Title:

Addiction to Fame and Celebrity

Summary: As far as their fans are concerned, celebrities fulfil two emotional functions: they give a mythical narrative (a story that the fan can adhere to and determine with) and they function as blank screens onto which the fans project their dreams, hopes, fears, plans, values, and desires (wish fulfilment).

Keywords and phrases:

Post Physique: Question:

Are Narcissists addicted to getting renowned?

Answer:

You bet. This, by far, is their predominant drive. Becoming well-known encompasses a handful of critical functions: it endows the narcissist with energy, supplies him with a continual Supply of Narcissistic Give (admiration, adoration, approval, awe), and fulfils essential Ego functions.

The picture that the narcissist projects is hurled back at him, reflected by these exposed to his celebrity or fame. This way he feels alive, his quite existence is affirmed and he acquires a sensation of clear boundaries (exactly where the narcissist ends and the planet starts).

There is a set of narcissistic behaviours standard to the pursuit of celebrity. There is nearly absolutely nothing that the narcissist refrains from performing, practically no borders that he hesitates to cross to accomplish renown. To him, there is no such thing as "poor publicity" – what matters is to be in the public eye.

Simply because the narcissist equally enjoys all kinds of interest and likes as a lot to be feared as to be loved, for instance – he doesn\'t thoughts if what is published close to him is incorrect ("as lengthy as they spell my name correctly"). The narcissist's only negative emotional stretches are throughout periods of lack of focus, publicity, or exposure.

The narcissist then feels empty, hollowed out, negligible, humiliated, wrathful, discriminated against, deprived, neglected, treated unjustly and so on. At initial, he tries to achieve interest from ever narrowing groups of reference ("provide scale down"). However the feeling that he is compromising gnaws at his anyhow fragile self-esteem.

Sooner or later, the spring bursts. The narcissist plots, contrives, plans, conspires, thinks, analyses, synthesises and does what ever else is essential to regain the lost exposure in the public eye. The much more he fails to secure the interest of the target group (usually the biggest) – the far more daring, eccentric and outlandish he becomes. Firm selection to become acknowledged is transformed into resolute action and then to a panicky pattern of focus searching for behaviours.

The narcissist is not quite interested in publicity per se. Narcissists are misleading. The narcissist seems to love himself – and, very, he abhors himself. Similarly, he seems to be interested in being a celebrity – and, in truth, he is concerned with the REACTIONS to his fame: men and women view him, discover him, speak close to him, debate his actions – for that reason he exists.

The narcissist goes close to "hunting and collecting" the way the expressions on people today's faces transform when they discover him. He areas himself at the centre of focus, or even as a figure of controversy. He often and recurrently pesters these nearest and dearest to him in a bid to reassure himself that he is not losing his fame, his magic touch, the focus of his social milieu.

Genuinely, the narcissist is not choosy. If he can become well-known as a writer – he writes, if as a businessman – he conducts business. He switches from one field to the other with ease and with out remorse Due to the fact in all of them he is supply with out conviction, bar the conviction that he should (and deserves to) get well-known.

He grades actions, hobbies and men and women not according to the pleasure that they provide him – however according to their utility: can they or can\'t they make him recognized and, if so, to what extent. The narcissist is one-track minded (not to say obsessive). His is a globe of black (becoming unknown and deprived of interest) and white (becoming popular and celebrated).

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Mistreating Celebrities - An Interview

Granted to Superinteressante Magazine in Brazil

Q. Fame and Television exhibits close to celebrities constantly have a massive audience. This is understandable: folks like to see other effective individuals. Nevertheless why individuals like to see celebrities getting humiliated?

A. As far as their fans are concerned, celebrities fulfil two emotional functions: they offer a mythical narrative (a story that the fan can comply with and determine with) and they function as blank screens onto which the fans project their dreams, hopes, fears, plans, values, and desires (wish fulfilment). The slightest deviation from those prescribed roles provokes huge rage and makes us want to punish (humiliate) the "deviant" celebrities.

However why?

When the human foibles, vulnerabilities, and frailties of a celebrity are revealed, the fan feels humiliated, "cheated", hopeless, and "empty". To reassert his self-really worth, the fan should establish his or her moral superiority over the erring and "sinful" celebrity. The fan should "teach the celebrity a lesson" and show the celebrity "who's boss". It is a primitive defense mechanism - narcissistic grandiosity. It puts the fan on equal footing with the exposed and "naked" celebrity.

Q. This taste for watching a individual getting humiliated has one thing to do with the attraction to catastrophes and tragedies?

A. There is constantly a sadistic pleasure and a morbid fascination in vicarious suffering. Becoming spared the pains and tribulations other people go through makes the observer feel "chosen", secure, and virtuous. The increased celebrities rise, the tougher they fall. There is a thing gratifying in hubris defied and punished.

Q. Do you think the audience put themselves in the put of the reporter (when he asks one thing embarrassing to a celebrity) and become in some way revenged?

A. The reporter "represents" the "bloodthirsty" public. Belittling celebrities or watching their comeuppance is the modern day equivalent of the gladiator rink. Gossip employed to fulfil the identical function and now the mass media broadcast live the slaughtering of fallen gods. There is no question of revenge here - just Schadenfreude, the guilty joy of witnessing your superiors penalized and "cut down to size".

