A cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships. The sociologist Max Weber developed a tripartite classification of authority; the cult of personality holds parallels with what Weber defined as 'charismatic authority'.

A cult of personality is similar to hero worship, except that it is propagated by mass media. However, the term may be applied by analogy to refer to adulation of religious or non-political leaders.

From Wikipedia under the GNU Free Documentation License
Sat Jul 17 23:38:51 2010

King: Obama's 'cult of personality' - Daily News Tribune
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King: Obama's ' cult of personality '

Daily News Tribune

Any time a leader uses fear to consolidate power (first terrorism and now the economy) and then works toward a cult of personality as with yesterdays ...



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Is Amanda Seyfried the real star of 'Jennifer's Body'? - Seattle Post Intelligencer
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Is Amanda Seyfried the real star of 'Jennifer's Body'?

Seattle Post Intelligencer

Here's why: So far in her career, Amanda Seyfried has had roles in an HBO drama (Big Love) and a modern cult TV classic (Veronica Mars). ...

When angry, Megan Fox could even shoot boyfriend Gaea Times (blog)



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The persecution of Van Jones and the struggle for democracy - People's Weekly World
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The persecution of Van Jones and the struggle for democracy

People's Weekly World

The GOP has become more like a cult than a political party - a cult in search of a personality to blindly worship. That a cult now runs the Republican Party ...



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From Google News Search: "Personality cult"
Sat Jul 17 23:38:54 2010