscious level, people tend to be oblivious to their own cognitive biases and heuristically make choices that may be slightly prejudiced.

This occurs when the partiality to one aspect of an individual affects the perception of that person as a whole. In the context of attractiveness and physical attributes, it is the “what is good is also beautiful” principle, and the halo effect plays out like this: if she is pretty, then she must be safe to be around; if he is tall, then he must be the best athlete in his year. Normally, the effect is harmless, only buoying on surface-level perception and tacit judgment. Once conjoined with parasociality, however, its innocuous ways may shift into something more unfavorable.

Parasociality is defined by a one-sided relationship between two individuals, where one invests money, time, and effort in support of the other, who does not know of their existence. If this sounds familiar, it is because parasociality is the cornerstone of celebrity culture, supporting sports teams, and undeniably, on some level, politics.

How much is too much when it comes to celebrity fascination and idol worship? Unfortunately, they coincide when an individual treats a celebrity with such deference and admiration, that a figure’s blackened morality and impertinent behavior go ignored. Simply speaking, implicit bias and parasociality often lead to the naively optimistic perception of individuals. This creates unfaltering faith and support systems that just will not budge, even when they ought to. Although it is not uncommon for people to hold those they adore in high esteem, admiration should not be allowed to delude people from the fact that those individuals are still human, and should not be elevated and put onto exorbitant pedestals—so much that they are above criticism, questioning, and judgment. The lustrous image of public figures that people weave after the implicit bias is where damage can truly be done. Even though a politician is charismatic, expertly dishes out jokes, and gives off the impression of being relatable, it must be remembered that these do not constitute for intelligence, eligibility, or competence. Should one person’s likability determine their election into power?

The danger of this coalescing is that worship and idolization may lead to unreasonable support that is unseeing of their dishonorable behavior. Duterte has a great number of those who drool with populist zeal whenever he stands on a podium, but he also has a great number of people who look at him with disdain, possibly due to the astounding number of offensive comments he makes, or his avid support of political allies. In February 2016, Manny Pacquiao’s relationship with Nike ended, which happened after Manny Pacquiao called homosexuals “worse than animals” on TV5’s electoral site. In an official statement, Nike mentioned that they strongly oppose “discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community.” He haphazardly apologized, but refused to change his views on same-sex marriage. He said that he would “rather obey the Lord’s command than obeying [sic] the desires of the flesh.” Nonetheless, he was elected as a senator on May 19 of the same year, with over 16 million votes.

Envision how betrayed members and allies of the LGBT community felt when they discovered that the man they had been supporting was actually against them and the equality and respect they have been vying for. Some other people may have ignored his remarks and discriminatory behavior, possibly because of his status as a world-renowned boxer, or his impressionability. Presented to you are parasociality and the halo effect: the image of a humble, talented figure who brought pride to the country has been shattered for many, yet others still follow with unwavering devotion.

Society as a whole should not be too gullible when supporting public figures, and must know when to terminate their admiration—especially when they can use their platforms for dishonorable things, whether on purpose or accidentally. Approaching the idolization of a media persona or a politician with the slightest bit of hesitancy and cynicism would not hurt, either. It is much better to be cautious beforehand and discard the rose-colored glasses before the chance to wear them arises, rather than let naivety control perception. Ignorance is not bliss, because a shallow, unperceptive naif can do more harm than good.