Pygmalion: the Greek myth that predicted this whole thing

The Greeks had the whole thing two thousand years ago and did not think it needed a caveat, which tells you what the caveat is actually for. Pygmalion did not fall in love with a woman. He fell in love with something he made, and the real one was standing right there the whole time being ignored. That is the most parasocial story ever written and it is also just a story about how people are not actually paying attention. The statues were never the problem.