Young Celebrities - Celebrity Baby Names

Top Celebrities

Celebrities are not like everyday people.  They have busy schedules, drive expensive cars, and wear jewelry that others can only dream of owning.  Maybe it is because celebrities are so far removed from normal life that they often give their babies unusual names.

Some names are just a little different.  John Travolta and Kelly Preston have two beautiful children.  Their daughter's name is Ella Bleu.  Their son's name is Jett.  Jett is different, but anyone who knows anything about John Travolta knows he has a love for flying. Gwyneth Paltrow, pregnant again, came under scrutiny for naming her first child Apple.  While it is unusual, it is somewhat cute, like in the "apple of their eye."  Chris Martin, her husband, tired of the controversy over the name Apple, has jokingly stated their second child, whether male or female, will be named Banana.  Another cute name is Dandelion, the name of Keith Richards' daughter.  Julie Roberts recently gave birth to twins - a boy and a girl - and received flack over the names she chose.  She received almost as much grief over the choice for her daughter's name, Hazel, as she did the more eccentric choice of Phinnaeus for her son.

Many people speculated what Madonna would name her first child.  Lourdes Maria seems a fitting name for child who's mother's name is Madonna, but she often goes by Lola.  Her son is named Rocco, which sounds a bit like a cartoon character, but at least it is a tough sounding name.  Actor Casey Affleck and fiancé Summer Phoenix recently had a son named Indiana August, which leads one to wonder what state and month their son was conceived in.  Toni Braxton has two sons, Denim and Diezel.  While both useful products, they make somewhat strange names for children.  Rob Marrow decided it would be cute if he named his daughter Tu Simone Ayer, calling her Tu Morrow.  Wonder if she will think it is cute 20 years from now?  Actor Jason Lee named his son Pilot Inspektor, but magician Penn Jillette may have topped them all.  He named his daughter, Moxie Crimefighter, saying "because when she's pulled over for speeding she can say, `But officer, we're on the same side, my middle name is CrimeFighter."'

If you think it is a new trend, think again.  Back in 1971, David Bowie and his then wife Angela decided to name their son Duncan Zowie Heywood Jones.  He soon became known as Zowie Bowie.  Cher named her children Chastity Sun and Elijah Blue.

The Phoenix family is well known for their unusual choice of baby names.  Summer Phoenix's siblings are the late actor River Phoenix, actresses Rain and Liberty Phoenix and actor Joaquin Phoenix.  Joaquin felt his name was so out of place with his siblings, that when he was four, he decided to change his name to Leaf.  By the early 1990's, he had reverted back to using his birth name.  Another family infamous for their choices of baby names is the Zappa family.  Frank's children are Dweezil, Moon Unit, Ahmed Emuukha Rodan and Diva Muffin.  While many people think that Dweezil is his given name, his birth name was originally Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa because the hospital refused to register the name Dweezil.  Always called Dweezil, when he was a child, he wanted to make the name official and his parents took him to have it changed legally.  Paula Yates, former wife of Sir Bob Geldof and girlfriend of late rocker Michael Hutchence, also had a knack for giving her children unusual names.  Among her brood are Fifi Trixibelle, Peaches Honeyblossom Michelle Charlotte Angel Vanessa, Heavenly Hiraani Tigerlily, and Little Pixie. 

Some celebrity baby names make sense if you know the story behind them.  Eurythmic's Dave Stewart named his son Django after jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt.  Stevie Wonder named his son Mandla Kadjaly Carl Stevland, however Mandla means "powerful" in Zulu and Kadjaly means "born from God" in Swahili.  Helen Hunt just gave birth to a baby girl she named Makena'lei Gordon.  The name Makena'lei is from a friend's dream and means "many flowers of heaven."  Gordon, an unlikely girl's name, was to honor of Helen's father, television director Gordon Hunt.  Nicolas Cage just named his new baby boy Kal-el.  Because Nicolas took his stage name of Cage from comic book character Luke Cage, he decided to name his son Kal-el after one of his favorite comic book heroes.  Kal-el is Superman's kryptonian name.

