Misguided celebrity causes
July 16th 2010 02:01
It's no secret that celebrities love to throw their weight around. All too often, we see them go beyond what it is that they were made famous for in the first place - the ridiculous number of celebrity fashion lines (not all of which are successful) can attest to that! But sometimes, celebrities venture into territories that have consequences far more damaging to society than that of a bad song, a failed restaurant, or an ugly line of clothes. Every now and then, a celebrity will spruik a cause that results in people getting really sick... or worse.
American website cracked.com had an article recently on just how misguided some celebrity causes can be. In his aptly-titled piece 'The 6 Most Misguided Causes Ever Made Famous by Celebrities', writer Will Kriegshauser mentions a number of murderers who were released from prison after celebrities had rallied for their release - only to kill again, sometimes within just a few months of being let out of jail.
Then there's ex-Playboy bunny Jenny McCarthy, who - after becoming convinced that immunisation caused her son's autism - began spreading the word that childhood vaccinations had to be stopped. The result? A surge in measles-related sickness among un-vaccinated children in the United States, presumably because some parents are actually listening to her. Why trust those daggy folks in the white coats when you can get your medical advice from 1994's Playmate of the Year?
Now there's no denying that some celebrity causes are amazing, and that they wouldn't have received anywhere near the attention they otherwise would have, were it not for a little star power. But as with the cases mentioned in Kriegshauser's article, having a famous face backing (or spearheading!) a completely misguided cause can only bring harm to the rest of society.
It's just another example of our celebrity-obsessed culture striking again. Unless they're talking about movies, music or whatever it is they're actually famous for, isn't it about time that we stopped putting so much stock in what these people have to say?
Jenny McCarthy, we're looking at you.
American website cracked.com had an article recently on just how misguided some celebrity causes can be. In his aptly-titled piece 'The 6 Most Misguided Causes Ever Made Famous by Celebrities', writer Will Kriegshauser mentions a number of murderers who were released from prison after celebrities had rallied for their release - only to kill again, sometimes within just a few months of being let out of jail.
Then there's ex-Playboy bunny Jenny McCarthy, who - after becoming convinced that immunisation caused her son's autism - began spreading the word that childhood vaccinations had to be stopped. The result? A surge in measles-related sickness among un-vaccinated children in the United States, presumably because some parents are actually listening to her. Why trust those daggy folks in the white coats when you can get your medical advice from 1994's Playmate of the Year?
Now there's no denying that some celebrity causes are amazing, and that they wouldn't have received anywhere near the attention they otherwise would have, were it not for a little star power. But as with the cases mentioned in Kriegshauser's article, having a famous face backing (or spearheading!) a completely misguided cause can only bring harm to the rest of society.
It's just another example of our celebrity-obsessed culture striking again. Unless they're talking about movies, music or whatever it is they're actually famous for, isn't it about time that we stopped putting so much stock in what these people have to say?
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Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Hmmm - sounds like she was bitter over not getting that free upsize