Jared Leto's Cringe White Boy Summer
Jared gives the phrase "cult following" a whole new meaning...
Jared Leto is a famous actor and also the front man for the band 30 seconds to mars. The band has always had a very dedicated following of mostly young white girls. Leto himself appears to have tried to market this cult-like image, choosing to grow out his hair and prance around in long flowing white robes.
These people are overwhelming elite whites, shelling out thousands of dollars to participate in these events. Perhaps it’s more apt to call this Jared’s white girl summer, judging from the lack of testosterone in the above images. That is not to say there aren’t male orbiters at this event, certainly there is. These “Camp Mars” events appear to be a grand display of communal narcissism. Psychology today describes communal narcissism1 in a recent article:
Next, there is the communal narcissist. Qualities of this type of narcissist reflect the typical inflated ego, but they also see themselves as remarkably engaged in making the lives of others better. These individuals believe themselves to be extremely helpful, understanding, and caring for others. They believe they are excellent friends and listeners in whom others have no trouble placing their trust. They also tend to imagine themselves capable of solving significant challenges facing the world, such as hunger, poverty, and lack of overall well-being.
However grand they imagine themselves to be, their contributions to the good of their social groups or world order may only be minimal. In fact, any efforts at making a positive difference to the world will likely be motivated by a desire to garner praise and acknowledgment for whatever small contribution they make.
During the protests around the world after the murder of George Floyd, there was a photo of a young reporter who stopped her vehicle at a site where workers were nailing boards on a storefront to protect it; the reporter appeared to ask to hold the drill so that she could get a photo of her helping support others. Actions like these provide a good illustration of two aspects of communal narcissism: 1) The act seemed to be driven by the need to prove oneself altruistic and committed to social justice, and 2) The actual engagement in the effort was minimal.
This does sound like what Leto himself does. While charging thousands of dollars from fans during a pandemic for these camps and island retreats, Leto also announced his band was “anti-greed”. His fans have begun referring to him as a “prophet” and he either bought or rented a private island for these cringe gatherings.
The official description: "Mars Island is a three night, all inclusive festival experience. Relax and restore with yoga amongst the trees, take a dip in the pool, catch a midnight screening or gaze at the stars, and catch two intimate performances with Thirty Seconds to Mars. Mars Island is an experience like no other."
Fascinating is not the word I personally would use to describe this event, but to each his own…
At one point during his “opening speech” at “camp mars” in posh Malibu, Leto tallked about “white nights” which I assume was a reference to the all white clothing the cult wears. Leto refers to 30STM fans as the “echelon”, make of that what you will.
One believer shared this photo, claiming it was great to be part of an “elite” group, which I presume he thinks this cult is.
Distractify reported2 on the ridiculous price tag for the self aggrandizing events, which is stunning:
The starter package starts at $995 (which doesn't include travel), and it goes up to $6,499, which is the highest tier. If you go with this package, you get an "exclusive VIP experience" with Jared himself. The event, which is located in Croatia, is happening from August 21-24, 2020.
The fans, oops I mean the echelon started referring to themselves as “the family”, and it is unclear if that is a reference to the older cult of the same name.
The family was an Australian cult3, that Julian Assange was rumored to have once been part of as a child. In a bizarre promotional video that shows mostly girls crying, screaming and looking generally hysterical the following text appears overlaid on it: "Belief, Hope, Emotions, Understanding, Music, Support, World Unification, Love, Shouts, Communication, Freedom, Happiness Tears, Dreams; It Is The Family." These are just a bunch of random statements that don’t really mean anything. They are platitudes.
In a strange tweet, one believer posted “echelon family forever” and used the hashtag #youwouldntunderstand.
The Leto fans are nothing if not…dedicated.
As a Christian, I actually find this very insulting and I see it as mocking our faith.
Leto uses the hashtag #yesthisisacult which seems to me is his way of making fun of his fans and publicly humiliating them.
Jared wears a pink shirt that says “WWJD” which was a well known phrase that stood for “what would Jesus do?” and has changed it to say “what would Jared do?” once again comparing himself to Christ.
I think this whole thing has become cringe and lame.
These believers are literally getting tattoos in honor of Jared Leto’s mediocre band.
I tend to view wealthy and power celebrities with a healthy skepticism so somehow I highly doubt Leto will “never forget” the “camp mars” Malibu 2019 weekend.
Cruel World Happy Mind did a hilarious video breaking down this whole thing and I think she really captured the totality of this phenomena.
As one of the commenters said, "carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man" describes this narcissistic nonsense. He does have a bit of a Shoko Asahara vibe with the white robes (yikes).
What do you guys think of Jared Leto’s pricey island and camp events? Do you think he is just bilking his audience for money while openly mocking them and making them look like a cult? How does this relate to communal narcissism and the cult of personality? Let me know in the comments below…
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/lifetime-connections/202006/how-dangerous-are-collective-and-communal-narcissists
https://www.distractify.com/p/jared-leto-cult
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/the-family-breaking-free-from-a-sinister-cult