So, do the children like these unconventional names given them by their parents?  In some cases, they do.  The Phoenix's seem to love their nature-inspired names and the Zappa children seem to have had no ill effects from their eccentric names.  However, some children tire of the peculiar names quickly.  Zowie Bowie had had enough of his moniker by the time he was 12 and asked to be referred to as "Joey."  Although Dandelion Richards does not seem too bad, she has since started referring to herself as Angela.  Recently, Peaches Honeyblossom Michelle Charlotte Angel Vanessa Geldof has been the most outspoken about the odd choice her parents made in naming her.  She has been quoted as saying, "I hate ridiculous names.  My weird name has haunted me all my life." 

While having an unusual name might be difficult for any child, the celebrity of a child's parents may enhance it even further.  Thankfully, celebrity children who decide they don't like their given names can switch to a nickname or even eventually have their names legally changed.

Top Celebrities

List of Celebrities - Celebrity Love

Young Celebrities

There is no doubt that love for some celebrity exists within us all. This isn’t the traditional definition of love but rather defined by an excessive admiration for a famous person whom we will probably never meet. The use of “love” is appropriate here as we who love celebrity tend to exhibit signs of undue influence by those highly visible. Famous people, the non-elected representatives of the human race, have always held some influence over the masses. In the days before mass media, television sets and computers fame was circulated orally, carried by the gossipy nature of social beings. Today, we open our eyes and cannot avoid these people. Of course, in a developed society entertainers are necessary. We laugh and sometimes cry at a quality performance. Our memories are seared with images, movies and songs which have touched us, frightened us and stimulated us. They dramatize the political, the romantic, the good and bad. We see in them the potential for perfection of man or woman as an expression of utopian ideals of love and success.

Yet, have we gone too far? How much influence should they have over us? Our choice of clothes, jewelry and hairstyle, our languages and ideas are often areas that we look toward celebrities to define. If you deny this then you are exceptional; the rest of us are invariably, more susceptible. Our culture has become saturated with celebrity influence. We watch their every move including who they are with and what they do. We absorb their politics and gobble up their quotes. We think about what it may be like to be that beautiful, rich and powerful. Fame is an aphrodisiac or so it seems to the unrecognized. Today we have TomKat(Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes). Yesterday it was Bennifer(Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez).  Public Interest in these people is frighteningly obsessive in nature. After all, their claim to fame is usually based on pretense or non reality. They are the constant pretenders, illusionists with screens as their canvas. 

The entertainment value of a celebrity stretches beyond the screen or stage and they are wholly aware it. We are witness to carefully arranged relationships, sudden sightings in sports arenas and controversial quotes days before a new movie or show opens. They appear on your screen suddenly seemingly not to promote themselves but rather attempting to come across as natural, likable, smart and funny. Sometimes we get a glimpse into what certain celebrities are really like. Unfortunately, it is usually when they do something wrong. Drugs, infidelity and physical assaults are a few areas where celebrities have slipped in their public presentation. Mug shots and unflattering photos of famous people are the currency of entertainment news outlets. Being a celebrity has its drawback in this regard as they are monitored as closely as governmental heads of the biggest nations on earth. Alas, the power of celebrity is here with us to stay. Or is it? Can we teach our children who the chancellor of Germany is before we explain the history of Madonna? If we can’t, America will become a nation of uninformed celebrity worshippers numb to the more important realities of the world.

Young Celebrities

Blonde Celebrities - Celebrities and their Sunglasses

List of Celebrities

Every celebrity out there knows the real value of a pair of designer sunglasses.  Whether it's to hide the effects of a late night out on the town or an effort to blend in on the street, a pair of quality sunglasses is absolutely indispensable.  We've seen a lot of trends come and go, but a great pair of sunglasses will always transcend the passing fads of the day.

With the summer just around the corner, we have begun our fashion trend spotting efforts for 2006.  Like years passed, celebrities are on the forefront of eyewear fashion.  One of my favorite pastimes is to monitor the fashion trends of my favorite celebrities.  As with last season, big sunglasses are all the rage for the ladies.  God bless you, Jackie O!

