From Business Cards to Brand Deals: How Patrick Bateman Foreshadowed the Influencer Era

“I believe in taking care of myself, and a balanced diet and a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches…After I remove the ice pack, I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water activated gel cleanser. Then a honey almond body scrub. And on the face, an exfoliating gel scrub. Then apply an herb mint facial mask, which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.” 

Does this sound like your favorite lifestyle influencer or the inner ramblings of a cold and psychopathic killer? The answer is both. They sound the same, at least in this situation. This monologue is from the 2000 horror film American Psycho, directed by Mary Harron and starring Christian Bale. In the movie, the protagonist, Patrick Bateman, is an 80s finance bro living in New York City, who leads a double life as an emotionless serial killer with incredible mood swings and an endless need to one-up his coworkers. Bateman’s internal monologue is scattered throughout the film and his inner voice is sometimes even more frightening than his behavior. So, why have I suddenly started talking about some random horror movie from the 2000s? Well, this movie is super culturally relevant and reveals some concerning things about our current values, particularly in the digital sphere. Like I said before, Patrick Bateman’s morning routine is eerily similar to what I see every day scrolling TikTok from many influencers, on both the micro and macro scale. One could even go as to say that Bateman was the precursor to Cassie’s 4 am routine from Euphoria, and now the influencer morning routine. 

There are some blatant connections between the American Psycho morning and that of influencers right now. Bateman pays careful attention to his skin care, diet, and exercise much like those we see on the internet. In the film, he even uses the same L’Occitance Almond Shower Oil that went viral over the summer. This serial killer is literally using the same products that your favorite influencer is. The similarities are uncanny. Honestly, his tip about not using products with alcohol could be useful, but it’s still unsettling to think about. This also connects to the concept of conspicuous wellness. Bateman doesn’t appear to actually be doing self-care for himself, but rather for the appearance (and feeling of superiority) that comes as a result. He even says that his actions are “because I want to fit in,” and not for his actual well-being. 

In another prominent scene in the film, Bateman and his colleagues are talking about their new business cards, and not in a subtle way. They’re trying to one up each other with their cards font and color that, to me, look exactly the same. This is not easy for Patrick. He seems to have an internal breakdown over the fact that someone else topped what he thought was his superior business card. I have always thought that scene was kind of funny, because why does it matter if he has the “best” card? This behavior is one that continues to exist with modern influencers. The most direct comparison that I can think of is the drama with influencers at the University of Miami that occurred recently. The school’s student newspaper, The Miami Hurricane, did a story on student influencers, with a front page that showcased three creators, while others were given features elsewhere in the publication. Much like Bateman, this did not go well for Sienna Long, a micro-influencer and student at UMiami, and one of the creators featured in the news story. She immediately went to TikTok to voice her teary-eyed opinion and frustration with not being more prominently showcased. As Her Campus reported, she said she felt like "microinfluencers don’t get enough recognition” and “I just don’t feel appreciated right now.” I’m going to emphasize again that she was given a feature in the newspaper, she just was not on the cover. The way that this influencer reacted seems extremely similar to Bateman’s reaction with the business card incident, just slightly more public. This influencer had a breakdown because she was not the “best” of the micro influencers in attendance at UMiami. This is a culture phenomenon I find interesting, but also slightly frightening. The weight that we give essentially meaningless cultural entities, like the look of a business card or a feature in a student newspaper, is growing and becoming something with a considerable hold on us. These status markers don’t really mean anything, other than the perceived value and immense power in our lives we allow. This phenomenon clearly existed in the 2000s when American Psycho was adapted to film, the objects that were given social weight were just different. It’s no longer business cards that have this hold, it’s brand deals. 

So, what's the point? Why am I making this comparison? Obviously, this is an extreme example of the dangers of influencer and digital culture and I am definitely not saying that influencers are moonlighting as serial killers. I am hoping that you will examine yourself, and your relationship with digital culture. Be the anti-Bateman. Be your own individual and the kind of person that Patrick Bateman would hate, because that probably means you're doing something right. So, I leave you with this question to think about: Why has the routine that once was considered to be psychopathic, insane, and absurd become normalized in online (and offline) culture?