Appeal to Celebrity

Other Terms and/or Related Concepts

Appeal to Authority; Celebrity Endorsement

Description

The advocate argues that their argument, position, product, world view, political agenda/candidate, proposed action or cause is correct because a celebrity has endorsed it.

Example

James Canary has a child who was just diagnosed with "Indigo Encephalitis". James is arguing with his friend Laura Kronk about its cause. "I know it's related with the internet WiFi's I put in my house. He was a perfectly normal child when I just had the cable for the internets in my computer, but when he was four years old I got a new one that had the WiFi's and all of a sudden he stopped being able to communicate with me the way he used to."

Laura replies: "That's not proof of anything. Correlation doesn't prove causation".

To which James says: "Well, the actor/model Janie McCarter says the radiation from the WiFi's is dangerous and can cause cancer and other brain related illnesses. And what's more, the government and big tech all know about it and are covering it up!"

Comment

An Appeal to Celebrity is much more bizarre than a commonplace Appeal to Authority. This subspecies is worthy of comment because it is increasingly common, and often passes unnoticed by those who should know better.

The short definition of Appeal to Authority is as follows: "The advocate makes an unwarranted appeal to an authoritative person or organization in support of a proposition". Unwarranted in this context means that the appeal is without foundation, and that the supposed "authority" does not really lend any weight to the advocate's proposition (because the authority of the authority on this particular matter is not convincing, or because the advocate is falsely claiming that the authority would agree with the advocate's position).

An appeal to a celebrity's authority takes this fallacy to its absurd extreme.

The most commonplace example is using a celebrity to endorse a product or service through advertising. This tends to be harmless or risible. Harmless examples are clearly advertisements - George Clooney selling coffee. Risible examples are when companies, say, appoint a celebrity as a "creative director".

More insidious is the use of celebrities to argue for a cause. Consider the commonplace case. The celebrity is appearing on a chat show, or a news and current affairs program. The celebrity is perhaps an actor, a model, a sportsperson or reality television "star". Whatever the claim to fame, the celebrity is not known for deep thinking. And yet the interviewer inevitably asks the celebrity about his or her profound thoughts on some deep and complex issue – multilateral defence treaties, bilateral trade agreements, reform of the United Nations, health funding, dry land salinity etc. And the celebrity is eager to pontificate at length on any of these, and presumably the more impressionable viewers will be swayed by the celebrity's half-baked opinions, just because the celebrity is a celebrity.

Just once wouldn’t it be nice to see a journalist-interviewer practice real journalism and say: "Sorry to interrupt you there Sean, but you're talking about politics now, and we're not interested; after all, you're only an actor".

The danger here goes the other way too. As enjoyable as it is to beat up on celebrities, especially when they are hypocritical egomaniacs, one must not dismiss the message a priori just because it's a celebrity giving it. There's always a small chance they might be right...

Celebrity arrogance

From Scientific illiteracy all the rage among the glitterati:

The Celebrities and Science Review 2008, prepared by the group Sense About Science, identifies some of the worst examples of scientific illiteracy among those who profess to know better – including top politicians.

Appeal to Celebrity is so pervasive. It wouldn't be so bad if celebrities, when asked about something outside their domain of expertise (i.e. something that doesn't require reading from a script they've been given and standing where they're told), said: "I don't know. You should really ask a recognised expert about that." But they don't.

The arrogance of these people, the Jenny McCarthy and Oprah types, who have no second thoughts about their possible lack of knowledge, is astounding. The fact that doctors and scientists study for years to become experts in a field means nothing to them. Their instinct, personal experience and wishful thinking outweighs all. And if doctors and scientists disagree with them it's because they have ulterior motives and are "owned" by "big pharma", etc.

Of course, celebrities are just people. No better or worse than "the average Joe" when it comes to ignorant arrogance. Arguably the "average Joe" is worse. Check out this comment:

Oh, ok, so we should just believe medical science's explanations for everything, though we are sicker than ever before. Let's just continue as we are, shall we? That'll work.
Posted by Lourdes | 30.12.08, 14:17 GMT

It did garner this great reply through:

"Oh, ok, so we should just believe medical science's explanations for everything, though we are sicker than ever before. Let's just continue as we are, shall we? That'll work.
Posted by Lourdes | 30.12.08, 14:17 GMT"

Sorry to hear about your terrible cases of plague, tuberculosis, polio, hemophilia, cataracts, tetanus and general infections.

