back to article Web celeb product whores told to put on the red light – or else

America's trade watchdog has warned more than 90 celebrities that they need to disclose when they are paid to promote a product – or risk facing an investigation. Among the red-faced celebs: David and Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, actresses Shay Mitchell and Vanessa Hudgens, and most of the Kardashian clan – Kourtney, her …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As the proud dad for an 11yo girl, I think it is more my responsibility to talk with my kid about this BS. Putting a note in the description achieves jack when your watching a video. And even if the kid noticed they often still think the celeb must love the product or they wouldn't promote it.

    1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      The only solution to this is to educate your kid that the celebuwhores are NOT a role model. If your kid is following and trying to copy what a celebuwhore does, you have failed as a parent.

      For example, my kids do not give a damn if something has an endorsement and are aware that "Rabid Rat" or "SpiderMoron" characters stickered over something usually mean that it is lower quality and is specifically made as bait for other kids.

      1. Charles 9

        No, that doesn't always work because young people can be both impressionable and rebellious. They'll follow their idol and hide that from their overbearing parents.

        Given that, the only solution is a law demanding absolute truth in advertising with all claims made in the conservative. If a celebrity endorses it, they must ACTIALLY USE it and describe it's actual effects truthfully.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Advertising is literally a promise of imaginary value, beyond the actual use-value of a commodity.

          All advertising is by definition a lie, because nobody would bother to advertise if they were only allowed to promise the commodities actual value. There would simply be no point.

          1. Charles 9

            "Red-Tag Items 50% Off Next Friday" seems pretty cut-and-dry to me. "Now $1.19" as well.

            If those are a lie, then cake is a lie, too. And if that's a lie, EVERYTHING is a lie and we're back to square one.

            How else can you get the word out that you exist, especially if you're new to the scene and no one knows about you yet? Chicken-and-egg problem otherwise.

            Look, advertise on your merits, but be ready to back them up. If your product is so good, then it should be good in the general case, not just the atypical case. If you don't have enough difference to make your ad worthwhile, GOOD!

            The way I see, I consider ads a testimony before the public. Subject them to the same requirements as a court witness: the truth, the WHOLE truth, and NOTHING BUT the truth, so help you $DEITY.

            1. earl grey
              Trollface

              "then cake is a lie, too"

              Wait, wait...the cake is a lie?

              Shite!

          2. disgruntled yank

            "All advertising is by definition a lie, because nobody would bother to advertise if they were only allowed to promise the commodities actual value."

            I guess we use different dictionaries. Suppose that I wish to hold a yard sale, or one of my neighbors does. Then I or he might staple up a sign on a telephone pole or two with a sign giving dates, times, and address of the sale. The sign need not mention any of the goods for sale, or their prices, and the only promise, and that implicit, is that there will be goods for sale.

          3. Jonathan 27

            I disagree, I believe that advertising would still exist even if ads had to be 100% truthful and verified by a council of old scientists. Why? The #1 thing you get from advertising is exposure. Customers won't buy your product if they don't know it exists. Sure, it will mean that a lot of commercials will be similar for similar products. Like toothpaste. You could say "My toothpaste contains sodium fluoride, which combined with brushing has been clinically shown to reduce tooth decay" and so could all your competitors. But only the ones who advertised that would get the exposure so potential customers looking at toothpaste in the shop would know the ones they were advertised definitely worked, other brands? They wouldn't. You could even argue that more accurate advertising would help companies that genuinely sell a superior product and encourage improvements.

            Of course we both know this will never happen anyway.

    2. Just Enough

      Did someone mention graze

      To be fair, I too would be obsessed with any product that caused a healthy cheque to arrive each time I mentioned it. I'd slip it graze into every conversation as graze often as possible.

      So Vanessa Hudgens, whoever the hell she is, ain't lying.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Obsessed with El Reg. It just make life better. #unpaidpromotion

    *Unzips trousers*

    1. MrDamage Silver badge

      Now you're just clutching at straws.

  3. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Coat

    The answer to "But they must really like the product is"

    "No dear, they don't mind the product but they really like the money the advertising agency hands them to say they do."

    Parents. It's never too early to start teaching your children about logic.

    1. wolfetone Silver badge

      Re: The answer to "But they must really like the product is"

      Or cynicism.

