In today's society, people live and breathe celebrity culture. From tabloids to commercials, people are just obsessed with seeing celebrities, knowing what they are doing, who they are dating, and what they are buying. Reputation is a huge part of what makes people pay attention. Today, a movie star, athlete, or even reality television personality can mention something one time and people become fascinated by that. On a recent episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians (E!'s big hit, which follows the now famous family of Kim Kardashian, who became famous herself for absolutely no reason), the girls were shooting an ad for a cupcake bakery that they are now endorsing. Considering they also endorse a weight loss product, and publiclicize their diet routines, it begs the question of why on earth we would trust the Kardashian family's opinion on this particular product. Sure, they are famous, but what do they really know about cupcakes? Have they tried all of the cupcakes in town? Do they even eat cupcakes?
While ethos, or public image, is an important part of selling a product or idea, it seems that we have forgotten that part of “ethos” is credibility. It should not entirely be defined as whether or not someone is famous, but do they know what they are talking about? For instance, Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, can believably endorse basketball shoes, which is why Air Jordans were so popular. He should know a thing or two about good basketball shoes. On the other hand, some new Chicago superstars, Gordon Beckham of the White Sox and Devin Hester of the Bears, are the faces of Berry Chill yogurt (one of those natural frozen yogurt places in the city). While Berry Chill is incredibly delicious, what about being an MLB rookie or an NFL wide receiver and punt returner gives them the credibility to promote this brand of yogurt? Beckham mentioned Berry Chill was his favorite place to eat in Chicago in ONE interview with mouthpiecesports.com, and all of the sudden he has a yogurt there named after him. Unless this yogurt has magical enzymes that enhance an athlete’s playing ability, in which case I would personally provide a lifetime supply to both the Sox and Bears, Beckham and Hester are just as reliable at promoting yogurt as I am. In fact, considering “The Hester” is comprised of mango, pineapple, and GUMMY BEARS, I might just be more dependable when it comes to this yogurty delight anyway. NFL star or not, he clearly does not have a feel for appropriate yogurt topping combinations.
Today’s “ethos” is established with very low standards. A company chooses a celebrity, takes some pictures of them, and that’s that. The celebrities don’t have to say much more than “I love this cupcake” (or yogurt, or sunglasses, or lawnmower…whatever), and not only do they have a “deal” with the brand and a nice paycheck, but people just believe them. No one cares what they like about the product, what makes it better than similar products, or how the product changed their lives. People’s fascination with celebrities takes away the need for persuasiveness. Ethos has become nothing more than a superficial image, eliminating the need for not only established credibility but logos and pathos, as well. While reputation should affect an audience’s response to a rhetorical situation, whether it be a speech or an advertisement, that should not be confused with image or celebrity status. Just because someone is famous does not prove that we should believe everything they say about every issue under the sun. It is a different matter entirely when they are persuading an audience to care about an issue or buy a product that relates to their reputation in some way, like Air Jordans, or even when the celebrity explains their choice of supporting something, but allowing public image alone to persuade an audience is embarrassing and ridiculous.
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