Then I forgot about it for a while. Oh wait. I haven’t explained anything about erotomania. Here we have it, in a nut shell (actually (this is mostly directed at my friend Nicky) I was eating a bag of pistachios one night and low and behold inside the shell was not a nut but the definition for erotomania. I know. So strange. It just goes to show, you never know when and in what strange places inspiration will creep up on you. Pretty rad right?)

Now this is the bit I am interested in. Let’s take it one stage further. To celebrity obsession. Erotomaniac obsessed with celebrities believe that, even though they may have never met the object of their obsession, that their obsession is in love with them. Erotomaniac's pick up messages from their ‘lovers’ through the media. Through magazine articles, through songs written or performed by the object of desire, through interviews, through television, anywhere where the object of desire may appear. This is where it gets dangerous. At it’s least extreme, the erotomaniac will send obsessive mail, love letters, angry messages, strange gifts, all of which may disturb or confuse the object of desire. Next they may be compelled to stalk the object of desire. This has lead to restraining orders placed on the maniacs by people such as Madonna.


Extremities then lead to horrific acts. It is true that the guy that killed John Lennon was an erotomaniac. And unless I am mistaken Charles Manson was too. He believed that The Beatles were sending him messages through the White Album to start a race war (“Helter skelter is coming down fast.”) It is just absolutely fascinating, what is it that triggers the leap from regular everyday obsession or admiration to complete saturation. To believe some one you do not know is in love with you. The human mind is a terrifying thing, at any moment it could turn on us nda imprison us. This is what makes us interesting though. Is it a repression of subconscious urge. Is it a product of modern day living. Pressure to conform to modern society. Or have people always had this within them. That faulty wire where it is hit or miss as to whether it can hold itself together with out use of electrical tape or whether it will snap an electrical current through your mind changing the self. There is no way of guessing who it will happen to. It just happens.

Entertainment social
‘Fans are attracted to a favorite celebrity because of their percieved ability to entertain and become a social focus such as “I love to talk to others who admire my favorite celebrity” and “I like watching and hearing about my favourite celebrity when I am with a large group of people.”’
Which, you know, isn’t actually that weird, pretty normal in this celebrity absorbed culture. Next
Intense-Personal
‘Intensive and compulsive feelings about the celebrity, akin to those obsessional tendencies of fans, “I share with my favorite celebritya special bond that cannot be described in words” and “When something bad happens to my favourite celebrity I feel like it happened to me”’
Which is a little bit strange now, feeling such an intense connection with someone that you will only hear about through magazine articles and see on TV, and that you have never spoke to except probably in a fantasy. So maybe these are fantasists. Now this one gets me.
Border-line Pathological
‘Typified by uncontrollable behaviours and fantasies regarding scenarios involving their celebrities. “I hve frequent thoughts about my favourite Celebrity, even when I don’t want t. My favourite celebrity would immediately come to my rescue if I needed help.”’ Which made me start thinking of celebrities as superheroes and that is why everyone is so shocked when they walk down the street without make up on, like they have just revealed their secret identity. I guess this last one draws parallels with erotomania and limerence. Oh yeah what about limerence. Next post please.
1 comment:
I didn't know Erotomania was related to mental problems, I think that's a kind of depression of something like that, because I've heard you begin to feel so strange like a dog in the park.m10m
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