--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The trend toward narcissistic flair has…" description: "\"“The trend toward narcissistic flair has been responsible in large part for smiting rock with the superstar virus, which revolves around the substituti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/lester-bangs-9750_music_the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has_2842501.jpg" --- # The trend toward narcissistic flair has been responsible… ![“The trend toward narcissistic flair has been responsible in large part for smiting rock with the superstar virus, which revolves around the substituting of attitudes and flamboyant trappings, into which the audience can project their fantasies, for the simple desire to make music, get loose, knock…” quote by Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/lester-bangs-9750_music_the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has_2842501.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/lester-bangs-9750_music_the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has_2842501.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/lester-bangs-9750_music_the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has_2842501.jpg) > ““The trend toward narcissistic flair has been responsible in large part for smiting rock with the superstar virus, which revolves around the substituting of attitudes and flamboyant trappings, into which the audience can project their fantasies, for the simple desire to make music, get loose, knock the folks out or get ‘em up dancin.’ It’s not enough just to do those things anymore; what you must do instead if you want success on any large scale is figure a way of getting yourself associated in the audience’s mind with their pieties and their sense of “community,” i.e., ram it home that you’re one of THEM; or, alternately, deck and bake yourself into an image configuration so blatant or outrageous that you become a culture myth.”” [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success now requires aligning with audience values or becoming an outrageous cultural icon, not just performance **In simple terms:** Music must connect with community or be wildly distinctive to succeed Key Takeaway Cultivate community ties or bold image for impact Themes culture authenticity branding Mood critical analytical Type essay commentary When to use this quote - marketing campaigns - artist branding - viral trends Key Concepts sociology media studies mythmaking Questions to Reflect On - How can artists balance authenticity with cultural relevance? - What risks arise from chasing mythic status? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on image can dilute artistic integrity ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-mind-977968/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Narcissistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narcissistic/) [Narcissistic Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narcissistic-flair-3733489/) [Outrageous Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outrageous-culture-3733490/) [Trend Narcissistic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trend-narcissistic-3733491/) ## Related quotes > [“It's not enough just to do those things anymore; what you must do instead if you want success on any large scale is either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/it-s-not-enough-just-to-do-those-things-anymore-what-you-must-do/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [The creative process for me doesn't work as well without an image of an audience in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosabeth-moss-kanter/the-creative-process-for-me-doesn-t-work-as-well-without-an-image-of/) [Rosabeth Moss Kanter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosabeth-moss-kanter/) > [I don't ever write with a particular audience in mind. I just write books that please me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/i-don-t-ever-write-with-a-particular-audience-in-mind-i-just-write/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [It's wonderful to be part of a film that really reaches an audience's mind and an audience's heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-phillips/it-s-wonderful-to-be-part-of-a-film-that-really-reaches-an-audience-s/) [Nathan Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-phillips/) > [“ Do you have an audience in mind when writing? (March 2010 Bookgeeks interview ) In terms of story, the only audience I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-kiernan/do-you-have-an-audience-in-mind-when-writing-march-2010-bookgeeks/) [Celine Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-kiernan/) > [By manipulating what you hear and how you hear it - and what other things you don't hear - you can not only help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-murch/by-manipulating-what-you-hear-and-how-you-hear-it-and-what-other/) [Walter Murch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-murch/) > [When I read a script I respond to it like an audience member. At the end of the film, if I'm there in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jisshu-sengupta/when-i-read-a-script-i-respond-to-it-like-an-audience-member-at-the/) [Jisshu Sengupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jisshu-sengupta/) > [I don't write with any audience in mind. I just write. I take a chance on the audience. That's what I did originally, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-pinter/i-don-t-write-with-any-audience-in-mind-i-just-write-i-take-a-chance/) [Harold Pinter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-pinter/) > [You have to keep your audience in your mind; if you're writing stuff that you know nobody's going to care about then you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paullina-simons/you-have-to-keep-your-audience-in-your-mind-if-you-re-writing-stuff/) [Paullina Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paullina-simons/) > [I think they could of recast the children, I heard of people wanting to do something like that. That would be a nice little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-hagman/i-think-they-could-of-recast-the-children-i-heard-of-people-wanting/) [Larry Hagman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-hagman/) > [It's such a wonderful feeling to watch a child discover that reading is a marvelous adventure rather than a chore. I know that many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zilpha-keatley-snyder/it-s-such-a-wonderful-feeling-to-watch-a-child-discover-that-reading-2/) [Zilpha Keatley Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zilpha-keatley-snyder/) > [ I always write with an audience in mind. If I feel that \[connection\] coming back at me then I feel like I'm doing my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-always-write-with-an-audience-in-mind-if-i-feel-that-connection/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [If the only people we seek to impress are within our own ivory towers of artistic excellence or our hallowed institutions, we will find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/if-the-only-people-we-seek-to-impress-are-within-our-own-ivory-towers/) [Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charity-sunshine-tillemann-dick/) > [When I write, I keep the family audience in mind. I ensure there's no vulgarity, as families are coming into the theatres, and there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohit-shetty/when-i-write-i-keep-the-family-audience-in-mind-i-ensure-there-s-no/) [Rohit Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohit-shetty/) > [I don't have an audience in mind when I write. I'm writing mainly for myself. After a long devotion to playwriting I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/i-don-t-have-an-audience-in-mind-when-i-write-i-m-writing-mainly-for/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) ## More by Lester Bangs > [I think that if most guys in America could somehow get their fave-rave poster girl in bed and have total license to do whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/i-think-that-if-most-guys-in-america-could-somehow-get-their-fave/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [I can guarantee you one thing, we will never agree on anything as we agreed on