  4. Your alien overlord - fear me
    Trollface

    The FTC kept quiet of who they thought were product whores. It's assumed it was Kim etc. But it could be me, whilst I'm sitting writing this in my Gucci boxer shorts, munching on a box of Graze (tastes better than the contents), drinking a cup of Nescafe Azure made by the excellent Nespresso by Krups coffee machine.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      > ... whilst I'm sitting writing this in my Gucci boxer shorts, munching on a box of Graze (tastes better than the contents), drinking a cup of Nescafe Azure made by the excellent Nespresso by Krups coffee machine.

      Seems more like you've been watching too many celeb endorsements and feel the need to buy stuff to "fit in". ;)

      1. Your alien overlord - fear me

        Nope, just all the 'free' stuff I get :-0

    2. disgruntled yank

      Nescaf Azure?

      Is that anything like Microsoft koolaid?

  5. Tim Jenkins

    What they meant to say was

    Teh Interweb I̶n̶s̶t̶a̶g̶r̶a̶m̶ has become a Wild West of d̶i̶s̶g̶u̶i̶s̶e̶d̶ advertising

    1. Charles 9

      Re: What they meant to say was

      More like a Matrix if you ask me. The Wild West exists outside, with junk calls, junk mail, billboards, ad flyers, and all that business in reality.

  6. Patrick R
    Paris Hilton

    "consumers, especially impressionable teens and young adults"

    Is he using the word "adult" as they use the word "reality" in "Reality TV"?

    Adults that are .. not really adults? Behaving like kids, promoted to "Stars", role models.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Links or it didn't happen

    Am I the only one commenting on the lack of link to said half naked celebrity? Seems a bit weak for a Friday.

    Oh well, back to it I guess..

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: Links or it didn't happen

      "lack of link to said half naked celebrity? "

      Admitting that you can't find porn on t'interwebs is a damn good reason to post as AC, ya wimp!

      1. Mark 85

        Re: Links or it didn't happen

        Or, if the celeb half-naked photos are behind a paywall, then he's merely a "cheap wimp".

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Links or it didn't happen

      It's not hard to find her Instagram but I didn't want to spend too long trawling on your behalf.

      Here's one example of 'half-naked' with blatant product whoring:

      https://www.instagram.com/p/BR_5gfMDukA/

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Links or it didn't happen

      I like my half-naked celebrities to be ANIMATED and Japanese half-naked celebrities...

      That's all right Luka and Ritsu, no need to get dressed right now...

  8. Gene Cash Silver badge
    Facepalm

    who'd have thought that posting pictures of yourself in your underwear would gain followers on social media

    Not me! But then bleach would be flying off the shelves... (icon: except people would be using both hands)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      who'd have thought that posting pictures of yourself in your underwear would gain followers on social media

      Not me! But then bleach would be flying off the shelves...

      For me they'd be scrambling to Goatse to find something less disgusting...

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Everything is fine. Situation normal. How are you doing?

    "most of the Kardashian clan – Kourtney, her mostly drunk husband Scott"

    My kid was into this show over the fall/winter and I watched a few episodes. Wow. This is what happens to dumb people who get a hold of way too much money and have no idea what to do. The K-bunch is money rich from their dead dad they keep bringing up. And rightly so, he must have left them a fortune in lawyer money, and not one of the stupid offspring goes to school to become anything, lawyer or doctor, nothing muffins all 'round. Same thing with Drunky McDrinkDrink. His, whoops where have I heard this sob (or SOB?) story before, parents died and left him too much money. Just very comical to see this idiot muddle through life and the types of "work" he tries to do, and the goofy projects they try to pull off, like when he wanted to get a helicopter pad in their backyard, in the fucking city. Or when he rented a Mercedes mobile office van and just drove around with nothing to do except tweet. Just really crass, empty, useless people with lots of money and apparently lots of people who take them seriously.

    Things will get funny, once the money runs out. And it will.

  10. Paul Hovnanian Silver badge

    I'm not sure the Kardashians are great spokespersons for any products. On the off chance that something they use might result in unchecked derriere growth, most people I know would steer clear.

  11. Barry Rueger

    Choose Your Celebrity

    My favourite celebrity is Richard Stallman! Quick! What should I buy?!

  12. FozzyBear
    Megaphone

    Well they are attention seeking whores to begin with, so why wouldn't they pimp themselves out to anyone that is willing to pay them money to try to sell crap.

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