This study critically examines the Missing Richard Simmons podcast to explore how producers and participants use media to define and process complex relationships with celebrity figures. Employing qualitative textual analysis, this research demonstrates how audiences mediate celebrity interactions and the potential role these relationships play within a marginalized and fragile community. This project qualitatively explores parasocial interactions to demonstrate the ways expressions of grief and loss are mediated by audiences when a celebrity “relationship” disappears. In using a podcast to rekindle a celebrity connection, this study shows the impact that podcast hosts may have on messages presented to the audience.

这项研究批判性地检查了失踪的理查德西蒙斯播客，以探索制作人和参与者如何使用媒体来定义和处理与名人人物的复杂关系。本研究采用定性文本分析，展示了观众如何调解名人互动以及这些关系在边缘化和脆弱的社区中发挥的潜在作用。该项目定性地探索了准社会互动，以展示当名人“关系”消失时，观众如何表达悲伤和失落。在使用播客重新建立名人联系时，这项研究显示了播客主持人可能对呈现给观众的信息产生的影响。