Celebrities Owe You Nothing
Celebrity endorsements are nothing new - some of the earliest examples unsurprisingly come from British royalty. Although it’s hard to imagine Kate Middleton promoting teeth whitening strips on Instagram, brandishing the Royal Warrant of Appointment on goods and services is the royal equivalent. However, in recent years the list of celebrities that have been named and shamed for promoting sketchy products on social media has continued to grow.
Consumers and activists such as Jameela Jamil have frequently called out the likes of the Kardashians who have promoted appetite suppressants lollipops, chewable sweets for luscious locks and ‘FitTea’ wraps, which are designed to miraculously tone your stomach and rid of your cellulite. Many who share Jamil’s opinions express their disgust with these undoubtedly influential women endorsing products that provide quick and unhealthy ‘fixes’ for weight loss, as well as a variety of cosmetic complaints their fan base may have. In a culture where we have seen an unprecedented rise in mental health issues, especially amongst young people, this backlash is only to be expected.
Wouldn’t we all quite like to be paid thousands of pounds just for posing next to a tiny bottle of something we’ll never use again? So, I guess the question is: who is responsible, if anyone at all, for protecting consumers from potentially harmful products and the negative ideologies reinforced alongside them. Parents may argue it’s the responsibility of the celebrities, who should behave like the coveted role models they are, whereas others focus their blame on the social media sites themselves. Perhaps consumers are to blame and should be held accountable themselves, as (hopefully) we all exert freewill when making purchases.
Celebrities in my opinion, are hit with the worst repercussions, especially with the rise of 'cancel culture’ and social media trolls. I’ve seen for myself, troll or not, people telling influencers to kill themselves, calling them horrible names or threatening their families over a shady brand deal. Many celebs have spoken out about this and no one deserves this level of abuse in any situation. Yet, I’ve seen little of the same reaction towards the companies themselves. Don’t shoot the messenger, right?
Personally, my anger is directed towards the companies creating these harmful fad products which promote toxic diet culture and reinforce an unrealistic body images in women. Unfortunately, research has shown this mainly affects young girls; hence the uproar. I myself remember thinking products such as ‘Boo Tea’ must work if these beautiful aussie babes look so good. But I was too young and naive to believe it would all be photoshopped. That’s the sad part, I was already vulnerable and struggling with body image issues and saw this as an easy option. Yes, I agree that products like these shouldn’t be advertised or even created but their creation also reveals a huge need for education and support in an increasingly social media orientated world, which is changing everyday.
Sites such as Instagram and Facebook now require endorsed content to be clearly stated as such, making it easier for consumers to make informed decisions. I think this is super important as it protects certain groups of people and although we can give others the benefit of the doubt to do their research, some people will completely trust what their celebrity crushes say.
Products like ‘SugarBear’ hair vitamins, endorsed by most Kardashian sisters, aren’t approved or regulated by the FDA which puts potential users at risk. Some have even complained of weight gain and acne whilst using the gummies. Yes, the human conscience should know better than to promote something which is potentially harmful to loyal fans, but I doubt most A-listers even handle their own endorsements deals - they have people for that. Sadly, some may not care and just think of that big fat cheque, which is why endorsement restrictions become really important on social media sites.
Consumers as a whole need to become more savvy, be reminded not to believe everything they see, and listen to the oldie but goldie: if it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Sadly, celebrities aren’t sharing their fantastic new chocolate protein powder on social media because they want to bond with you or because they’re your friend and want to let you in on a great deal they’ve found. Surely we’ve all been guilty of believing influencers in the past — when they’ve promoted their ‘favourite’ clothing brands just to see them sell the clothes on depop for a quick buck a week later, or told you about a new energy drink you NEED to try. Ultimately, sales are their aim and money is their game.
Celebrities owe you nothing. Take everything they say and do with a pinch of salt. Just to be safe, think of everything they advertise like a JML advert: it’s cheap, it looks great but will probably break after the first use. Although celebrities don’t owe you anything, I firmly believe there is a line which cannot be crossed by celebrities and those in charge of social media sites. No one should be able to advertise harmful products in any form; there’s a difference between a not-so-streak free-after-all fake tan and an appetite suppressant.
New restrictions and celebrity take downs can only do so much. We cannot determine if they will make well informed and appropriate decisions, so we must do so ourselves.
Written by Kelsey Goldstein
I’m Kelsey, 23 and recently graduated from Bristol University. I’m currently living at home, saving to go travelling ASAP. Dogs and food are my everything.