Oh, yeah, and too bad about the whole life expectantancy of 30 odd years and 90% childhood mortality rate.

Really a shame that we can't do anything about that.

Posted by Sili | 31.12.08, 22:13 GMT

Perhaps these two "average Joes" cancel out?

Here's the full Sense About Science Celeb Audit 2008 (pdf)

Hat Tip Fallacy Files

Podcast: Hunting Humbug 101 - Tutorial 10: False Cause; Correlation Error (feat. Jenny McCarthy)

In this podcast we discuss the False Cause; Correlation Error. It’s the 1st pod in a series we are doing on the air head actress Jenny McCarthy and her fallacious views on autism.



Here's the link to direct download: (35 mins & 16 mb) and you subscribe here: http://huntinghumbug101.podbean.com/feed/or by clicking one of the buttons below.

The "cut down" video podcast version:

• Here's the youtube link from where I obtained the interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36PLQIMW69c
• Stop Jenny McCarthy
  
• Our number of subscribers are rising steadily. However, be sure to give us a hand by spamming everyone you know, or at the very least, digging/stumbling us (using some kind of social networking) and writing a review for itunes: http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_to_vote_favorite_podcast_apple_itunes.html
  

Appealing to authority - better than appealing to celebrity

A good article on celebrity hypocrites, points out that even if they are hypocrites, it doesn't mean the message is wrong. Though it's great fun to rip into them:

This week Leonardo DiCaprio's new film The 11th Hour opens in cinemas. It's a grab bag of gloomy scenarios about the impending end of the world overlaid with footage of hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters. Leo solemnly intones a call for our society to radically rethink our over-consumption of natural resources and to start to live more sustainably. The message itself is laudable… [yet the movie's co-producer - DiCaprio] is putting a bigger carbon footprint in one hour in his private jet than an average American will put driving an SUV for a year.

The token nature of trendy celebrity causes reached a zenith in April this year when the Pimp My Ride crew made an Earth Day special. As American comedian Lewis Black pointed out at the time, the last people who should be giving environmental lessons are a bunch of guys who spend each episode hotting up cars to the point where they're as fuel inefficient as possible.

That same day Oprah handed out energy efficient light globes to her entire audience – which probably won't go too far towards undoing the damage caused by the day she gave everyone in her audience free cars.

As enjoyable as it is to beat up on celebrity hypocrites, there is always the sneaking suspicion that some critics are simply playing the man and not the ball. That is to say, their excessive focus on the hypocrisy of stars is a way of discrediting the message and to excuse inaction by the rest of us on the environment.

"Too often the criticisms imply that a green-celeb's errors render their environmental message moot and their actions meaningless."

…the only reason we even listening to their environmental message is because of who they are – not because they actually have any real knowledge of the subject.

How can we engage with the underlying scientific debate when the discourse is reduced to trendy slogans uttered by the rich and famous?

Does Leonardo DiCaprio really understand the intricacies of scientific debate about the release of methane from clathrate compounds that are hypothesised as a cause for other warming events in the distant past, including the Permian-Triassic extinction event and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum?

Or is DiCaprio just an actor?

"We've totally devalued expertise," says Dr Jackie Cook, from the School of Communications at University of South Australia. "We don't understand knowledge or research any more, we only understand opinion and image. What we have to do is shift from the surface into the depths (of an issue) but image floats faster through the (media's) system than anything else."

Read the whole thing.

P*ss Take on the Cult of Celebrity

The Onion has done it again - satire on the cult of celebrity. Funny because it's true:


Beyonce Unhurt After Stray Bullet Miraculously Hits Passerby Instead

The ultimate appeal to celebrity

The hypocrisy of Earth Live Aid, or whatever it is called, is going on right now. A couple of choice quotes:

Japanese singer Ayaka urged people to do what they could. "We can start helping by doing something small," she said.

"I started to carry my own eco-bag so I don't have to use plastic grocery bags, and use my own chopsticks instead of disposable ones."

Wow. The sacrifice. And just in case you thought Appealing to Celebrity didn't work:

...10,000 fans packed the main arena at Tokyo's Makuhari Messe complex to hear Linkin Park, R&B diva Rihanna and a multitude of Japanese artists.

...Some fans conceded, however, that they were more interested in the music than the message.

