Celebrity endorsement and its effect on me........

I just get so turned off of anything that sniffs of pseudo scientific quackery or religion that it makes me shudder. I am also a consumer of media and entertainment and my tastes lay mostly in news and comedy. I like funny people and I like clever people and I tend to be quite addictive when it comes to this consumption. I have named my dogs in the past "Bart" and "Maggie" after Simpsons characters, both have now passed on but you get the idea.

The problem I have is when the two mix, I get such an instant turn off. Not that it has the slightest effect on either the celebrity involved or their particular brand of woo woo. I was SUCH a big fan of The Simpsons and then I find that Nancy Cartwright is a Scientologist and something inside of me dies. I would jump through hoops to see a new episode, now I couldn't care less.

I was a big fan of actress Julie Walters and then I find she's a patron of the British Homoeopathic Society, then the same happens with David Bellamy of all people - someone I would have though would have had a more serious insight into the rubbish that it is. Katie Boyle - I would have put money her being on the list, but David Bellamy? Professor David Bellamy, OBE? More deaths inside of me, in his case a lifetimes worth as I can here his voice patiently explaining about some moss or other on some rock from way back in my distant memory. And now, I can't take him seriously despite his standing and qualifications, its like finding out Mohamed Ali used to box with and a pair of ladies knickers on or had horseshoes hidden in his gloves. Its hard to explain, but a light goes out for me and I can't feel the same warmth as I did before, however hard I try.

I don't go out of my way to avoid The Simpsons on TV, but any merchandise buying has been cut off - no way am I paying to support that rubbish, how ever small my contribution may be. Its hard to keep on top of, but I tell anyone who will listen, and hope that a tiny bit will rub off. So far the Daily Mail has kept going despite my steadfast refusal to buy it or any other newspaper, and Dinner Ladies box sets seem to be doing well on iTunes and so forth, so its a slow burning protest I am undertaking, but at least its an active one and that makes me feel a bit better.

Of course the opposite effect happens when I see an admired "Celeb" getting stuck into some hippy brained "doctor" peddling their snake oil..... I get behind them and rejoice in all their glory, lets use that "Celeb-power" and go for it.

On a side note, I had to laugh at a report I read about only 500 odd t-shirts celebrating the Popes visit had been sold, out of a total of 20,000 printed up - if THAT doesn't send a message I don't know what does.