Britney, Lindsay, Paris -- Americans are obsessed with the exploits of these and other famous drama queens who appear to have it all yet can’t resist the lure of self-destructive excesses. Thanks to the endless stream of gossip items and paparazzi shots available online, on television and in the tabloids, we can all witness their shameless antics 24/7. But is our rabid interest in every aspect of these soap opera-ish lives just harmless fun or is something more serious, and potentially damaging, going on?
Nationally prominent expert Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction and behavioral specialist, the host of the popular radio show Loveline and the star of the current VH1 hit Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, finds the growing epidemic of celebrity narcissism -- and its powerful influence on the general public -- deeply troubling. In THE MIRROR EFFECT: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America (Harper; On Sale: March 17, 2008; $26.99; Hardcover), Pinsky and his co-author Dr. S. Mark Young bring a pioneering approach to their examination of our celebrity-obsessed age as they explore what drives those hungry for fame and reveal how the famous are reshaping our society in their narcissistic image.
In a groundbreaking scientific study, performed with the cooperation of hundreds of celebrity subjects, Pinsky and Young determined that stars, whether A-list movie icons or D-list reality show castoffs, are in fact more narcissistic than the rest of us, and they are more likely than regular citizens to suffer from a specific set of psychological problems including mood imbalances, self-loathing feelings and substance abuse issues. And today, unlike in the past, their resulting personal difficulties are regularly exposed to a mass audience: We watch as celebrities seem to get away with everything from sex tapes to DUIs.
As Pinsky and Young warn, many people are imitating these narcissistic behaviors, particularly our impressionable teens and tweens, and the real-life consequences can be devastating. Having treated countless celebrities, Pinsky is uniquely positioned to monitor this disturbing trend, and THE MIRROR EFFECT draws heavily from his hands-on expertise and his insider perspective to provide a thoughtful, effective framework for understanding and addressing this widespread cultural condition.
Dr. Drew Pinsky is the Service Director of the Chemical Dependency Program/Residential Treatment Center at Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena, California. He frequently appears as a commentator on many national television programs, and he has been profiled extensively in numerous publications. The author of Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again, he lives in California with his wife and their triplets. Dr. S. Mark Young is a professor of Sports and Entertainment Business at the Marshall School of Business at USC. The author of five books, he is featured regularly in the business and entertainment presses. He lives in California with his wife and two children.
THE MIRROR EFFECT takes a probing look at the downside of celebrity worship, and I hope you will give this up-to-the-minute exposé the review/feature consideration it deserves.