“Celebrities have been endorsing brands since the dawn of advertising. Today’s group of actors, athletes, musicians and influencers are more than just spokespeople, but rather brand owners. Meaning they’ve used their own capital to invest in these start-ups,” said Lisa Valendza, a School of Fashion professor who teaches Fashion Publishing and Fashion Branding.
Much of celebrity culture is rooted in idealization and untouchability. Our favorite actors and singers carry so much weight, not only because of their talent or their art, but because the celebrities themselves are a brand being sold to us. The expectations for a celebrity’s behavior are rightfully higher than ever in a world where social and political issues require a powerful voice to enact real change; starting an aesthetic beverage brand or makeup line isn’t enough to stay favorable in the public’s eye anymore.
Kylie Jenner recently went semi-viral with a video clip of her crying over online comments saying her surgically enhanced features have begun to age her appearance. Jenner made claims of feeling dehumanized online, and the internet had a hard time conjuring sympathy for the billionaire who can no longer live up to the impossible beauty standards she and her family have spent years setting. Garnering sympathy for the top one percent is extremely difficult—now more than ever. As Gen Z panics about whether or not they will ever be able to afford a house on their own, celebrities like the Kardashian clan cry on camera in an outfit that costs more than yearly college tuition.
“The market will continue to support brands that perform, and celebrities are indeed brands,” Valendza said. “It really depends on how the consumer responds and if they will remain loyal to the brand.”
It’s not their followers that dehumanize these celebrities and cause them to lose favorability, but their privilege, money and determination to remain floating above the rest of the world.
This is not to say that all celebrities are advertising robots and part of an evil cult, but it has become clear that our generation requires a different type of celebrity to feel inclined to root for their success and take pride in being their fan.
Gen Z icons like Jenna Ortega, Olivia Rodrigo and more are beloved by the internet due to their transparency on serious topics like mental health, boundaries with fans, LGBTQ+ representation, abortion access and other relevant political and social issues. Authenticity and relatability are essential to rise to fame and connect with audiences in today’s age, as opposed to putting on a performance and a false self that tested well with a focus group.
This also affects people’s responses to the celebrities’ brand endeavors. People have started to look closer at which celebrity brands are based on passion and which are soulless cash grabs.
“An individual’s time commitment and involvement in the day-to-day operations is usually a key indicator if a new venture is a passion project or just a way to earn more income,” Valendza said. “Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow was clear about devoting time to her business while sacrificing acting roles. Her commitment paid off. What started as a weekly newsletter is now a lifestyle empire.”
Opposingly, Blake Lively found herself in the center of controversy for utilizing the press tour for her new movie “It Ends With Us” to start conversations around her new hair care line instead of domestic violence awareness, the movie’s subject matter.
According to Vox, “In addition to Lively’s quip about girls’ night out to watch intimate partner abuse, she has been promoting both her new haircare line Blake Brown and her beverage company Betty Buzz…Either Lively doesn’t fully comprehend the subject of the movie she made or she does and is capitalizing on it to sell her wares anyway.”
Earlier this year, Jennifer Lopez received similar fire for being inauthentic through her many unsuccessful branding endeavors like a movie, album, makeup and skincare line. Lopez continually leveraged her “Jenny from the block” rebellious, rugged, city-girl image. The dissonance between this identity she wanted to capitalize on and the alleged rude, entitled way she has treated service industry workers and red carpet reporters left a bad taste in people’s mouths, causing many of Lopez’s brand endeavors to flop.
Celebrities will always find ways to make more money and there is nothing we can do to stop that. However, today’s Gen Z teenagers and twenty-somethings require a more nuanced celebrity than before. They want someone with compassion and strength to stand up for important topics and someone who can advocate for change, not just their products. The argument can be made that most celebrities signed up to be artists and performers, not activists, but with a platform, it’s important to show an audience what kind of person they are behind the shampoo commercial so they know if it’s worth it to continue supporting them.
Viral moments, like Chappell Roan snapping back at a reporter who screamed misogynistic insults at her or Renee Rapp being accused of not being properly ‘media trained,’ show the kind of celebrity necessary in today’s social and political climate: unapologetically themselves and relentless in their pursuit of a better world for everyone. Celebrities who have been in the game for far longer like Taylor Swift have expressed regret over allowing the media and powerful people in the music industry to silence her voice and make her a puppet of advertising. Especially with such an important election coming up, it is no time to repeat the past. Yes, the expectations of a celebrity’s job now soar beyond branding, but that doesn’t have to be a negative when you consider all the changes they could make with their power and status.
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