Carmen Electra is one of my favorite celebrities, and one of the most stylish women in entertainment.  While I could do without another season of her dreadful "reality" television show, I am dying to get my hands on a pair of the Missoni shades she was recently spotted in.  They are oversized and oh-so-glamorous! 

Catherine Zeta-Jones may have a thing for old, outdated actors but her fashion sense is as fresh as a spring breeze.  I recently saw her sporting a pair of Dolce & Gabbana glasses that were out of this world!  I suspect they were the utterly amazing "4005" model.  They were black, with the D&G logo designed into the arms of the glasses.  The shades are big, bold, and beautiful!

Heidi Klum, our favorite supermodel and partygirl, has incredible fashion sense.  I saw a picture of her earlier this week wearing a classic pair of Aviator shades.  While a number of people in the fashion industry have been lamenting the prevalence of Aviator shades, I couldn't imagine a world without them.  Heidi was wearing a pair made by Ray Ban, and they were absolutely fabulous! 

Speaking of partygirls, how could I go on without mentioning Paris Hilton?  I adore Paris.  She may not be taken seriously as an actress or singer, but she reigns supreme over the fashion world.  She was recently spotted wearing a pair of the new Oakley glasses for women.  That's right, kids.  Oakley just launched a new line of shades exclusively for women, and they are the must-have item for this fashion year.  Believe the Hype!

List of Celebrities

Pregnant Celebrities - Hip to Be Pregnant?

Blonde Celebrities

In the new age of celebrity obsession, it seems pregnancy is now the latest "must have" accessory for many Hollywood stars with and without little ones already at home.

Pregnancy and children used to be considered career suicide in Hollywood.  But now we have the pop culture coined "baby bump", "bump watch", and other cutesy-trendy phrases to describe the public's obsession with who's pregnant, who's planning on getting pregnant, and who looks suspiciously pregnant in the world of celebrity gossip.

One would almost be able to say that celebrity pregnancy watches have surpassed divorce and breakup watches - almost, but not quite.  The world loves other people's "dirty laundry", and a baby is still considered a generally happy occasion for anyone, so I suppose this new obsession is better than the lust for bad news about stars and their fortunes, right?

A growing trend right now is also single motherhood, and the declaration of independence many young actresses, such as Halle Berry and Penelope Cruz, have recently made about the virtues of single motherhood.

More and more actresses are saying no to marriage, and yes to motherhood, which is probably a sign of a growing sense of feminism and independence in Hollywood, and around the world.

Now that women are in the working force, and many times more than capable of financially supporting themselves and a child, single motherhood has become more acceptable.  In Hollywood, single motherhood has become somewhat of a status symbol. Take Angelina Jolie for example.

When before do you remember a single mother being looked upon with respect and envy?  Angelina and other high fashion, beautiful, big name actresses who've said no to relationships and yes to mommyhood only increase the public's hunger for more "celebrity baby news".

She and other sexy moms like Diane Lane, Shania Twain and other svelte celebs who've given birth have also given new meaning to the term "hot mama".

These women have helped us "regular" women realize that we don't all have to stop having fun, looking sexy, and dressing young once we've had children.  They've made motherhood seem sexy, almost like a new beginning or rejuvenation of the spirit and outlook on life.

Some may argue that celebrity mom glorification makes real life mom's feel inferior and paints an unrealistic picture of ease and happiness in motherhood, what with all the extra help celebs can afford to hire.

I disagree.  I think it's taught women that we can pursue a career, and have a family.  We can have it all, we just have to work for it.  And who is going to disagree with that?

Blonde Celebrities

Celebrities Without Makeup - Celebrity Beauty Secrets

Pregnant Celebrities

You are probably wondering how celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson & Hilary Duff look so gorgeous all the time? How does their hair always look so perfect and well-conditioned?

What’s the Secret?

Well the secret is in the tools, the products and the stylist.
You can create these looks at home, and one of the best tips is:- the less time you spend on it the better it will look. Now you are probably wondering how, but if you think it takes 8-20mins to straighten your hair, you may start to believe me.

