«IN THE FUTURE EVERYONE WILL BE FAMOUS FOR 15 MINUTES»

“It has a lot to do with Facebook and Twitter,” said Elayne Rapping, a popular culture expert with the University at Buffalo. “The idea that anyone cares what you had for lunch, how much more narcissistic can you get?”But not everyone believes “American Idol” or a bit of Botox are so bad.“You can call it narcissism, but wanting to look good is an important part of someone’s self-image,” said Dr. Mauro Romita, a Manhattan plastic surgeon.A national sample of more than 35,000 Americans found that 6 percent had suffered from extreme narcissism at some point of their lives, according to a study published last year by the National Institute of Health. In addition, one out of four college students showed signs of narcissism in 2006, according to a national study of 37,000 students conducted by the book’s authors.And the rise and fall of self-important figures like Eliot Spitzer, Alex Rodriguez and John Edwards demonstrates that narcissism isn’t limited to the young, the book states.Robert Galinsky, founder of the New York Reality TV School, said that unscripted programming has given talented strivers unprecedented outlets. Still, he acknowledged that more than half of his students are driven by a shortsighted obsession with stardom.“They say, ‘I’m so interesting, funny and wild, there should be show about me,’” Galinsky said.

AMNY
April 24 2009