T.V. Shows that feature narcissism

I've just started watching the dective show 'Monk"[re-runs] . I knew he had OCD but now I am starting to think he may be a narcissist also, what do you think? It's just that he is totally out of tune with peoples emotions & doesn't seem to understand their feelings, & the comment he made,' I cannot lose my assistant, she would take forever to replace', when obviously you are always waiting for him to acknowledge he cares for her.

smilee wrote:I've just started watching the dective show 'Monk"[re-runs] . I knew he had OCD but now I am starting to think he may be a narcissist also, what do you think? It's just that he is totally out of tune with peoples emotions & doesn't seem to understand their feelings, & the comment he made,' I cannot lose my assistant, she would take forever to replace', when obviously you are always waiting for him to acknowledge he cares for her.

Monk doesn't seem to have a lot of the other criterion for narcissism, though. His total lack of social graces make him seem more like a high functioning Asperger's.

For me, two of the TV characters that come closest to being narcissists are "House" and Charlie on Two and a Half Men.

It seems that narcissistic men are "in vogue."

For me, two of the TV characters that come closest to being narcissists are "House" and Charlie on Two and a Half Men.

I definitely agree on 'House', at first I found the program amusing [ a narcissists cocky confidence ]but soon tired of his arrogance & total disrespect of his patients & collegues.

It seems that narcissistic men are "in vogue."

Wow, in vogue for whom? May be as we watch these programs we are thinking how we could fix this person, like we thought about the narcissist we knew?

smilee wrote:

It seems that narcissistic men are "in vogue."

Wow, in vogue for whom? May be as we watch these programs we are thinking how we could fix this person, like we thought about the narcissist we knew?

I just meant that Hollywood appears to have changed its trend. In the past, a lot of programs portrayed men as strong but with moments of tenderness. Now it seems we have more and more shows where the main character has many N-like traits and we are supposed to admire them.

I for one, totally dislike these shows. Instead of wanting to "fix" the guy as I watch the programs...when it becomes obvious that they are going to remain like that, I stop watching them.

I never thought I could change the narcissist I married. I didn't know he needed changing until after the marriage. He was damn good at sticking to his false self 'til those wedding bells rang. My mistake was getting married too fast. But 4 months after the fact...I was gone.

It didn't take me long to understand I'm unable to fix someone who doesn't want to be fixed.

Serendipity wrote:I just meant that Hollywood appears to have changed its trend. In the past, a lot of programs portrayed men as strong but with moments of tenderness. Now it seems we have more and more shows where the main character has many N-like traits and we are supposed to admire them.

House is an excellent example of the inherent contradictions of narcissism. We supposed to admire him for his genius intellect and "root" for the sensitive guy underneath to come out of his shell (as Wilson always does), but we're not supposed to admire the way he treats people or condone his childish behavior (although his antics are clearly meant to be comedic since everyone in Hollywood thinks that hurting people is funny as long as it isn't you). We're meant to understand that he personally suffers just as much, if not more, then the suffering he inflicts on others, because they heal and he doesn't. The show realistically shows that it's extremely hard to change even when we wants to, but it also shows occasional moments of real progress, such as the first two episodes of the current season. I think the show is actually a pretty balanced presentation of a narcissistic personality.

For an even more comedic presentation, check out the sitcom called "Better off Ted", with a narcissistic company executive named Veronica (brilliantly played by Portia de Rossi)

Also John Larroquette and Ted Danson from "Night Court" and "Cheers", respectively, are the classic 80s narcissists, although Sam Malone was sort of a "narcissist with a heart" because his real self was present part of the time -- he was clearly sub-clinical.

What about Simon Cowell? David Hasselhoff?

it'd be harder to find a tv show that doesn't feature narcissism; in some form.

but my nomination is Nip/Tuck.