>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality
>
> "A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's
> leader uses mass media to create a larger-than-life public image
> through unquestioning flattery and praise. The term often refers as
> well to leaders who did not use such methods during their lifetime,
> but are built up in the mass media by later governments. Cults of
> personality are often found in dictatorships but some can be found in
> some democracies as well.
>
> A cult of personality is the same as from general hero worship in that
> it is specifically built around political leaders. However, the term
> cult of personality is often applied by analogy to refer to adulation
> of non-political leaders; an argument could easily be made, however,
> that the only notable differences to be found between the terms "hero
> worship," "cult of personality," or even, more simply, excessive
> admiration are largely in the context of the person making the
> accusation." ...