"I came here for Linkin Park and Linkin Park only," Masato Nakajima said.

"But I think this is a good event. If Linkin Park tells me to go eco-friendly, I will do it. Absolutely," he added.

Would he listen to the self-obsessed, god complex suffering Madonna? I mean, she'll be disappointed if he doesn't:

Madonna's carbon footprint is dwarfed only by her ego - she has vowed that she will 'speak to the planet' at Wembley.

Not all rock stars are so self-obsessed; some of them are seemingly intelligent:

Roger Daltrey, of the Who, said another concert would simply waste fuel; Bob Geldof, who helped to organise Live Aid and Live 8, said people were already aware of the greenhouse effect; while Matt Bellamy, front man of the rock band Muse, labelled it "private jets for climate change".

Private Jets for Climate Change

I'm not a climate change obsessive, but there is so much Humbug on both sides of this issue out there that we will naturally revisit the topic quite frequently. An inspired, ironic slogan coined by Matt Bellamy of the rock band Muse deserves extensive airing (click the bolded link at the bottom of this extract for the full story).

Live Earth will be a series of concerts, modelled on Live Aid and and Live 8, aimed at raising awareness about the threat from global warming.

As many as 12 concerts across seven continents featuring the likes of Madonna and Genesis and 100 other acts are planned over 24 hours, including one at a research station in Antarctica.

The organisers have so far struggled to find a clear-cut way of conveying their main message. Even rock performers have criticised the concept.

Roger Daltrey, of the Who, said another concert would simply waste fuel; Bob Geldof, who helped to organise Live Aid and Live 8, said people were already aware of the greenhouse effect; while Matt Bellamy, front man of the rock band Muse, labelled it “private jets for climate change”.

Update: a chuckleworthy contribution to the comments thread at the above article (it is a comment on an earlier comment - scroll down for context)

"I really admire the action of Al gore and her/his followers" You are mistaken, Al Gore is not a hermaphrodite. She is a beautiful lady.

WARNING: do NOT shake hands with this woman

Crow calls for limit on loo paper

Singer Sheryl Crow has said a ban on using too much toilet paper should be introduced to help the environment.

Crow has suggested using "only one square per restroom visit, except, of course, on those pesky occasions where two to three could be required".

The 45-year-old, who made the comments on her website, has just toured the US on a biodiesel-powered bus to raise awareness about climate change.

She teamed up with environmental activist Laurie David for the shows.

"I have spent the better part of this tour trying to come up with easy ways for us all to become a part of the solution to global warming," Crow wrote.

"Although my ideas are in the earliest stages of development, they are, in my mind, worth investigating. "I propose a limitation be put on how many squares of toilet paper can be used in any one sitting."

Bonohead still LAME

Bono is still talking about wanting to meet the PM (on his terms of course):

Earlier, Bono said he would only be interested in meeting Mr Howard to discuss the Make Poverty History campaign if the Prime Minister was serious about the problems underdeveloped countries face.

In hindsight, this was a tad arrogant, Bono concedes:

Bono now says he is sorry for appearing arrogant and would love to meet Mr Howard.

"I think it was fairer to say I was just a little miffed that he didn't seem that interested in the meeting or indeed the issues," he said.

Wasn't interested in meeting? Actually, he is probably still waiting for formal request. You don't get invites through LAME media grandstanding. Maybe one of Bono's underlings could make direct contact with the PM's office if his lordship would like a meeting? Just an idea.
_______________
Source: ABC.net.au - Bono urges Howard to increase aid.

Tags: Appeal to celebrity, LAME, Bono, U2.

U2 are in town

...and the music is secondary to the celebrity (actually, the music comes after the money too). That LAME version of Appeal to Authority, Appeal to Celebrity, has arrived, with the arrival of U2. In less than a week Bono has used his celebrity to:

…campaign for the terrorist suspect David Hicks to be released from Guantanamo Bay.

And for wealthy countries to:

…donate more of their GDP (gross domestic product) to help combat global poverty, particularly in Africa.

Now I'm not commenting on either of these particular issues per se, just on the media's complicity in giving these hyper-rich venture capitalists, who pretend to be musicians but in actual fact are merely hypocritical sellouts the air they so desperately crave. (Regulars know how much we love to be told what to do by celebrity hypocrites.)

