Zawiść versus uwielbienie, czyli bohaterowie i celebryci zwierciadłem emocji społecznych
Envy versus Adoration: Heroes and Celebrities as a Mirror of Social Emotions

Summary/Abstract: In our earlier studies (2014-2016), we examined which values are associated with contemporary heroes. Now, in the research planned for the coming years, we intend to study the emotions that the heroes elicit. The heroes embody culturally significant values that are appropriated by market mechanisms. The oscillation of a particular hero within the field of values evokes many emotions. For example, in an accelerated oscillation between adoration and envy or even hatred, ‘stars’ and their fans lose their sense of reality, but—perhaps only due to this ‘madness’—the ultimate destiny of the human world is delayed: the apocalyptic fall into pure violence (Girard). René Girard’s theory premises the tendency of human beings to subconsciously imitate others. People imitate one another, which ultimately leads to rivalry and violent conflicts. Such conflicts are partly resolved by the scapegoat mechanism, which accumulates and transforms many contradictory emotions. These emotions often make today’s heroes and ‘stars’ the tragic victims of culture.

• Details
• Contents