Elvis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/i-can-guarantee-you-one-thing-we-will-never-agree-on-anything-as-we/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [ “Like almost all of Beefheart's recorded work, \[Trout Mask Replica\] was not even "ahead" of its time in 1969. Then and now, it stands… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/like-almost-all-of-beefheart-s-recorded-work-trout-mask-replica-was/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [Here we are in the 70's when everything really is horrible and it really stinks. The mass media, everything on television everything everywhere is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/here-we-are-in-the-70-s-when-everything-really-is-horrible-and-it/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [The ultimate sin of any performer is contempt for the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/the-ultimate-sin-of-any-performer-is-contempt-for-the-audience/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [I don't see that there are any particular changes in popular music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/i-don-t-see-that-there-are-any-particular-changes-in-popular-music/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [“Look at it this way: there are many here among us for whom the life force is best represented by the livid twitching of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/look-at-it-this-way-there-are-many-here-among-us-for-whom-the-life/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [“Art", "Bop" and "rock and roll" and whatever is all just a joke and a mistake, just a hunka foolishness so stop treating it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/art-bop-and-rock-and-roll-and-whatever-is-all-just-a-joke-and-a/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [Don’t ask me why I obsessively look to rock ’n’ roll bands for some kind of model for a better society. I guess it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/don-t-ask-me-why-i-obsessively-look-to-rock-n-roll-bands-for-some/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [No, I see it as meaning very little at the moment because none of the groups are about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/no-i-see-it-as-meaning-very-little-at-the-moment-because-none-of-the/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [A young woman is dead. I don’t care. You probably don’t care. The police don’t care. The papers don’t care. The punks for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/a-young-woman-is-dead-i-don-t-care-you-probably-don-t-care-the-police/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [Sexual chaos reigns currently, but out of chaos may flow true understanding and harmony, and either way Elvis almost singlehandedly opened the floodgates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/sexual-chaos-reigns-currently-but-out-of-chaos-may-flow-true/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [When kids can't afford to see it anymore maybe we'll have a whole resurgence of garage bands all over America and this New Wave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/when-kids-can-t-afford-to-see-it-anymore-maybe-we-ll-have-a-whole/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [The Mekons are the most revolutionary group in the history of rock 'n' roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/the-mekons-are-the-most-revolutionary-group-in-the-history-of-rock-n/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) > [“But since death is inevitable we don’t have to deal with it (it’ll deal with us when it decides to). What we do have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/but-since-death-is-inevitable-we-don-t-have-to-deal-with-it-it-ll/) [Lester Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) [Explore all 70 Lester Bangs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/) ## More Music quotes > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I'm at the edge of the world, Where do I go from here? Do I disappear? Edge of the world, Should I sink or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bring-me-the-horizon/i-m-at-the-edge-of-the-world-where-do-i-go-from-here-do-i-disappear/) [Bring Me The Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bring-me-the-horizon/) > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) [Hubert Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-laws/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [ “Downloading's the same as what I used to do. I used to tape the charts of the songs I liked \[off the radio\]. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-gallagher/downloading-s-the-same-as-what-i-used-to-do-i-used-to-tape-the-charts/) [Liam Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-gallagher/) > [I've been writing songs since I was 10 years old and always had a penchant for rhyming. I started listening to hip hop through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoodie-allen/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-10-years-old-and-always-had-a/) [Hoodie Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoodie-allen/) > [Each woman is like an instrument, waiting to be learned, loved, and finely played, to have at last her own true music made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/each-woman-is-like-an-instrument-waiting-to-be-learned-loved-and/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I want people to hear my lyrics and my melodies and say, 'That dude's in pain.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/i-want-people-to-hear-my-lyrics-and-my-melodies-and-say-that-dude-s/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [I make dance music because I love to dance. But I want to think at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-make-dance-music-because-i-love-to-dance-but-i-want-to-think-at-the/) [Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I received a beautiful welcome to the world of music. I want to give something back to the younger generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luciano-pavarotti/i-received-a-beautiful-welcome-to-the-world-of-music-i-want-to-give/) [Luciano Pavarotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luciano-pavarotti/) [Browse all 55,293 Music quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The trend toward narcissistic flair has been responsible in large part for smiting rock with the superstar virus, which revolves around the substituting of attitudes and flamboyant trappings, into which the audience can project their fantasies, for the simple desire to make music, get loose, knock the folks out or get ‘em up dancin.’ It’s not enough just to do those things anymore; what you must do instead if you want success on any large scale is figure a way of getting yourself associated in the audience’s mind with their pieties and their sense of “community,” i.e., ram it home that you’re one of THEM; or, alternately, deck and bake yourself into an image configuration so blatant or outrageous that you become a culture myth.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lester Bangs" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has-been-responsible-in-large/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Music" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has-been-responsible-in-large/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/lester-bangs-9750_music_the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has_2842501.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/lester-bangs-9750_music_the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has_2842501.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/lester-bangs-9750_music_the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has_2842501.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The trend toward narcissistic flair has been responsible in large part for smiting rock with the superstar…” — Lester Bangs", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lester Bangs", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-bangs/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The trend toward narcissistic flair has...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has-been-responsible-in-large/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-bangs/the-trend-toward-narcissistic-flair-has-been-responsible-in-large/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```