Celebrity Narcissism Epidemic by Allan S

Celebrity Narcissism

Intro

How many celebrities have you seen today? More than likely, you have seen at least one, if not more. One of the biggest influences on our culture today is the media, yet individually we have little control over it (Whitborne). The controllers of the songs, movies, news, and social networks that make up our everyday life are largely celebrities, who have an undeniable impact on modern society. Due to the evolution the media, celebrities around the world are enjoying a vast increase in accessibility and prominence. Is this immense power to affect society making our stars into narcissists, or does it inspire greater charity?

 

History

Narcissism, as well as celebrities, have been around for as long as humans have existed. The Greeks were the first to popularize the condition with their mythical celebrity, Narcissus. According to the story “Narcissus and Echo”, Narcissus was the son of the river god Cephissus (Burton). He possessed extraordinary beauty and was plagued constantly by suitors. One day while walking in the woods, the wood nymph Echo saw him and was enamored. She came to embrace him, but he shunned her and sent her away. Echo was heartbroken, and she wandered lonely parts of the forest until nothing but her voice remained.

Nemesis, the god of revenge, heard this and was outraged. He led Narcissus to a pool of water, where he saw his reflection and instantly fell in love. He laid by the pool but could not reach the beautiful figure in the water, no matter how hard he tried. Because of this, he eventually committed suicide, never realizing that the reflection was himself.

Hence the term “narcissist” was born, which refers to a person who is consumed with self-obsession. From this myth we can assume that narcissism has been recognized by many cultures throughout history. Although it is expressed in different ways by different people, all narcissists share an unyielding fascination in themselves. This egotistic trait can have unpleasant effects on celebrities, whose grandiose visions of themselves are only confirmed by their fame and fortune.

Effect on Society

Narcissism is often overlooked in our society, despite the widespread attention given to media stars. Although many people will determine that “wealthy people are greedy”, this belief falters when asked about their favorite actor or musician. The prevalence of narcissism among celebrities is astonishing, yet easy to misinterpret. Because of their reliance on public approval, celebrity narcissists take many forms, including pseudo-scientists and absurd visionaries. It is not surprising that celebrities use their visibility to make changes in the world, but the issue arises of what they should and should not promote in the public sphere.

One example of this is celebrity actor Tom Cruise, who denounced the legitimacy of psychiatric therapy. Cruise stated during an interview, “you have to understand, with psychiatry, there is no science behind it. And to pretend that there is a science behind it is criminal” (Niell). This belief stems in part from his participation in the religion of scientology, but to disregard the work of mental health experts in favor of his own theory shows a blatant streak of narcissism. Even though his comments have been rebuked by the American Psychiatry Association as being “irresponsible”, noting that it could deter people with mental illness from getting the care they need, he still maintains his view on the science (Saad). This is a clear example of the overconfidence bias displayed by celebrities who, surrounded by positive feedback and adulation, give themselves far more authority than they deserve.

Another example of celebrity narcissism comes from television host and anti-vaccine activist Jennifer Ann Mccarthy. Jennifer, or Jenny, Mccarthy has the belief that vaccines can cause autism and maintains that her son has autism, despite doctor skepticism. She is a representative for unconventional therapies and new-age style thought, believing she is an “indigo child” and putting her son through numerous treatments such as gluten-free diets, aromatherapy, and chelation (Klotter). Most importantly, however, she is a Hollywood celebrity and has the potential to influence thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people. It is the narcissistic belief that her fame and success as an actor give her credibility in the field of science that is most dangerous to the public. By taking the stance that certain proven medicines are faulty, it is hard to decide whether she is being a “mom warrior” for children with autism, or blatantly disregarding our nation’s health in favor of her ego. Jenny Mccarthy and like-minded celebrities not only endanger their fanbase with pseudoscience therapies, but also discredit the remarkable work of the scientific community.

Not all celebrities are guilty of overstepping their boundaries. For example, Pop singer Taylor Swift gave concert tickets to a school of deaf students to raise awareness, and actor Christian Bale visited victims and from the Colorado Theater shooting and their families. While some have used their influence for good, such as giving money to charities and raising awareness about social epidemics, others have used their fame for questionable purposes, often contradicting medical practices and spreading false information to confirm their ego. As one psychologist writes:

“Most celebrities have at best graduated from high school. Hence, it is quite extraordinary that they should feel sufficiently knowledgeable to contribute to complex issues in physics, psychiatry, medicine, and biology. Here is a thought: Entertain us at the movies and in concert halls, and leave the science for scientists.”