Here’s some great tips that you can use at home that will help you to look even better. These tips come not only from personal experiences but also from the celebrity stylists, who help to create a great red carpet look.

So here we go, read on for the ultimate in celebrity hair tips.

How to get that “Going to the Oscars” Glamour

Whenever you see a picture of a celebrity on the red carpet, you are probably thinking how amazing they look. And what you can see is a hairstyle that has taken months of planning and trips to the stylists in order to look absolutely Hollywood perfect.

Before the big event, the celebrity will consult with their stylist about how they want to look, but also ask advice from their hairdressers on how to look up to date, but also very sexy and feminine.

Those who kept up with the times on the red carpet this year went for very large Hollywood curls, with an extra rich colour and shine. To recreate this look here are some tips on how to curl your hair so you can look just as elegant.

Create Great Curls

If you have just bought yourself some very expensive straighteners, or you are thinking about it, why not consider the idea of curling your hair with straighteners? You can get more controllable curls which are far easier to manage than your natural hair is!

Try:-

1. Make sure that your hair is semi-straight, or if not straighten it.
2. Spray on some heat-protection spray and then divide your hair into sections. The fewer the number of sections the tighter the curls will be.
3. Take the straightener and clamp it over the top of the section, then whilst pulling down the   straighteners turn the straightener round. To produce a tighter curl clamp harder with the straighteners and pull harder when you bring it down.
4. Do not brush your hair after you have done this, but simply tease through with your fingers.
And add some shine spray.

Another way to curl your hair that always creates great celebrity styles hair effect is to use some heated rollers. The type of rollers that you should get should depend on how long and thick your hair is, and how tight the curl that you want to achieve is.

For short thin hair try using a straightener (the above method) or tongs, for thick medium length hair to use some medium sized heated rollers and for really long hair I would use some very large velcro rollers. Try using these on wet hair and then drying off with a hair dryer (be sure to have plenty of hair grips on hand however).

The most perfect thing about celebrities hair is that it always appears in perfect condition. Just think, can you remember every seeing Jennifer Aniston with her hair looking messed up?!
Many celebrities will have plenty of deep conditioning treatments at their salon before the big event. These treatments will vary from Damage Restructuring to Deep Conditioning and Detoxifying.

There are plenty of high street products out there that are suitable for home use and you can pick them up on the high street for reasonable prices. I would always recommend that you look on the back and see the list of ingredients, the more chemicals it has in it, the worse it will be for your hair in the long run.

You may wish to consider trying some organic haircare products, which are not always as expensive as you think, and with organic followers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Elle McPherson you will be in great company!

Or indeed for a special event such as a prom or a ball, why not go down to your local hairdresser or beauty salon and have a hair wrap or mask? These may be quite expensive but will definitely get you the look that you desire and it’s worth treating yourself for a special event.

Always check with the salon about which treatment they think will be right for you, because not all of them will be suitable for your hair type.

Remember, you are just as special as any of those celebrities and you too can look like a star!

Pregnant Celebrities

Male Celebrities - Are Celebrities Happy?

Celebrities Without Makeup

Before we begin asking if the celebrities are happy, let us first find out what is happiness? If I feel good for an hour a day, and horrible for the rest of the day, am I happy? What if I am happy for eight hours a day and horrible for the rest of the sixteen hours? Am I a happy person? For most of us happiness is a state that is not permanent. We are not happy throughout the day. At least majority of us are not.

What is happiness? Happiness means a sense of deep contentment. A cheerful outlook. An attitude of positive thoughts. A person who has these qualities is happy during all the times of the day.

How about celebrities then? They have name, fame and wealth. They can, not only buy whatever they desire, but they can also buy a loved one. They can buy anything. Their name is splashed around in the media most of the times. Every news about them is awaited by the general population. Celebrities may not have been born with a silver spoon in the mouth, but the current spoon is mostly that of gold. So they must be happy!

