Steps and the Stendhal Syndrome

Wikipedia, the friend of cheats everywhere and internet shortcut to a smattering of knowledge (aka a dangerous thing), describes the Stendhal syndrome thusly:

"Stendhal syndrome is a psychosomatic illness that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful or a large amount of art is in a single space."

In the late 1970s, Dr Graziella Magherini, chief of psychiatry at Florence's Santa Maria Nuova Hospital, noticed that many of the tourists who visited Florence were affected by psychiatric disturbances ranging from temporary panic attacks to bouts of outright madness that lasted several days. She remembered that in the early 19th century the French novelist Stendhal had had similar symptoms after visiting the city and becoming overwhelmed by its rich legacy of art and history, so she named the condition Stendhal's syndrome. Stendhal described his experience in his book Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio:

"I was in a sort of ecstasy, from the idea of being in Florence, close to the great men whose tombs I had seen. Absorbed in the contemplation of sublime beauty... I reached the point where one encounters celestial sensations... Everything spoke so vividly to my soul. Ah, if I could only forget. I had palpitations of the heart, what in Berlin they call 'nerves'. Life was drained from me. I walked with the fear of falling..."

Henri-Marie Beyle (January 23, 1783 - March 23, 1842) better known by his penname Stendhal

A sunset view of Florence 

Now, professionally (as a mental health nurse) and personally I find this fascinating. I have never succumbed to this malady myself. Well, not exactly. Perhaps I haven't gazed upon art of the requisite exquisiteness. I've certainly never been to Florence (although I'd like to go, very much). But I have experienced very similar symptoms to those described by Stendhal and Dr Magherini, when exposed to art (and I use the term very loosely) without any intrinsic beauty, merit or worth whatsoever. I refer specifically to the oeuvre of Steps, the prepubescent pop act of the nineties and noughties. Their music and general ghastliness has always provoked VERY stong reactions in me, ranging from hideous nausea and griping stomach pains to the most overwhelming feelings of nihilism imaginable. The Step I've always found most objectionable is Ms Lisa Scott-Lee. I don't know if you were unfortunate enough to bear witness to "Totally Scott-Lee", the MTV show which followed her efforts to put her solo career back on track. It haunts me still. Hurt by her lack of chart success as a solo artiste, she issued an ultimatum to the record (non)-buying public: if she didn't score a top ten hit with her next single, she would leave the music industry forthwith. 'Electric' was duly released and reached the dizzying heights of... number 13 (oh, the irony). Scott-Lee promptly reneged on her promise to the world to quit the music biz, saying she had only gone along with the idea of making such a melodramatic announcement (put forward by MTV who were making the TV series) to please other people. Damn straight. For me, she symbolises everything that is wrong with the pop culture of today - she is a woman determined to hang on to fame and celebrity at any cost. She has no dignity.

Anyway, enough of the Scott-Lee. I was wittering on to the effect that I felt I have, when confronted with the frightful Steps, experienced a kind of anti-Stendhal syndrome (or Steps syndrome, if you will). Indeed, when I heard the awful news recently that they were reforming I, like Stendhal, had palpitations of the heart and felt that "life was drained from me".

I am aware that Steps syndrome can only be considered a psychiatric phenomenon if other people besides myself have experienced it. Therefore I would like to ask you, my splendid readers, if you have any similar experiences to relate. Has your exposure to manufactured pop groups, reality TV 'stars' or night-time TV roulette linkmen brought about prolonged physical, mental or spiritual malaise? I would be very interested to hear from you. Go on, unburden yourself. "A problem shared..." etc...

B.R. 01/05/2012

Pointy-faced Pop Pixie Lisa Scott-Lee: Step, Breaker of Promises and Destabilizer of Mental Health