Q. In your nation, who are the celebrities folks love to hate?

A. Israelis like to view politicians and rich businessmen decreased, demeaned, and slighted. In Macedonia, exactly where I live, all popular folks, regardless of their vocation, are topic to intense, proactive, and destructive envy. This love-hate romantic relationship with their idols, this ambivalence, is attributed by psychodynamic theories of private advancement to the youngster's feelings towards his parents. Certainly, we transfer and displace quite a few poor feelings we harbor onto celebrities.

Q. I would under no circumstances dare asking some inquiries the reporters from Panico ask the celebrities. What are the characteristics of folks like those reporters?

A. Sadistic, ambitious, narcissistic, lacking empathy, self-righteous, pathologically and destructively envious, with a fluctuating sense of self-really worth (possibly an inferiority complicated).

6. Do you feel the actors and reporters want themselves to be as well-known as the celebrities they tease? Simply because I think this is nearly happening...

A. The line is extremely thin. Newsmakers and newsmen and girls are celebrities simply Simply because they are public figures and regardless of their real accomplishments. A celebrity is popular for getting popular. Of course, such journalists will most likely to fall prey to up and coming colleagues in an endless and self-perpetuating food chain...

7. I think that the fan-celebrity romantic relationship gratifies each sides. What are the positive aspects the fans get and what are the positive aspects the celebrities get?

A. There is an implicit contract among a celebrity and his fans. The celebrity is obliged to "act the part", to fulfil the expectations of his admirers, not to deviate from the roles that they impose and he or she accepts. In return the fans shower the celebrity with adulation. They idolize him or her and make him or her feel omnipotent, immortal, "greater than life", omniscient, superior, and sui generis (special).

What are the fans becoming for their difficulty?

Over all, the capacity to vicariously share the celebrity's fabulous (and, always, partly confabulated) existence. The celebrity becomes their "representative" in fantasyland, their extension and proxy, the reification and embodiment of their deepest desires and most secret and guilty dreams. Quite a few celebrities are Too role models or father/mother figures. Celebrities are proof that there is much more to life than drab and program. That gorgeous - nay, best - folks do exist and that they do lead charmed lives. There's hope but - this is the celebrity's message to his fans.

The celebrity's inevitable downfall and corruption is the modern day-day equivalent of the medieval morality play. This trajectory - from rags to riches and fame and back to rags or worse - proves that order and justice do prevail, that hubris invariably gets punished, and that the celebrity is no far better, neither is he superior, to his fans.

8. Why are celebrities narcissists? How is this disorder born?

No one knows if pathological narcissism is the result of inherited traits, the sad outcome of abusive and traumatizing upbringing, or the confluence of each. Constantly, in the very same loved ones, with the identical set of parents and an exact same emotional atmosphere - some siblings turn into malignant narcissists, although other folks are perfectly "usual". Certainly, this indicates a genetic predisposition of some individuals to grow narcissism.

It would seem reasonable to consider - though, at this stage, there is not a shred of proof - that the narcissist is born with a propensity to grow narcissistic defenses. Those are triggered by abuse or trauma in the course of the formative years in infancy or throughout early adolescence. By "abuse" I am referring to a spectrum of behaviors which objectify the youngster and treat it as an extension of the caregiver (parent) or as a mere instrument of gratification. Dotting and smothering are as abusive as beating and starving. And abuse can be dished out by peers as nicely as by parents, or by adult role models.

Not all celebrities are narcissists. Nevertheless, some of them Certainly are.

We all search for constructive cues from men and women close to us. Those cues reinforce in us certain behaviour patterns. There is nothing at all distinctive in the truth that the narcissist-celebrity does the identical. But there are two important variations among the narcissistic and the standard character.

The 1st is quantitative. The typical individual is most likely to welcome a moderate quantity of focus – verbal and non-verbal – in the form of affirmation, approval, or admiration. As well considerably focus, though, is perceived as onerous and is avoided. Destructive and bad criticism is avoided altogether.

The narcissist, in contrast, is the psychological equivalent of an alcoholic. He is insatiable. He directs his entire behaviour, in reality his life, to attain those pleasurable titbits of focus. He embeds them in a coherent, entirely biased, image of himself. He utilizes them to regulates his labile (fluctuating) sense of self-really worth and self-esteem.

To elicit continuous focus, the narcissist projects on to other people a confabulated, fictitious version of himself, recognized as the False Self. The False Self is every little thing the narcissist is not: omniscient, omnipotent, charming, intelligent, rich, or properly-linked.

The narcissist then proceeds to harvest reactions to this projected picture from loved ones members, buddies, co-employees, neighbours, business partners and from colleagues. If those – the adulation, admiration, focus, fear, respect, applause, affirmation – are not forthcoming, the narcissist demands them, or extorts them. Funds, compliments, a favourable critique, an look in the media, a sexual conquest are all converted into the identical currency in the narcissist's thoughts, into "narcissistic provide".

So, the narcissist is not very interested in publicity per se or in getting well-known. Seriously he is concerned with the REACTIONS to his fame: how men and women view him, discover him, speak around him, debate his actions. It "proves" to him that he exists.

The narcissist goes close to "hunting and collecting" the way the expressions on men and women's faces modify when they discover him. He spots himself at the centre of interest, or even as a figure of controversy. He always and recurrently pesters these nearest and dearest to him in a bid to reassure himself that he is not losing his fame, his magic touch, the interest of his social milieu.