This week's topic of discussion is celebrity. The status and wealth that celebrity often brings (or the celebrity that status and wealth often brings) often sets celebrities apart from the rest of us in profound ways. Some, like Chris Norris, would argue that celebrity and the media have propagated a "toxic new form of narcissism" among common folks as well. YouTube, blogging, and the seemingly constant availability of at least a small audience is available to all of us.

Read the following article and then answer the question below:

“Hitting Bottom' by Chris Norris from The New York Times

Chris Norris discusses the connection between celebrity and addiction. How do you think he makes this connection? Do you think he's right about the relationship? Dr. Drew (Drew Pinsky), the subject of Norris's article, is a celebrity himself. What does narcissism have to do with addiction? Do you think there is, like Norris suggests, a toxic narcissism in American culture?