∇
troperville

∇
tools

∇
toys

SubpagesLaconic
Main
PlayingWith
Quotes

main index

Narrative

Genre

Media

Topical Tropes

Other Categories

random

Subpages:

Attention Whore

It worked, didn't it?

We're shameless, we will do anything

To get our fifteen minutes of fame

We have no integrity, we're ready to crawl

To attain celebrity, we'll do anything at all

— Pet Shop Boys, "Shameless"

Whatever the cost, these characters have to be the center of attention. They don't even care about embarrassing themselves. That would just get them more attention... negative or positive, as long as all eyes are on them.

But isn't this page what they want? No, this page is telling you attention is all they want, and warning you that such people in Real Life are only out for themselves. They don't really care about any side, and if you think they do, you are actually giving them what they want.

Usually an attribute of the Alpha Bitch. A few Upper Class Twits do this. Often goes hand-in-hand with a Small Name, Big Ego. A Troll thrives as long as this trope is in effect.

VERY Truth in Television. A pathological form of this in Real Life is Histrionic Personality Disorder

. It's also a trait of Narcissistic Personality Disorder

. Acquired Situational Narcissism is a more benign "15 minutes of fame" form - where the situation the person is in is driving the behavior, and which usually ends when the situation does. Of course, not all Attention Whore behavior is pathological - some of it is intentional and used for PR or promotional purposes. The pathological forms are also generally more extreme and more personal - for example, an Attention Whore who is relatively harmless toward other people or themselves in their attempts to get attention or celebrity (e.g. an unusual fashion style, giving everyone business cards) is probably not suffering from a personality disorder, but is simply a bit of a Shameless Self Promoter. One who manipulates another individual into giving them attention or acts out in abuse toward innocent people to gain attention is more likely to suffer from the disorders.

A Sister Trope to Cam Whore, Drama Queen, Shameless Self Promoter.

Contrast Shrinking Violet.

Examples:

open/close all folders

Music

Subject of a song by That Handsome Devil, Powderbomb;
Guilt don't stop you anymore; Attention whore, attention whore
Deconstructed in "Save Me", by Poets Of The Fall: the singer is developing self-destructive tendencies in his quest for attention. Lampshaded in the chorus:
Save me
I'm my own worst enemy
Running headlong to the wall
'Cause I want my freebie.
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" is an example and a meta-example.
You probably think this song is about you...
The subject of "Tommy Gun" by The Clash, which mocks terrorists who get a kick reading about their exploits in the news.

Theatre

Cyrano de Bergerac: Raguenau is one at Act II Scene IV, Ragueneau�s friends, the poets, don�t make much of an attempt to conceal that they are there not to hear Ragueneau�s poetry, but to eat his pastries. But he is so charmed by the attention they give to him to care:
Lise (entering, to Ragueneau): Here they come, your mud-bespattered friends!
First Poet (entering, to Ragueneau): Brother in art!...
Second Poet (to Ragueneau, shaking his hands): Dear brother!
Third Poet: High soaring eagle among pastry-cooks!
(He sniffs): Marry! it smells good here in your eyrie!
Fourth Poet: 'Tis at Phoebus' own rays that thy roasts turn!
Fifth Poet: Apollo among master-cooks�
Ragueneau (whom they surround and embrace): Ah! how quick a man feels at his ease with them!...
Roxie Hart, so much. From her eponymous song:
Roxie: I love the Audience!
Chorus: And we love her!
Roxie: And I love the audience for loving me!
Chorus: And we love her for loving us!
Roxie: And we love each other. Because none of us got enough loving in our childhoods.