Patrick Bateman’s Morning Routine

Now you might be wondering why on earth I would post a scene from a movie that most people have seen that’s 20+ years old. Well, I will tell you: I revisited this scene recently. Something about it was bothering me. I wanted to study it again. The philosophy of the scene and the whole idea. Obviously, it’s beautifully shot, wonderfully acted, and well-executed. However, underneath is the idea that people may not be people. There may be only entities. I think of myself in these moments. There’s Cameron the public person and then there’s the Cameron that hangs out with his friends. We have all these faces. I’m not planning on killing anyone in a sex-crazed fantasy like Bateman in the film, but as an autistic person, I can sense when I’m performing a mask and when I am more myself. People are often uncomfortable when I’m truly authentic. Does that make me only an entity? Am I really there or am I just a sort of ghost? This clip got me thinking and got me very self-reflective. Does it have the same effect on you?