But sadly, happiness is away from most of them. Speaking of contentment, most of them are not only not feeling any contentment, but are frustrated. They are jealous at times. And they have no deep sense of peace in them. Rather their life and minds are full of turbulence most of the times. They are at times so dissatisfied with their own life that they wish to run away from themselves. This they cannot do, and therefore substances that take them away from their own realities are so often used by them.

Happiness has something to do with money, but only to an extent. Happiness has nothing to do with fame, if you are not satisfied with yourself. Whatever the world may say, unless one has self-esteem, one can never be happy. All of us sail in the same boat. Most of us are living unhappy lives most of the time. Let us get happiness that will give us a satisfied sense of living. Let us strive for happiness in our own inner world.

Celebrities Without Makeup

Female Celebrities - Paris Hilton Sedu Hairstyles

Male Celebrities

Each year celebrities set the trend for fashion, beauty, and of course hairstyles and 2006 is no exception. 2006 will see the continuation of the sedu hairstyles and top celebrities such as Jenifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, and Britney Spears are all sporting sedu hair straightener styles.

What many people don’t know is that celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Lopez do not have gorgeous straight flowing locks and their hairstyles are actually achieved using the latest invention; the sedu hair straightener. A revolutionary new ceramic hair iron the sedu hair iron achieves faster results that won’t destroy your hair.

The sedu hair straightener can make those hard to handle stubborn curls and waves a thing of the past and of course with celebrities boosting its popularity, the sedu hair straightener is the must have accessory for 2006.

Looking through any magazine you will see pictures of the Jennifer Aniston sedu style, and although you may think that this style is only achievable in the hair salon, you can actually get the Jennifer Aniston sedu hairstyle from the comfort of your own home.

Everyone wants to look like a celebrity and thanks to the sedu hair straightener you really can. Whatever you hair type, be it short, medium, or long the sedu hair iron can help to enhance the look and feel of your hair. With the sedu hair iron you can achieve those sedu celebrity hairstyles of your dreams.

You can have Jennifer Aniston sedu hair styles one day followed by Jennifer Lopez sedu hair styles. Make your prom hairdo standout in the crowd or just look and feel gorgeous everyday. We all know that celebrity hairstyles set the trend so why not do yourself and your hair a favor by creating your own sedu celebrity hairstyles. All you have to do is purchase a sedu hair straightener and the perfect sedu celebrity hairstyles is your.

Make 2006 your sedu hairstyles year and start turning heads just like the celebrities. Go on, you deserve it.

Male Celebrities

Hottest Celebrities - Angelina Jolie and her Humanitarian Efforts

Female Celebrities

Angelina Jolie, partner to Brad Pitt, is the star of several blockbuster movies. Among them Girl Interrupted and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, coincidentally where she met Pitt. But perhaps her most well known portrayal was as the buxom Lara Croft, in the Tomb Raider films. During the shooting of the first movie, much of which was shot on location in Cambodia, Jolie came to witness the beautiful environment, immersive culture, and rampant poverty of the nation. This, she says, opened her eyes and was her stepping stone into humantiarian work.

After Cambodia, Anglina Jolie took a trip to Sierra Leone and Tanzania in 2001, and it was there that she first became actively involved in humanitarium causes. The purpose of that fateful trip was to discover first hand the conditions that refugees must suffer. Angelina was so shocked that shortly after, in August 2001, she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, otherwise known as UNHCR.

The UNHCR assists over 20 million refugees in 120 countries around the world. They were created to protect and safeguard the well-being and rights of refugees. They believe that refugees have a right to seek asylum in another country and will actively seek to engage nations to integrate and support those refugees. Thus far, in only 5 decades, they have helped over 50 million people in the world.

Angelina’s contribution has greatly assisted in generating more widespread attention to this worthy cause. As a goodwill ambassador, her role is to communicate to, and provide a focus on refugees by generating mass-media attention. Though in Jolie’s case this is not merely superficial. She actually spends much of her own time and is genuinely affected by their misery. On her trip to Ecuador, Jolie wrote of the suffering, “People's lives are truly in danger – not just in the sense that you feel your town is unsafe – their lives are actually being threatened and their houses are being burnt down.”

