Maybe it's time we rethink celebrity endorsements. We've allowed them to influence us for too long.

I know they've been around forever and maybe we don't pay that much attention anymore, but I've noticed quite a few of them recently that made me rethink things.

Celebrity endorsements are, as Simon Sinek puts it in his book Start With Why, a manipulation tactic to get you to pay attention. It's a cheap trick, but boy does it work.

You are meant to feel as if the product is amazing if it has the agreement of this individual whom you admire.

Quite often, the individual, (say an athlete) is promoting something totally unrelated to their field (like a certain brand of chips). This only adds to the manipulatory nature of this framework even more.

However, recently I noticed quite a few LI ads for a medical product with the tagline saying something to the effect of "Jane Doe Celebrity knows what it's like to deal with _____ medical issue. Jane chooses ____ medical product to deal with her struggles."

The Celebs are just like you! They are human, have flaws, and suffer from medical ailments just like you! (Supposedly.)

Herein lies the problem. We've allowed celebrities to rise to, and maintain a stance of 'better than you, prettier than you, smarter than you, and everything-under-the-sun more than you, in order to make us believe that if we only buy this brand of chewing gum or wear this shirt, we will be just as successful and famous as them and then we'll truly be happy.

Now we've reversed the shtick. They have now been brought back down to our level so that they can be relatable.

Celebrities are not all BAD. There are many that use their influence for good, even though we can all acknowledge it's not the most ideal source of motivation.

But, the disproportionate social standing they hold in society and its effect on our value system is 100% our fault. We like to idolize those above us and mimic them in the hopes of gaining the good fortune they seem to have.

Marketing companies quickly noticed this and jumped into action to use our own flaws against us. Get someone who already has lots of endearing eyes on them, and just shove a product in their hand. It'll work.

Celebrity autographs and backstage VIP meet and greets demanding such high prices are a clear proofs that we did this to ourselves.

But it's not just celebrities.

It's anyone who is even one or two rungs above where you want to be (or think you should be).

Let's stop the detrimental comparison games and just focus on our own selves. Others around you or those on screen might be in the spotlight, and that’s ok. They are not a benchmark for your self-worth.

Make your own choices and own them 100%.

It could be that you will choose similarly to others, but really clarify for yourself that it's your choice and not just mimicking an ideal image of what you think SHOULD be.