Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 9/18/08 Section: Opinion

Thank you to all you trendy tree-huggers who have decided to make earth-loving a fad.

Your and your minions have started to have a domino effect on the rest of the not-so-earth-conscious consumers.

Why does something need to be celebrity-endorsed in order for the rest of society to think it's cool or OK to do?

Whether it's Leonardo DiCaprio rolling up to the Oscars in an eco-sexy hybrid or Hayden Panettiere trying to save the dolphins in Japan, these environmental efforts would go unrecognized if regular Joe Schmoes like ourselves would do it (heaven forbid) before it's given the celebrity-sealed stamp of approval.

According to idealbite.com, a Web site based solely on distributing useful tips and advice about easy eco-living, states that when celebrities speak up on issues like the environment, the public feels like those stars are morally righteous.

And yes, wait for it ... that is the trigger for us wanting to do Mother Nature some good.

It's almost as if the whole "Manchurian Candidate" idea is taking hold on pop culture.

As kids, we are influenced by the people around us, television and books. Even though we've gotten older, the sad thing is that not much has changed.

What Captain Planet, Mr. Rogers and the Magic School Bus did for us as naive young children is the same thing that Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Aniston and Orlando Bloom are doing for us now. They influence us and shape our impressionable minds about doing the right thing for our planet - except now they do it stylishly.

It is obvious that celebrities mold our ideas of what is considered trendy, and with "being green" at the top of that cool factor, ecorazzi.com is a gossip Web site with a twist. It combines environmental issues with the celebrities in the public eye who are trying to bring these issues to the rest of the world's attention.

Ecorazzi.com is a good example of how social markets take advantage of combining celebrity gossip with informative environmental ties.

Celebrities are the puppets and social markets are the puppet masters.

By helping celebrities further their good message out to the public, their fans are more inclined to dive right into everything they have to represent or say.

Instead of just following InStyle Magazine's eco-trends, picking up a newspaper and educating yourself on the facts is just as good.

With global warming being one of the most celebrity-endorsed issues, it's sad to say that there would probably not be as many people proactive in hel ping if it was just Al Gore raising the issue by himself.

A wise man by the name of Dr. Seuss wrote, "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

He has been trying to teach us about being green since 1971, when "The Lorax" and his whimsical rhymes took on "the man." (The Lorax didn't win.)

He writes about how society has become rapidly industrialized and if we don't start to care about our planet more, it will eventually wither away.

Dr. Seuss gets snaps for being eco-savvy way before Leo and Cameron.

So on a positive uplifting note, your celebrity-influenced contributions do help.

But the next time you want to do something, do it because you want to, not just because Paris Hilton said, "It's hot" to be eco-trendy.

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