After reading James Shaw’s blog Celebrity endorsements may work; but what about ethics?, it saddens me to know that there are so many “sheep” in the world following the actions of so called “celebrities”. They are just regular people like us, the only difference being that their lives are merely more lavish and more exposed. They should still be entitled to do what they want instead of having to restrict themselves because of others mindlessly copying them. If they want a chihuahua, let them have a chihuahua. If they endorse a certain product, let them do it! At the end of the day, the public’s actions are made by their choice and as such they should be the ones holding the responsibilities. Why blame the celebrities, it’s not their fault that people believe in them!
This is what sheep do...
Additionally, I would like to add that there ARE popular public figures who endorse environmentalism, such as Leonardo DiCaprio or Cameron Diaz who drive hybrid cars and have taken part in the production of environmental media. It’s just that people choose not to follow their good deeds which are deemed “uncool”. Instead, they focus on the more flamboyant activities ignorantly. This just further cements the notion that it is NOT the celebrities fault for the foolish choices of the public. The public can choose what they want to be influenced by, the sad part is that they choose chihuahuas over the planet.
Two of Hollywood's Greenest Celebs!
For further reading on the rare “Green Celebrities”, go to http://greenliving.about.com/od/greenlivingbasics/ss/green_celebrities_3.htm.
I agree with you – its the celebrity’s choice what they elect to endorse, just like its a consumers choice what to purchase. When a company finds an appropriate celebrity to be the face of their product, it is more likely to successfully attract a segment of consumers. Those consumers choose to purchase the company’s product, and are usually happy with their decision. It’s more of a win-win situation than its made out to be.