On superheroes and their mafia: Using The Lego Batman Movie to explain relational aspects of narcissism.
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| Title: | On superheroes and their mafia: Using The Lego Batman Movie to explain relational aspects of narcissism. |
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| Authors: | Stone, Meredith (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Australasian Psychiatry. Aug2022, Vol. 30 Issue 4, p444-446. 3p. |
| Subjects: | Batman (Fictional character), Narcissism, Superheroes, Mafia, Popular culture |
| Abstract: | Objective: Contemporary social discourse often emphasises the role of popular culture in the emergence of narcissistic disturbances. That the very same popular culture might be uniquely positioned to explain narcissism has been less explored. This article is part of a discussion series developed to teach registrars psychoanalytic concepts through the medium of film. It explores the depiction of narcissism in the 2017 The Lego Batman Movie. Conclusions: Surprisingly for its genre, Lego Batman does not reify pejorative archetypes but rather draws out the relational genesis of Batman's narcissism. The film closely aligns with an object-relations view and can help challenge the tendency, even among psychiatrists, to emphasise the self-importance in narcissistic disorders over underlying object-related conflicts. Furthermore, with its striking audio-visual techniques, the film both enlivens and distils complex psychoanalytic concepts and therapeutic processes for a general psychiatry audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Australasian Psychiatry is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Objective: Contemporary social discourse often emphasises the role of popular culture in the emergence of narcissistic disturbances. That the very same popular culture might be uniquely positioned to explain narcissism has been less explored. This article is part of a discussion series developed to teach registrars psychoanalytic concepts through the medium of film. It explores the depiction of narcissism in the 2017 The Lego Batman Movie. Conclusions: Surprisingly for its genre, Lego Batman does not reify pejorative archetypes but rather draws out the relational genesis of Batman's narcissism. The film closely aligns with an object-relations view and can help challenge the tendency, even among psychiatrists, to emphasise the self-importance in narcissistic disorders over underlying object-related conflicts. Furthermore, with its striking audio-visual techniques, the film both enlivens and distils complex psychoanalytic concepts and therapeutic processes for a general psychiatry audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 10398562 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/10398562221075195 |
