--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You look at the absolute scorn that gets…" description: "\"You look at the absolute scorn that gets poured on a fallen celebrity, whether it's Tom Cruise or Lindsay Lohan or Marlon Brando, or Elvis when he got ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-specktor-12423_absolutes_you-look-at-the-absolute-scorn-that-gets_1446327.jpg" --- # You look at the absolute scorn that gets poured on a… ![“You look at the absolute scorn that gets poured on a fallen celebrity, whether it's Tom Cruise or Lindsay Lohan or Marlon Brando, or Elvis when he got fat. They're not allowed the dignity of ordinary failure. And I think that plays into people's notions about Los Angeles, too. It's not allowed to…” quote by Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-specktor-12423_absolutes_you-look-at-the-absolute-scorn-that-gets_1446327.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-specktor-12423_absolutes_you-look-at-the-absolute-scorn-that-gets_1446327.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8a/matthew-specktor-12423_absolutes_you-look-at-the-absolute-scorn-that-gets_1446327.jpg) > “You look at the absolute scorn that gets poured on a fallen celebrity, whether it's Tom Cruise or Lindsay Lohan or Marlon Brando, or Elvis when he got fat. They're not allowed the dignity of ordinary failure. And I think that plays into people's notions about Los Angeles, too. It's not allowed to be a regular city with problems.” [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society harshly judges famous people for any flaw, denying them normal human failure, which reinforces an idealized image of places like Los Angeles. **In simple terms:** Celebrities are judged harshly, losing normal dignity. Key Takeaway Recognize that fame doesn't exempt anyone from ordinary mistakes. Themes celebrity culture media criticism city image human vulnerability public perception Mood critical reflective empathetic Type observational cautionary When to use this quote - media analysis - public relations training - mental health support - city branding - celebrity memoirs Key Concepts celebrity worship social stigma urban myth humanization authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How does media portrayal affect our empathy toward famous individuals? - What can cities do to embrace ordinary challenges? A Different Perspective Even ordinary people face criticism, but fame amplifies it, creating unrealistic expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Cruise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cruise/) [Dignity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dignity/) [Los angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/los-angeles/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The young men in our city are not problems to be solved. They are opportunities to be unleashed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-moore/the-young-men-in-our-city-are-not-problems-to-be-solved-they-are/) [Wes Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-moore/) > [“There were 1.6 billion Muslims in the world as of 2010—roughly 23% of the global population—according to a Pew Research Center estimate. But while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/there-were-1-6-billion-muslims-in-the-world-as-of-2010-roughly-23-of/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [Economists believe there are three reasons why the Russian economy is doing so poorly. One, economic sanctions are working. Number two, low-price oil. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/economists-believe-there-are-three-reasons-why-the-russian-economy-is/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [The most famous person in my phone is Lindsay Lohan. We starred in 'Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen' together in 2004 and we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-garcia/the-most-famous-person-in-my-phone-is-lindsay-lohan-we-starred-in/) [Adam Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-garcia/) > [Im the antidote to Lindsay Lohan. I know she misbehaves terribly, but sometimes it just seems like its open season on her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raquel-welch/im-the-antidote-to-lindsay-lohan-i-know-she-misbehaves-terribly-but/) [Raquel Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raquel-welch/) > [I'm only waiting for Lindsay Lohan's fashion collection to come out. Ten years from now, there may be no real designers left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-wang/i-m-only-waiting-for-lindsay-lohan-s-fashion-collection-to-come-out/) [Vera Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-wang/) > [My heart goes out to Lindsay Lohan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-lipton/my-heart-goes-out-to-lindsay-lohan/) [Peggy Lipton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-lipton/) > [If it turns out that the Mayans are right and the world is going to end, you know what this means? 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In a sign of the times, Gloria Steinem was on the picket line when the first American DeBeers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-dowd/materialism-has-defeated-feminism-as-well-in-a-sign-of-the-times/) [Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-dowd/) > [Lindsay Lohan was the 'It' girl from, like, 14. That's a lot of pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/lindsay-lohan-was-the-it-girl-from-like-14-that-s-a-lot-of-pressure/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [“Saying 'I notice you're a nerd' is like saying, 'Hey, I notice that you'd rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you'd rather be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/saying-i-notice-you-re-a-nerd-is-like-saying-hey-i-notice-that-you-d/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I don't read or watch anything that has to do with Lindsay Lohan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobcat-goldthwait/i-don-t-read-or-watch-anything-that-has-to-do-with-lindsay-lohan/) [Bobcat Goldthwait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobcat-goldthwait/) > [I didn't get along with Lindsay Lohan on Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, but you have to consider that we were 16-year-old girls...From…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-didn-t-get-along-with-lindsay-lohan-on-confessions-of-a-teenage/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) ## More by Matthew Specktor > [We go to literature because it shows us some set of humane values. It is showing us how to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/we-go-to-literature-because-it-shows-us-some-set-of-humane-values-it/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) > [I've always found too that somewhere in whatever you've just written lies the seed of what you're going to write next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/i-ve-always-found-too-that-somewhere-in-whatever-you-ve-just-written/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) > [My own sense is that fiction is inching its way over to join poetry on the cultural margin. 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Sooner or later, spectacle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/100-million-dollars-used-to-be-the-limit-of-what-a-movie-might-cost/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) > [A lot of talent, a lot of the currency that movies used to have, has spilled over into TV. People talk about TV the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/a-lot-of-talent-a-lot-of-the-currency-that-movies-used-to-have-has/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) > [Much to my surprise, there's a sense for people in the cable industry that fiction writers might actually be good at script writing. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/much-to-my-surprise-there-s-a-sense-for-people-in-the-cable-industry/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) > [Even though I think writers can sometimes thrive from being misread. It can give them something to push off of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/even-though-i-think-writers-can-sometimes-thrive-from-being-misread/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) > [I'm going to write what I feel like writing, which is a great place to be. But it can be hard to get there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/i-m-going-to-write-what-i-feel-like-writing-which-is-a-great-place-to/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) > [The feature film business, the studio film business, feels to me like there's just nowhere else to go. It's like a record that's just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/the-feature-film-business-the-studio-film-business-feels-to-me-like/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) > [There's a kind of perverseness or betrayal in that idea that art is somehow superior to life. 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But only intermittently have I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/hollywood-is-famous-for-breeding-monsters-and-having-worked-in-the/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) [Explore all 55 Matthew Specktor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) ## More Absolutes quotes > [At the centre of the human heart is the longing for an absolute good, a longing which is always there and is never appeased…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/at-the-centre-of-the-human-heart-is-the-longing-for-an-absolute-good/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [There is no perfect justice, just as there is no absolute in ethics. 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