Let’s see if Bono has time from away from his busy money making schedule to take the Prime Minister up on his offer:

The Irish rock star, whose band opens its Australian tour in Brisbane tonight, says he wants to talk to Mr Howard about boosting Australia's aid to poor countries…

Mr Howard said while there had been no approach to his office for a meeting, he would be happy to accommodate the rocker.

"If he wants to come and talk to me I'd be happy to see him. I haven't had any formal request but of course [I would meet him]," Mr Howard told reporters.
________________
Sources: SMH - Howard happy to meet Bono - but who is he? 7th November 06; SMH - Free David Hicks, demands Bono. 8th November 06.

Tags: Fallacy, Appeal to authority, Appeal to celebrity.

Celebrity Preachers

Anne Henderson points out another reason to ignore Appeals to Celebrity:

Al Gore... lectures at length on the need for all of us to change our lifestyles to save the planet. ...We have a choice he says - "to bring our carbon emissions to zero". We must use renewable energy and clothes lines, drive hybrid cars and cut back on consumption.

...He owns three homes, one of which is a 930sqm, 20-room, eight-bathroom home in Nashville and another a 370sqm house in Arlington, Virginia. ..."there is no evidence that Gore has signed up to use green energy". Gore usually travels to promote his film in a private jet.

Michael Moore, as Jef has previously pointed out... talks often of growing up in the working-class, wrong-side-of-the-tracks rust belt of Flint, Michigan. ...In fact, Moore grew up in nearby Davison, the son of a middle-class General Motors worker who owned the family home, drove two cars and played golf after work in the afternoons.

Moore has a penthouse in New York and an extensive property on Torch Lake, Michigan, made of 70-year-old Michigan red pine trees. ...he was recently cited by local authorities for despoiling a wetland in an attempt to extend his private beach.

Moore's image exudes the ordinary guy, the man who can hack it rough with no interest in consuming goods. He derides the elite for their excess and need for luxury. This is the same man who couldn't drink Poland Spring when backstage and had to have a ready supply of Evian. The same man who demanded he travel the country in a private jet and a fleet of four-wheel drives for his most recent book tour.

She goes on to point out the hypocrisy of other celebrity "know all - know nothings", such as Barbra Streisand (takes her neighbour to court because he took photos of her looking at four-wheel drives at a car dealership, in clear contradiction to a plea she made a few months before, asking Americans to reduce fuel emissions). And Ted Kennedy (appeals for greener choices; however the Kennedys, led by Ted, oppose a wind project off Hyannis where they sail, for example).

It's more often than not, I'd be willing to bet, a safe bet to ignore Appeals to Celebrity, especially when the appeal is coming directly from the celebrity. As Henderson says:

Let's save the planet by all means - but let's not be fooled by those who preach loudest but do not practise what they preach.
_________________

Tags: Skeptic, Fallacy, Appeal to Authority, Al Gore, Michael Moore.

Appeal to Celebrity

The first common fallacy canvassed in our book Humbug! is Appeal to Authority. Our short definition of appeal to authority is as follows: "The advocate makes an unwarranted appeal to an authoritative person or organization in support of a proposition". Unwarranted in this context means that the appeal is without foundation, and that the supposed "authority" does not really lend any weight to the advocate's proposition (because the authority of the authority on this particular matter is not convincing, or because the advocate is falsely claiming that the authority would agree with the advocate's position).

There is a subspecies of appeal to authority which is much more bizarre than a commonplace appeal to authority. This subspecies of appeal to authority is worthy of comment here because it is increasingly common, and often passes unnoticed by those who should know better. It is Appeal to Celebrity.

Consider the commonplace case. The celebrity is appearing on a chat show, or a news and current affairs program. The celebrity is perhaps an actor, a model, a sportsperson, a "reality television" contestant, or a Greens senator. Whatever the claim to fame, the celebrity is not known for deep thinking. And yet... the interviewer inevitably asks the celebrity about his or her profound thoughts on some deep and complex issue – multilateral defence treaties, bilateral trade agreements, reform of the United Nations, health funding, dry land salinity etc etc etc. And the celebrity is eager to pontificate at length on any of these, and presumably the more impressionable viewers will be swayed by the celebrity's half-baked opinions, just because the celebrity is a celebrity.

Just once I'd like to see a journalist-interviewer practice real journalism and say: "sorry to interrupt you there Sean, but you're talking about politics now, and we're not interested; after all, you're only an actor".