Celebrity Worship Syndrome is a newly identified psychological condition. A CWS sufferer is a person that is obsessed with a person in the public eye i.e. a celebrity. The condition is sometimes referred to as "Celebrity Obsession Syndrome" or "Mad Icon Disease".

Psychologists have indicated that though many people obsess over glamorous film, television, sport and popstars, others have unlikely icons such as politicians or authors. The only common factor between them is that they are all figures in the public eye i.e. celebrities.

Social psychologists agree that the reasons are complex. However, some reasons recur.

Researchers believe that in a media-orientated society, celebrities have taken the place of neighbors, relatives, friends and family for many people. They feel that the respect for family members has been replaced by worship of the famous, as this is the new method of associating with success. In modern cultures, there is less emphasis on the value of experience, but instead knowing the 'secret' of success, and celebrities are seen to hold this, since they often come from mediocrity.

Fan bases

Psychologists feel that fan bases resemble religious cults and can be a cause of CWS, because:

* They often organize conventions and recruit new followers.
* Fans pursue an interest in one celebrity and denigrate other stars.
* Obsession resembles religious worship.
* They make sure they watch all appearances made by their celebrity.
* They try to collect items touched by their superstar.

Psychologists in the U.S.A. and UK. found the following 3 dimensions to celebrity worship:

Entertainment-social

This dimension comprises attitudes that fans are attracted to a favorite celebrity because of their perceived ability to entertain and become a social focus such as “I love to talk with others who admire my favorite celebrity” and “I like watching and hearing about my favorite celebrity when I am with a large group of people”.

Intense-personal

The intense-personal aspect of celebrity worship reflects intensive and compulsive feelings about the celebrity, akin to the obsessional tendencies of fans often referred to in the literature; for example “I share with my favorite celebrity a special bond that cannot be described in words” and “When something bad happens to my favorite celebrity I feel like it happened to me’”.

Borderline-pathological

This dimension is typified by uncontrollable behaviors and fantasies regarding scenarios involving their celebrities, such as “I have frequent thoughts about my favorite celebrity, even when I don’t want to” and “my favorite celebrity would immediately come to my rescue if I needed help”.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org