Mario Lopez was a trending topic on X (formerly Twitter) for implying that starstruck fans are less intelligent.
Lopez drew criticism after he shared a screenshot of a 2022 psychological study online.
The 50-year-old actor and “Access Hollywood” host shared a screenshot of a psychological study that shows “less intelligent” people are “obsessed” with celebrities.
The backlash was swift. One person wrote on X: “What about people who host shows about celebrities?”
READ ALSO: Psychologists Warn Narcissism On the Rise Thanks to Selfies
The study, published in a Hungarian medical journal, found “a direct association between celebrity worship and poorer performance on cognitive tests.”
The study tested 1,763 adults who were asked to complete a 30-word vocabulary test and a “celebrity attitude scale” questionnaire.
They were asked to say yes or no to questions such as, “I am obsessed by details of my favorite celebrity’s life”, and “If I were lucky enough to meet my favorite celebrity, and he/she asked me to do something illegal as a favor, I would probably do it.”
The study participants who scored highest on the celebrity attitude test performed poorly on the vocabulary test and cognitive ability test. While those who scored lower on the celebrity attitude test did better on the vocabulary and cognitive tests.
The research suggested that people who are obsessed with celebrities may do poorly in tasks that require attention and other cognitive skills.
The researchers urged celebrity-obsessed people to “carefully monitor their feelings” for celebrities.