To further increase public awareness, Jolie has released several personal journals of her experiences during field visits. More information can be found at unhcr.org.

As well as the physical effort that Jolie contributes, her foundation with partner Brad Pitt, called the Jolie-Pitt Foundation recently donated USD$1 million to groups working in Darfur. Darfur is a region in war ravaged Sudan, which Jolie has visited three times already.

Jolie now plans to spend most of her time in humanitarian efforts, revealing that she splits her actress her salary three ways; a third for savings, a third for living expenses and a third for charity. Considering she commands a high pay packet for movies, as well as product endorsements, that equates to a considerable amount donated.

Jolie has two adopted children, and is currently thinking of a third. Maddox, a cambodian refugee boy she adopted in 2002, and Zahara, an ethiopian refugee girl. She also has a child with Brad Pitt, named Shiloh.

Together with Pitt, Jolie has stated that she will continue to promote and actively engage in humanitarian causes, as well as pursuing her acting ambitions.

Female Celebrities

Famous Celebrities - Alice Cooper - True Rock And Roll Is Live Once Again

Hottest Celebrities

The originator of “shock rock” is brining his live act back to the stage in 2006, and Alice Cooper is sure to create the same frenzy he always has. Cooper’s past acts on stage are famous, or infamous, depending on your point of view, but one thing that’s indisputable is that his show is one that every member of the audience remembers. Cooper’s sound is as memorable as his live act, and a look at his life may help explain how his persona came to be.

Early Life

Vincent Damon Furnier was born in Detroit on February 4, 1948. His heritage was quite interesting, in that his grandfather was an ordained Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ and his father was an elder in the same church. After spending the first few years of his life in Detroit, the family decided to move to Phoenix, which was where Vincent spent his formative years.

Furnier enrolled at Cortez high school in Phoenix, and became known by his peers as a columnist in the school newspaper. His tone in these columns was quite sarcastic, and two of his loyal readers became his closest friends of the time - Glen Buxton and Dennis Dunaway. Buxton and Dunaway would play a large role in Furnier’s musical career down the road.

Furnier, Buxton and Dunaway were motivated by one thing in high school - gaining the attention and adulation of the female students at Cortez. Their first foray into the musical world occurred during a school talent show where they donned wigs and gave a mock performance of songs by The Beatles. Even though their show was definitely amateur in nature, the group discovered that music was definitely the way to go if they wanted to be popular.

The trio was joined by another friend, Michael Bruce, and the quartet formed a band named The Earwigs. The group’s musical influences included The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks and especially Eric Clapton and The Yardbirds. The name “Earwigs” didn’t last long, as the band soon became known as the Spiders.

The Spiders released a single, "Don't Blow Your Mind," that was a hit on Phoenix radio, and as a result, the band once again changed their name to The Nazz and traveled to Hollywood to pursue larger goals. Despite years of struggle in Los Angeles, The Nazz did manage to play opening acts for such bands as The Doors and The Yardbirds. The final change came in 1968, when Todd Rundgren named his band The Nazz, forcing Furnier and his crew to rename their band “Alice Cooper.”

Alice Cooper Days

In 1969, the band Alice Cooper released their first album, Pretties For You, which sold reasonably well but was seen as an outlandish work at the time. One of the reasons was the legendary story that the band showed up still reeling from a night of heavy drinking to record the album. This legend helped play into the overall theme of craziness that the band embodied going forward.

The band Alice Cooper released a total of five albums, but they split up in 1974. Furnier then became known as Alice Cooper, and released his first album, Welcome to My Nightmare, in 1975. The album became a top ten hit, and Cooper was on his way to stardom.

Since then, Cooper has released more than 30 studio, live and compilation albums, and has sold millions of records worldwide. His onstage legend has never waned. Even though he denies biting the head off a chicken and drinking its blood, the story made waves all over the world and is still a subject of discussion in many interviews.

Cooper’s outrageousness is definitely part of why he is known, but he is also one of the top-selling artists of his time. He has always flown a bit under the radar, but his shock rock innovations have been admired and to an extent imitated by the likes of Judas Priest, Kiss, Megadeath and Marilyn Manson.

