Delusions Of Being Jim Carey In The Truman Show
Date : 22 Jul 2008 Category : Business
Techdirt
Pop culture influences different people in different ways. In fact, some psychologists
are trying to claim that there's a new delusion out there based on the Jim Carey movie,
The Truman Show. Yes, apparently (these psychologists claim) an increasing number of
people are under the
impression that their whole lives are being filmed secretly, and everyone they know
and interact with is playing off a script. They psychologists are calling this "The Truman
Show Delusion." Other psychologists claim this isn't really
any different than other types of delusions, but that the Truman Show angle has just
helped crystallize the scenario in some people's minds. Others point out that other movies
have had similar effects, with one noting that he has a patient who believes that he's in
The Matrix as well. Of course, by calling it the Truman Show Delusion, you run into the possibility (as happens all too often) that people will start blaming a pop culture movie. This is what happens with all those various technology "addictions." Next thing you know, we'll have people trying to ban The Truman Show from being shown. Yes, that's an extreme case (that won't likely happen), but it's no different than the overreaction people have in calling for things like having video games declared an official addiction. It focuses the attention on the wrong thing: the pop culture phenomenon, rather than the actual problems the individual might have that resulted in the problem.
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