Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce only began dating in the summer but already speculation among fans over whether they’ll get engaged is reaching fever pitch.
The rumors reached their peak as Kelce prepared for the Kansas City Chiefs to take home the Super Bowl Ring– and some fans hoped the athlete would have a ring of his own for Swift following the win.
Why is there a rush to see Swift and Kelce get married?
The public’s relationship with Swift’s relationship
Swift is not the only celebrity to have faced excited fans looking for a wedding sooner than later. Swift and Kelce are both 34, and neither have been engaged or married yet. But fans have closely followed Swift’s relationships since she was a teenager and have been there for the dating and the breakups.
“The eternally optimist in me is saying that consumers idealize marriage and want the best for the celebrities,” said Kate Kurtin, a professor of communication studies at California State University in Los Angeles, via email. “The cynic in me is saying that consumers feel an entitlement to know details about celebrities’ lives and ‘get the scoop’ and see all the pictures and marriage is the next demand they are placing on Swift and Kelce.”
When celebrities break up, especially Swift, fans tend to take it hard. That’s particularly true for those in a parasocial relationship with the star. That’s a one-sided relationship with a celebrity that is not a friendship but can feel like one, Kurtin said, who has studied the phenomenon.
Fans who are in a parasocial relationship dynamic tend to be more invested in the relationship than a casual fan, as they are following more closely and keeping up with the articles, photos and videos.
“They are happy for her, just like they would be if their interpersonal friend seems to be happy in a new relationship,” Kurtin said.
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