One thing is sure - to see Alice Cooper is to see a show you’ll never forget.

Hottest Celebrities

Top Celebrities - Addiction to Fame and Celebrity

Hottest Celebrities

Here some FAQ in case of Addiction to Fame and Celebrity

Question:

Are Narcissists addicted to being famous?

Answer:

You bet. This, by far, is their predominant drive. Being famous encompasses a few important functions: it endows the narcissist with power, provides him with a constant Source of Narcissistic Supply (admiration, adoration, approval, awe), and fulfils important Ego functions.

The image that the narcissist projects is hurled back at him, reflected by those exposed to his celebrity or fame. This way he feels alive, his very existence is affirmed and he acquires a sensation of clear boundaries (where the narcissist ends and the world begins).

There is a set of narcissistic behaviours typical to the pursuit of celebrity. There is almost nothing that the narcissist refrains from doing, almost no borders that he hesitates to cross to achieve renown. To him, there is no such thing as "bad publicity" – what matters is to be in the public eye.

Because the narcissist equally enjoys all types of attention and likes as much to be feared as to be loved, for instance – he doesn't mind if what is published about him is wrong ("as long as they spell my name correctly"). The narcissist's only bad emotional stretches are during periods of lack of attention, publicity, or exposure.

The narcissist then feels empty, hollowed out, negligible, humiliated, wrathful, discriminated against, deprived, neglected, treated unjustly and so on. At first, he tries to obtain attention from ever narrowing groups of reference ("supply scale down"). But 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 whatever else is necessary to regain the lost exposure in the public eye. The more he fails to secure the attention of the target group (always the largest) – the more daring, eccentric and outlandish he becomes. Firm decision to become known is transformed into resolute action and then to a panicky pattern of attention seeking behaviours.

The narcissist is not really interested in publicity per se. Narcissists are misleading. The narcissist appears to love himself – and, really, he abhors himself. Similarly, he appears to be interested in becoming a celebrity – and, in reality, he is concerned with the REACTIONS to his fame: people watch him, notice him, talk about him, debate his actions – therefore he exists.

The narcissist goes around "hunting and collecting" the way the expressions on people's faces change when they notice him. He places himself at the centre of attention, or even as a figure of controversy. He constantly and recurrently pesters those nearest and dearest to him in a bid to reassure himself that he is not losing his fame, his magic touch, the attention of his social milieu.

Truly, the narcissist is not choosy. If he can become famous as a writer – he writes, if as a businessman – he conducts business. He switches from one field to the other with ease and without remorse because in all of them he is present without conviction, bar the conviction that he must (and deserves to) get famous.

He grades activities, hobbies and people not according to the pleasure that they give him – but according to their utility: can they or can't they make him known and, if so, to what extent. The narcissist is one-track minded (not to say obsessive). His is a world of black (being unknown and deprived of attention) and white (being famous and celebrated).


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Mistreating Celebrities - An Interview

Granted to Superinteressante Magazine in Brazil

Q. Fame and TV shows about celebrities usually have a huge audience. This is understandable: people like to see other successful people. But why people like to see celebrities being humiliated?

A. As far as their fans are concerned, celebrities fulfil two emotional functions: they provide a mythical narrative (a story that the fan can follow and identify 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 these prescribed roles provokes enormous rage and makes us want to punish (humiliate) the "deviant" celebrities.

But 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-worth, the fan must establish his or her moral superiority over the erring and "sinful" celebrity. The fan must "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 person being humiliated has something to do with the attraction to catastrophes and tragedies?

A. There is always a sadistic pleasure and a morbid fascination in vicarious suffering. Being spared the pains and tribulations others go through makes the observer feel "chosen", secure, and virtuous. The higher celebrities rise, the harder they fall. There is something gratifying in hubris defied and punished.

Q. Do you believe the audience put themselves in the place of the reporter (when he asks something 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 equivalent of the gladiator rink. Gossip used to fulfil the same 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 country, who are the celebrities people love to hate?

