Alter Ego's and Celebrities--Part 1

Both Beyonce and Nicki Minaj have been publicizing that they have "alter ego's" for awhile now.  Beyonce has Sasha Fierce and Nicki Minaj has Barbie, Roman and Martha as well as a few others.  My first reaction when I heard this was "WHAT??" as I'm sure most peoples' reaction was.  However, I have noticed that it has become something that is seen as normal.  If you asked most young adults what they thought of Beyonce or Nicki Minaj having an alter ego, I almost guarantee you that they would say it was just something for the stage or just blow the whole thing off.  It has become ingrained in our minds that it is okay and just a stage thing.  It is NOT.   What is an alter ego?

An alter ego (Latin, "the other I") is a second self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or original personality. A person who has an alter ego is said to lead a double life. The term appeared in common usage in the early 19th century when dissociative identity disorder was first described by psychologists.^[1] Cicero was the first to coin the term as part of his philosophical construct in 1st century Rome, but he described it as "a second self, a trusted friend".^{[2]     --from Wikipedia (alter ego)}

 Lets listen to what both stars say about their alter egos...

"I turn into Sasha. I wouldn't like Sasha if I met her off stage. She's too aggressive, too strong, too sassy, too sexy! I'm not like her in real life at all. I'm not flirtatious and super-confident and fearless like her.  --Beyonce

"What I feel onstage I don't feel anywhere else. It's an out-of-body experience. I created my stage persona ... so that when I go home, I don't have to think about what it is I do. Sasha isn't me. The people around me know who I really am."   --Beyonce

"I have someone that takes over when its time for me to work and when I'm on stage , this alter ego that I've created that kind of protects me and who I really am.  I have out-of-body experiences (on stage).  If i cut myself I don't feel it.  I'm so fearless, I'm not aware of my face or body."  --Beyonce

"Roman is a crazy boy who lives in me and he says the things I don't want to say. He was born a few months ago. I think he was born out of rage, he was conceived out of rage.  So he bashes everyone....He wants to be blamed. I don't want to blame him.  I ask him to leave. But he can't.  He's here for a reason.  People have brought him out.  People have conjured him up, now he won't leave.  --Nicki Minaj

To get away from all their (parents) fighting I would imagine being a new person.            Cookie was my first identity--that stayed with me for awhile.  I went on to Harajuku Barbie, then Nicki Minaj.  Fantasy was my reality. --Nicki Minaj

There are a few things that they say that I would like to point out.  Beyonce says Sasha isn't me...If I cut myself I don't feel it, I'm not aware of my face or body.  I wouldn't like Sasha if I met her.  Nicki says He was born a few months ago, I ask him to leave but he cant.  People have brought him out.  To get away...I would imagine being a new person.  

Does any of this fit the definition of alter ego??  The first part of the definition talks about leading a double life.  But what exactly is a double life.

a life in which one set of actions, relationships, dealings, etc are kept secret from most people  -- Collinsdictionary.com

This does not exactly fit what Beyonce and Nicki were talking about.  They were not keeping a secret from others they were having two selves almost keeping a secret from themselves...

So what was the other part of the definition.  It discusses a second self and dissociative identity disorder.  

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously referred to as multiple personality disorder (MPD), is a dissociative disorder involving a disturbance of identity in which two or more separate and distinct personality states (or identities) control the individual's behavior at different times. When under the control of one identity, the person is usually unable to remember some of the events that occurred while other personalities were in control. The different identities, referred to as alters, may exhibit differences in speech, mannerisms, attitudes, thoughts, and gender orientation. The alters may even differ in "physical" properties such as allergies, right-or-left handedness, or the need for eyeglass prescriptions. These differences between alters are often quite striking.

The person with DID may have as few as two alters, or as many as 100. The average number is about 10. Often alters are stable over time, continuing to play specific roles in the person's life for years. Some alters may harbor aggressive tendencies, directed toward individuals in the person's environment, or toward other alters within the person.

--nami.org

This seems to fit almost perfectly with what Beyonce and Nicki Minaj were talking about.  Nicki had multiple "personalities" and she discussed how one was aggressive.  Beyonce also talked about aggression as well as not being aware of her face or body and not feeling if she is cut.  This is showing that she is having lapses in time and not remember events while the other personality is in control.  One other thing that happens in DID is different physical properties.  Below I will show some pictures to highlight the differences.