The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism Is Seducing America (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pinsky spells out a theory that stars are predisposed to narcissistic personality disorder long before they become famous..[The Mirror Effect] becomes a psychology lesson with celebrities as examples." (Wired )

"A compelling and intelligent study of the repercussions of today's fame-obsessed society." (Flavorpill.com )

"Drew and Mark [talk] about the changing perception of celebrities, the hidden narcissism in all of us, and what parents can do to save their kids from the cult of Miley Cyrus." (Babble.com )

"The Mirror Effect is a smooth read..It stresses the importance of learning empathy, and how to pass that on to impressionable young people..a how-to guide for social change that promotes individual progress." (LAist )

"When it comes to judging celebrities and their behavior, it might be best to take a good look in the mirror." (New York Post )

Product Description

Reality TV. Celebutantes. YouTube. Sex Tapes. Gossip Blogs. Drunk Driving. Tabloids. Drug Overdoses.

Is this entertainment? Why do we keep watching? What does it mean for our kids?

In the last decade, the face of entertainment has changed radically—and dangerously, as addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky and business and entertainment expert Dr. S. Mark Young argue in this eye-opening new book. The soap opera of celebrity behavior we all consume on a daily basis—stories of stars treating rehab like vacation, brazen displays of abusive and self-destructive "diva" antics on TV, shocking sexual imagery in prime time and online, and a constant parade of stars crashing and burning—attracts a huge and hungry audience. As Pinsky and Young show in The Mirror Effect, however, such behavior actually points to a wide-ranging psychological dysfunction among celebrities that may be spreading to the culture at large: the condition known as narcissism.

The host of VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and of the long-running radio show Loveline, Pinsky recently teamed with Young to conduct the first-ever study of narcissism among celebrities. In the process, they discovered that a high proportion of stars suffer from traits associated with clinical narcissism—including vanity, exhibitionism, entitlement, exploitativeness, self-sufficiency, authority, and superiority. Now, in The Mirror Effect, they explore how these stars, and the media, are modeling such behavior for public consumption—and how the rest of us, especially young people, are mirroring these dangerous traits in our own behavior.

Looking at phenomena as diverse as tabloid exploitation ("Stars . . . they're just like us!"), reality-TV train wrecks (from The Anna Nicole Show to My Super Sweet 16 to Bad Girls Club), gossip websites (TMZ, PerezHilton, Gawker), and the ever-evolving circle of pop divas known as celebutantes (or, more cruelly, celebutards), The Mirror Effect reveals how figures like Britney and Paris and Lindsay and Amy Winehouse—and their media enablers—have changed what we consider "normal" behavior. It traces the causes of disturbing celebrity antics to their roots in self-hatred and ultimately in childhood disconnection or trauma. And it explores how YouTube, online social networks, and personal blogs offer the temptations and dangers of instant celebrity to the most vulnerable among us.

Informed and provocative, with the warm and empathetic perspective that has won Dr. Drew Pinsky legions of fans, The Mirror Effect raises important questions about our changing culture—and provides insights for parents, young people, and anyone who wonders what celebrity culture is doing to America.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (March 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061582336
• ISBN-13: 978-0061582332
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #171,408 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Mirror Effect Is Not a Breakthrough, April 1, 2009

By	M. JEFFREY MCMAHON "herculodge" (Torrance, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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I admire Drew Pinsky so I must reluctantly say that his latest effort The Mirror Effect is a disappointment. My disappointment is doubly bad since I had high expectations based on his intriguing discussion of this book on a local NPR interview. The problem is with the book's thesis or premise: Celebrities are worshipped more and more even as their behavior pushes the envelope of the definition of pathology and dysfunction and we, as their admirers, live vicariously through their actions and long to be like them. It is a bad trend, Pinsky argues, when the masses model themselves after celebrity narcissists.

I agree with Pinsky (what's there NOT to agree with?), but to base a book on the premise that celebrity behavior is not worthy of our aspirations is over familiar and self-evident and as such is not worthy of an entire book. The moral lesson is too simplistic.

What happens after Chapter One in which Pinsky defines the Mirror Effect (as I have above) is give countless "examples" of celebrity dysfunction from the usual suspects: Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan. Instead of learning any valuable lessons, the bulk of the book feels like reading gossip from US magazine.

If you're intrigued by the premise that outrageous celebrity behavior is a bad influence on society and you want lots of juicy details of that behavior, then this book is for you. On the other hand, if the premise is too obvious to be intriguing and if you're numb to celebrity stories of self-destruction, you may, like me, find this book to be a major letdown.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Putting a broken culture back together again..., March 19, 2009

By	Ryan C. Holiday (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Mirror Effect is the rarest of kind of book and the fact that is it very good is particularly impressive considering the odds. For a book of broad, social criticism written by a television personality to not only be scientific and well supported, but also calm and compassionate is a true feat.

The premise of The Mirror Effect is bold. Pinsky writes that the convergence of reality television, lowered libel standards and constant connectedness have combined to create a market for an awful kind of celebrity (Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton). When this collides with the void left by pervasive divorce, childhood trauma and drugs, we have a society that encourages and supports narcissism. To continue the Mirror Analogy, society and celebrity are both mirrors and when put together create an endless chain that recreates the same initial problem. A child who develops narcissistic tendencies because of a negligent parent sees narcissism rewarded in the famous people they respect and the celebrity interprets that attention as approval for their own dangerous and indulgent behavior. Neither is incentivized be responsible, mature or healthy.

The thesis would be significant if it were simple social criticism but it is much more than that. Pinsky and Young actually bothered to do the research, subjecting hundreds of Loveline guests to a narcissism study they later published in 2006. They didn't stop there. The Mirror Effect is full of connections to existing and well respected psychological findings, making the book both fascinating and substantive. Also, due to Pinsky's place in popular culture, it is (thankfully) current. As opposed to the religiously based arguments of someone like Rabbi Schmuley Boteach, The Mirror Effect was written with an inside line on the celebrities it criticizes. Chapters begin with quotes from relevant celebrities and Pinsky draws from an array of anecdotes and examples possible only by someone who is more than just an observer.

If there is one weakness in the book it's the publishers push to make it appeal to a mass audience - something that though deserved, takes away from its academic credibility. There is the massive photo of Dr. Drew on the cover and the fact that it has a whopping three total contributing authors. (check the cover page, Jill Stern is also credited). Despite all the research there is no bibliography, index or even footnotes.

But those are small consequences considering the implications and quality of The Mirror Effect.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the mirror effect, July 19, 2009

By	Haseeb (Tempe, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

Drs. Drew Pinsky and Mark Young do an excellent job at explaining exactly what narcissism is and give several examples of it in society today and its dangers. I throughly enjoyed the detailed discussions on envy and how seeing celebrities suffer is symbolic of a ritualistic sacrifice. One of the most important things I got out of this book is the notion that we mirror certain negative narcissistic traits of people we admire and become like them ourselves. This is dangerous and can even happen subconsciously. There is even an NPI survey at the end of the book to take. You will be able to find out if you have any serious narcissistic traits.

Dr. Drew even includes advice on raising teens and tweens who seem to be the most affected by this epidemic. Every parent who has teenaged kids should read this book and implement the advice given