Celebrity Power

Introduction

Living in the twenty-first century we are exposed to media whether it is television, films, magazines, or tabloids. Celebrities play a huge role in people’s lives by acting as role models for those seeking guidance or advice. Celebrity characteristics and the way we view them have a significant impact on choices we make especially decisions regarding health. Sometimes it isn’t realized that a celebrity actually influenced a choice you’ve made. Although scholars have claimed that celebrities have influenced body image perception, they have neglected to fully appreciate the impacts that celebrities have on issues such as drug use, eating habits and cosmetic appearance. Therefore, scholars must focus on all related health issues not merely being physically fit in order for the general public to realize how much power celebrities really have.

Celebrity Involvement

One of the most key predictors of celebrity influence is the involvement with the celebrity. In the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Health Communication, W.J. Brown states that, “Involvement is a concept that communication scholars have used to describe how audience members relate to individuals depicted in and through the mass media” (361). For instance, recent research on television effects point to television viewers becoming very involved with both television characters and television stars through repeated media exposure. There are several theories of involvement that are valuable in the study of celebrity athletes; basking in reflective glory, parasocial interaction, and identification.

W.J. Brown asserts, “Theorists have proposed that fans of athletes and sports teams see “their” team as an extension of themselves (Sigelman, 1986)” (Brown 361). O...

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Works Cited

Brown, William J., and Marcela Alejandra Chavan de Matviuk. "Sports Celebrities And Public Health: Diego Maradona's Influence On Drug Use Prevention." Journal Of Health Communication 15.4 (2010): 358-373. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.

Kelman, H. (1958). Compliance, identification, and internalization: Three processes of

attitude change. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 2, 51–60.

Shorter, L., Brown, S. L., Quinton, S. J. and Hinton, L. (2008), Relationships Between Body-Shape Discrepancies With Favored Celebrities and Disordered Eating in Young Women. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38: 1364–1377.

Tiggemann, M., & McGill, B. (2004). The role of social comparison in the

effect of magazine advertisements on women’s mood and body dissatisfaction.

Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23, 23–44.