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“The Patty Winters Show” is a fictional daytime talk show not unlike the real-life shows of Jerry Springer, Sally Jesse Raphael, and Greg Geraldo, which were very popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is also Patrick Bateman’s favorite television program. Every day he watches the show, noting the bizarre topic of the episode (“UFOs that kill,” “nuclear war,” “a new sport called Dwarf Tossing”) and often calling his friends on the phone to ridicule the new batch of guests on each day. Bateman’s obsession with the show is a reflection of the wild secrets he is keeping from the rest of the world. While he may outwardly appear to be a perfect member of a mainstream (though still highly exclusive) society and culture, the secret life and personality he shares only with the reader show him to be not dissimilar from the “freaks” that are guests on the show. Furthermore, the recurrence of “The Patty Winters Show” and its wild topics is routinely cited in analyses of the book as a litmus test for Bateman’s mental state; the stranger and more unbelievable the day’s topic or guests on the show are, the more likely Bateman is in a hallucinatory state in the moment he recounts the show to the reader.
“The Patty Winters Show” Quotes in American Psycho
The American Psycho quotes below all refer to the symbol of “The Patty Winters Show”. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Something on Television
Quotes
“Please do not sit in the same row in court with Janet. When I look over toward you there she sits contemplating me with her mad eyes like a deranged seagull studying a clam… I can feel her spreading hot sauce on me already…”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire American Psycho LitChart as a printable PDF.
“The Patty Winters Show” Symbol Timeline in American Psycho
The timeline below shows where the symbol “The Patty Winters Show” appears in American Psycho. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Morning
...and A. Testoni shoes. While he’s dressing, he turns on the television to watch “ The Patty Winters Show ,” his favorite program. On today’s episode, the guests are women with multiple personalities. After...
(full context)
Office
...Ivana Trump. He hasn’t. Bateman asks him if he watched this morning’s episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ,” which, today, was about Autism. While they ride, Bateman notices that the music playing...
(full context)
...her to cancel the only personal appointment he had scheduled. Jean hasn’t seen today’s “ The Patty Winters Show ” either, but smiles at his obsession with the show. Bateman settles in his office,...
(full context)
Health Club
As he exercises, Bateman reminisces about the day’s episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ,” which was about women with big breasts. One woman had gotten a breast reduction;...
(full context)
Dry Cleaners
...in person. Bateman rushes out the door, skipping his workout and today’s episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ” – a re-run featuring the President. Outside the store, he sees a bum, blind...
(full context)
Lunch
...speaks, Bateman completely zones out, going back to the morning when he was watching “ The Patty Winters Show ” in his apartment (the topic was “toddler murderers”), eating breakfast, and staring at the...
(full context)
Yale Club
...Patten, and they’re discussing usual topics: sweater vests and serial killers. On this morning’s “ The Patty Winters Show ,” the topic was Nazis, and Bateman found it quite entertaining, especially when one of...
(full context)
Lunch with Bethany
...– something he used to do when they dated. That morning, the topic on “ The Patty Winters Show ” was “Has Patrick Swayze Become Cynical or Not?”
(full context)
...nervously makes small talk, asking if his hair is okay and if Bethany watched “ The Patty Winters Show ” today; she thinks the topic sounds quite strange. Bateman tells her about the poem...
(full context)
Girls (2)
...the Kentucky Derby when he was with that girl Alison Poole. Today’s episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ” was about “People Who Weigh Over Seven Hundred Pounds – What Can We Do...
(full context)
Killing Child at Zoo
...has been unable to sleep and feels his mind going. This morning’s episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ” was about a boy who fell in love with a box of soap. Bateman...
(full context)
Tries to Cook and Eat Girl
Bateman is meanwhile watching “ The Patty Winters Show ,” and the topic is “Human Diaries.” Later in the day, he attempts to make...
(full context)
Chase, Manhattan
...usual subjects: women, work, alcohol. He tells the reader that this morning’s episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ” was about a man who lit his daughter on fire while giving birth, and...
(full context)
In Bed with Courtney
...He thinks about the early Christmas shopping he’s been doing and the episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ” he watched earlier (it was about “Beautiful Teenage Lesbians,” and he missed work to...
(full context)
Something on Television
...apartment, getting ready for a date with Jeannette, and watching a two-part episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ” which he’s recorded. The first part features Guns n’ Roses front man Axel Rose...
(full context)
Valentine’s Day
...focus between the maid cleaning the blood off his walls and an episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ,” where Patty is asking a young child about orgies. Bateman tells the reader that...
(full context)
Bum on Fifth
...moves on without doing anything, and tells the reader about the day’s episode of “ The Patty Winters Show ” (a Cheerio was interviewed for an hour), the horrific knife attack of a woman...
(full context)
At Harry’s
...before being asked if he’s made a reservation for dinner. On the bar TV, “ The Patty Winters Show ” is playing; the topic is “Does Economic Success Equal Happiness?” All then man in...
(full context)