Solutions

How can we combat celebrity narcissism and the slew of bad role-models and misinformation that it brings? Because narcissism is so subjective, the best way to mitigate the effects of uninhibited celebrities is to counter the persuasion, manipulation, and alternative facts that they present. Through fact-checking websites and healthy social media trends, we can further curb the influence stars have on our lives.

One such website, Sense about Science, is actually a charity that was founded to “challenges the misinterpretation of evidence in public life”. Confused users can submit questionable public statements or claims to have them either verified or disproved. This is similar to Snopes, PolitiFact, and FactCheck.org. These organizations have a valuable place in our media-driven society, provided they remain unbiased, because they limit celebrities and other public figures from influencing areas outside the realm of entertainment. The pull of celebrity opinions can be very strong, but realizing that they are, more often than not, normal human beings can lessen the impact on society of a narcissistic few.

Another way to curb the harmful effects popular narcissism can have on society is through social media. Social media is a powerful connecting force that does not discriminate or favor people based on status. Psychologist Sherry Turkle explains that, "With all these “friends” and followers, you have automatic listeners" (Wikiel). It is a level field where celebrities can reach out to the public, and the public can respond. Anyone with a phone can have their voice heard on social media, although it is harder for individuals with little or no fame. Despite this, many trends have gained support through social media, and open stars up for critique by the common people.

Camus and Absurdity

Camus lived before the rise of modern television, news, and social media, but his take on the meaning of life, or lack of, gives us a good idea of how he would have responded. In fact, Camus’ view that life is inherently meaningless and every moment we live should be cherished has elements of narcissism itself (class notes).

Narcissism is described by Dr. Sam Vaknin, in an interview on his book Malignant Self Love, as being as harmful to the individual as it is to others:

The narcissist's life is thus transformed into an on-going trial. The constancy of this trial, the never adjourning tribunal is the punishment. It is a Kafkaesque "process": meaningless, undecipherable and never-ending. It leads to no verdict, is subject to mysterious and fluid laws and presided over by capricious judges. Thus the narcissist masochistically frustrates his deepest desires and drives; neglects his affairs and procrastinates; obstructs his own efforts, alienates his friends and sponsors… or engages in excessive self-sacrifice. (Vaknin)

On the other hand, Camus' description of narcissism, based off his philosophy on life, is not harmful narcissism but rather the healthy, self-appreciating narcissism that we all need. Living each moment focused on our own, unique human experience is indeed self-centered, but not detrimental to society.   It can be said, then, that the narcissism of select iconic celebrities is not the “happiness and meaning” that Camus describes. Camus undoubtedly would have denounced their self-obsession as absurd, because it is self-destructive. In worshipping the object of their desires, themselves, they simultaneously tear it down.
Conclusion

The main problem with celebrity narcissism is its effect on the public. Seeing the toxic personality of some celebrities only leads others to follow in their footsteps, spreading this epidemic throughout our culture. That is truly what makes it so much worse than average narcissism. While most celebrities do not display complete pathological narcissism, many of the same manipulative, grandiose, entitled, and self-obsessive traits are still there and create false connections between how a celebrity acts, and how successful they are. By being aware of the superfluous nature of stars and their constant influence on culture we can limit the impact of the narcissistic minority, and prevent them from becoming the majority.

 

Works Cited

 

Burton, N. (2018). Thinking About Love: The Myth of Narcissus. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201203/thinking-about-love-the-myth-narcissus [Accessed 22 Feb. 2018].

Marano, Hara Estroff. "Letting go of a narcissist." Psychology Today, July-Aug. 2016, p. 25. Science In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A456900812/GPS?u=j084901001&sid=GPS&xid=4fbe461f. Accessed 1 Mar. 2018.

Saad, Gad. "I'm not a doctor, but ... driven by narcissism and surrounded by yes-men, celebrities think they can cure the world's ills." Psychology Today, Nov.-Dec. 2009, p. 60+. Science In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A210724537/GPS?u=j084901001&sid=GPS&xid=ce666868. Accessed 1 Mar. 2018.

Seltzer, Leon F. “The Catch-22 of Dealing With a Narcissist.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 1 Nov. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolution-the-self/201711/the-catch-22-dealing-narcissist.

“Sense about Science – Because evidence matters.” Sense about Science, senseaboutscience.org/.

Vaknin, Sam. “The Narcissist's Self-Defeating and Self-Destructive Behaviours.” The Narcissist's  Self Defeating and Self Destructive Behaviours, samvak.tripod.com/faq69.html.

Whitbourne, Susan Krauss. “Are Selfie-Takers Really Narcissists?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 27 Aug. 2016, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201608/are-selfie-takers-really-narcissists.

Wikiel, Yolanda. “The Psychology of Social Media.” Real Simple, Real Simple, www.realsimple.com/work-life/technology/social-media-psychology.