Merchandizing the Pandemic
April 7, 2020
The spread of the new coronavirus is apparently bringing boom times for celebrities—in entertainment, sports, fashion, and now a growing crop of online lifestyle influencers—to push their products and opinions, and even the Trump administration seems to be listening. Perhaps no surprise. Two scholars have pointed out in Issues how celebrities often play a major role in shaping knowledge and perceptions of science, health, and related public policies, and they propose ways the scientific community might engage to steer star power in positive directions.