I saw this interesting article in Slate today about the emotion, elevation. In the article they explain what elevation is and explain how researchers are “testing” when elevation is felt:
Since oxytocin is released during breast-feeding, Dacher Keltner and the student brought in 42 lactating women and had them watch either an inspiring clip from The Oprah Winfrey Show about a gang member saved from a life of violence by a teacher or an amusing bit from a Jerry Seinfeld routine.
About half the Oprah-watching mothers either leaked milk into nursing pads or nursed their babies following the viewing; none of the Seinfeld watchers felt enough breast dilation to wet a pad, and fewer than 15 percent of them nursed. You could say elevation is Oprah’s opiate of the masses, so it’s fitting that she early on gave Obama her imprimatur. And that for his victory speech was up front in Grant Park, elevation’s moist embodiment, feeling so at one with humankind that she used a stranger as a handkerchief.
Interesting. This got me thinking about celebrities (like Oprah) and how many of them do make us feel elevation without us even realizing it which may be one reason many of us are drawn to celebrities and ultimately want to be near them.
I think Bono is a perfect example of this. If the U2 frontman can’t create and harness the emotion elevation, than I don’t know who can. And as a result he is “worshipped” by fans around the world.
Just one more thing to think about as we explore celebrity and fandom in our culture. Stay tuned.