A. Israelis like to watch politicians and wealthy businessmen reduced, demeaned, and slighted. In Macedonia, where I live, all famous people, regardless of their vocation, are subject to intense, proactive, and destructive envy. This love-hate relationship with their idols, this ambivalence, is attributed by psychodynamic theories of personal development to the child's emotions towards his parents. Indeed, we transfer and displace many negative emotions we harbor onto celebrities.

Q. I would never dare asking some questions the reporters from Panico ask the celebrities. What are the characteristics of people like these reporters?

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

6. Do you believe the actors and reporters want themselves to be as famous as the celebrities they tease? Because I think this is almost happening...

A. The line is very thin. Newsmakers and newsmen and women are celebrities merely because they are public figures and regardless of their true accomplishments. A celebrity is famous for being famous. Of course, such journalists will likely to fall prey to up and coming colleagues in an endless and self-perpetuating food chain...

7. I think that the fan-celebrity relationship gratifies both sides. What are the advantages the fans get and what are the advantages the celebrities get?

A. There is an implicit contract between 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, "larger than life", omniscient, superior, and sui generis (unique).

What are the fans getting for their trouble?

Above all, the ability to vicariously share the celebrity's fabulous (and, usually, 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. Many celebrities are also role models or father/mother figures. Celebrities are proof that there is more to life than drab and routine. That beautiful - nay, perfect - people do exist and that they do lead charmed lives. There's hope yet - this is the celebrity's message to his fans.

The celebrity's inevitable downfall and corruption is the modern-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 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 outcome of inherited traits, the sad result of abusive and traumatizing upbringing, or the confluence of both. Often, in the same family, with the same set of parents and an identical emotional environment - some siblings grow to be malignant narcissists, while others are perfectly "normal". Surely, this indicates a genetic predisposition of some people to develop narcissism.

It would seem reasonable to assume - though, at this stage, there is not a shred of proof - that the narcissist is born with a propensity to develop narcissistic defenses. These are triggered by abuse or trauma during the formative years in infancy or during early adolescence. By "abuse" I am referring to a spectrum of behaviors which objectify the child 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 well as by parents, or by adult role models.

Not all celebrities are narcissists. Still, some of them surely are.

We all search for positive cues from people around us. These cues reinforce in us certain behaviour patterns. There is nothing special in the fact that the narcissist-celebrity does the same. However there are two major differences between the narcissistic and the normal personality.

The first is quantitative. The normal person is likely to welcome a moderate amount of attention – verbal and non-verbal – in the form of affirmation, approval, or admiration. Too much attention, though, is perceived as onerous and is avoided. Destructive and negative criticism is avoided altogether.

The narcissist, in contrast, is the mental equivalent of an alcoholic. He is insatiable. He directs his whole behaviour, in fact his life, to obtain these pleasurable titbits of attention. He embeds them in a coherent, completely biased, picture of himself. He uses them to regulates his labile (fluctuating) sense of self-worth and self-esteem.

To elicit constant interest, the narcissist projects on to others a confabulated, fictitious version of himself, known as the False Self. The False Self is everything the narcissist is not: omniscient, omnipotent, charming, intelligent, rich, or well-connected.

The narcissist then proceeds to harvest reactions to this projected image from family members, friends, co-workers, neighbours, business partners and from colleagues. If these – the adulation, admiration, attention, fear, respect, applause, affirmation – are not forthcoming, the narcissist demands them, or extorts them. Money, compliments, a favourable critique, an appearance in the media, a sexual conquest are all converted into the same currency in the narcissist's mind, into "narcissistic supply".

So, the narcissist is not really interested in publicity per se or in being famous. Truly he is concerned with the REACTIONS to his fame: how people watch him, notice him, talk about him, debate his actions. It "proves" to him that he exists.

The narcissist goes around "hunting and collecting" the way the expressions on people's faces change when they notice him. He places himself at the centre of attention, or even as a figure of controversy. He constantly and recurrently pesters those nearest and dearest to him in a bid to reassure himself that he is not losing his fame, his magic touch, the attention of his social milieu.

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