Celebrities do NOT influence people

First, since Pro has not defined "influence" and "celebrity", I will do so. There are a few definitions as to influence according to Dictionary. com: 1. to exercise influence on; affect; sway 2. to move or impel (a person) to some action "Celebrity" is defined as a famous or well-known person. I would like to start with some rebuttals: 1. " I think that a person does it because they like it as a thing rather than because a celebrity does it. " Yes. People do things mostly due to reasons such as interest or necessity rather than because a celebrity does it. However, this does not mean that a celebrity doing a certain thing will not help sway people to do the "thing". I will elaborate more on this in my points. 2. "1/3 of the world is obese" Firstly, this has not been cited. Secondly, what does this have to do with celebrities influencing or not influencing people? This statement is irrelevant to the topic at hand. My Points: 1. Advertisements According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, advertisement is defined as something (such as a short film or a written notice) that is shown or presented to the public to help sell a product or to make an announcement, or a person or thing that shows how good or effective something is. Advertisements are used as part of a marketing program to increase sales of a company's products and services. Celebrities are commonly used in advertisements. This is because the appearance of a celebrity in an advertisement can influence people and encourage them to buy the product or service that is being advertised. The existence of celebrities in advertisements proves that they are able to influence people, either in their choices or decisions or mindsets concerning different things. Take brand ambassadors as an example. Tissot's brand ambassadors include Tony Parker (famous basketball player), Danica Patrick (NASCAR racer), Nicky Hayden (racer), etcetera, which helps Tissot advertise itself as a sporty brand. It is due to these celebrities that people are influence to link Tissot with sports. This shows that celebrities do influence people. 2. Some examples Here I will be listing some examples which prove that celebrities do indeed influence people. a. China's First Lady Many originally non-famous brands were made famous and sought for after being used by China's First Lady. Her using such products has influenced many others to purchase and use such products as well. This shows that celebrities do influence people. b. ALS ice bucket challenge The large amount of celebrities participating in the ALS ice bucket challenge has led to widespread awareness of ALS and has also influenced many people to participate in the challenge and donate money to the cause. It is said that "The challenge started after former Boston College basketball player Pete Frates, who was tipped for the big time, had his career cut short by ALS. He then nominated fellow Boston College players and members of the Boston Red Sox to partake in the icy challenge. " This shows the influence celebrities have. 3. Facts and Figures The statements below are all quoted from studies, cited in the references. a. "One in four teenagers admit they are more influenced by celebrities than people they know. " b. "A recent study published in The Journal of Pediatrics, looked at more than 180 children and noticed these kids often ate more potato chips after looking at TV ads that featured a prominent sports figure in England. " c. "Research is consistent that kids are more likely to choose foods endorsed by celebrities, even when the foods are healthy. " d. "A whopping 60 percent (of participants) admitted that an idol had influenced their attitudes and personal values, including their work ethic and views on morality. And nearly half said that their idol inspired them to pursue activities including acting, sports, becoming a vegetarian or using marijuana. " e. "My results support the general notion that celebrity giving to political parties and their candidates can indeed affect peoples" views of the political parties. First, when people who dislike Jennifer Aniston (that is, who give her a low rating on a "feeling thermometer" scale) are exposed to information about her support for Democrats, they report liking the Democratic Party less. Second, when some people who like Peyton Manning (that is, who give him a high rating on a "feeling thermometer" scale) are exposed to information about Manning"s support for Republicans, they report liking the Republican Party more. " These all demonstrate the influence that celebrities have. I look forward to seeing Pro's arguments and rebuttals. References: . http://dictionary.reference.com... . http://dictionary.reference.com... . http://www.merriam-webster.com... . http://smallbusiness.chron.com... . http://smallbusiness.chron.com... . http://www.tissot.ch... . http://red-luxury.com... . http://online.wsj.com... . http://www.euromonitor.com... . http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk... . http://www.celebuzz.com... . http://www.telegraph.co.uk... . http://www.jpeds.com...(13)00134-0/abstract . http://www.foxnews.com... . http://www.psychologytoday.com... . http://blogs.lse.ac.uk...