Appeal to Celebrity

Appeal to Celebrity is the fallacy that because someone may like a particular celebrity or because that celebrity has name and facial recognition with the masses, that everything they say is accepted as fact. This is typically seen through the use of advertisement.

"Oprah Effect"
Oprah Winfrey, who was placed at #2 in Forbes's "World's Most Powerful Celebrities", has had the influential star power to bring people into America's primetime. With her power, she has introduced to the public: In reality, some of the influences Oprah has introduced to the world prove to do more harm than good with people such as Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, and Jenny McCarthy who have had a platform on her show. These people have a huge influence on society and how mass amounts of people determine what is true because of Oprah's star power and the influence she has on people's decisions.
 * Dr. Phil
 * Dr. Oz
 * Gayle King (from CBS "This Morning")
 * Rachel Ray
 * 46% of Dr. Oz's recommendations are supported by factual evidence.
 * 15% of Oz's advice contradicted available published evidence.
 * Dr. Phil is no longer a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist and cannot actively practice psychology.
 * Jenny McCarthy has been supported by Oprah for opening up the conversation that connects vaccines to autism.

Celebrities and Politics
The Appeal to Celebrity digs deeper than the media sphere that is consumed in mass quantities. It branches into the realm of politics as well.

Celebrities have the ability to sway people's perception of what presidential candidate they should vote for in the coming November or primary election. The act of a celebrity publicly endorsing a politician connects a familiar name to an unfamiliar one.