David Cooper

Thanks for having me.

And criminology professor Josh Williams.

Josh, welcome to you.

Thanks for having me.

And they both work at Georgia Southern University.

Let's start simple in our chat.

Most of us enjoy a celebrity.

We watch their movies.

We follow them on social media.

But at what point does being an ordinary fan cross into what psychologists might call celebrity worship?

I have a friend who admitted she writes Ed Sheeran a letter every single week.

And I was really worried about her when I heard that.

But she says that's where it ends.

Let's talk about people's personality types and what kinds of personalities might be drawn to worship a celebrity a little bit more than the average person.

What is vulnerable narcissism?

I feel like I know what those two words are.

But what do psychologists mean when they say someone is a vulnerable narcissist?

Okay, well, let's slam these two concepts together.

Someone who has or scores high in vulnerable narcissism and someone who worships a celebrity in an unhealthy level.

Parasocial relationships.