Portrait of a Bob-o-phile
Your Pal Brian
Wed Aug 13, 7:25 PM ET
PARIS (AFP) - A third of people suffer from "Celebrity Worship
Syndrome," a fascination in the lives of the rich and famous that
for some becomes a potentially dangerous addiction, according to
new research reported in next Saturday's issue of New Scientist.
Psychologists Lynn McCutcheon of DeVry University in Florida and
James Houran of the Southern Illinois University School of
Medicine interviewed more than 600 people about their personality
and interest in celebrities.
They were asked to rate statements such as "I am obsessed by
details of my favourite celebrity's life", "I consider my
favourite celebrity to be my soul mate" and "If he/she asked me
to do something illegal as a favour, I would probably do it."
The responses cast doubt on the conventional view that celebrity
worship is categorised into pathological and non-pathological
cases -- in other words, harmless fun and obsession.
Instead, the replies pointed to a "sliding scale" in which the
celebrity devotee becomes progressively more fascinated with his
or her idol.
In addition, celebrity fans are significantly more likely to
suffer from anxiety, depression and social dysfunction than
non-worshippers.
About 20 percent of respondents closely followed celebs in the
media for "entertainment-social" reasons, according to the
report. They tend to be extroverts: social, lively, active and
adventurous.
The next stage, affecting about 10 percent, is when the devotee
develops an "intense-personal" attitude towards an idol, such as
the belief that he or she had a special bond with the star.
At this point, celebrity worship is becoming an addiction. Those
in this category are often neurotic, tense, emotional and moody.
At its most intense, celebrity worship is
"borderline-pathological," a condition found in one percent of
interviewees.
These include celebrity stalkers and people who are willing to
hurt themselves or others in the name of their idol. They
correlate with symptoms of psychosis, such as impulsive,
antisocial and egocentric behaviour.
"Just worshipping a celebrity does not make you dysfunctional,"
New Scientist quoted Houran as saying. "But it does put you at
risk of being so.
"There is this progression of behaviours, and if you start, we
don't know what's going to stop you."
People tend to get interested in celebrities at times when they
are looking for direction in life, as in their teenage years.
The interest can develop into addiction at a time of crisis, such
as the loss of a loved one, according to the research.
So be careful out there, kids. Be careful.
Brian