We left off talking about how celebrity status has more of an impact on most people than credentials do.

Let me give you a current example.

Jenny McCarthy recently came out with a book about her autistic son. In her book, McCarthy claims that her son got autism because of the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella). Specifically, she claims the mercury in the vaccine caused the problem.

Mercury was removed from vaccines in 2001. McCarthy’s son was born in 2002.

In her book she also talks about the hepatitis C vaccine and how it seriously damaged a friend’s child.

There is no hepatitis C vaccine.

Those are just two of the inconsistencies.

Now keep in mind that, to my knowledge, Jenny McCarthy has absolutely no background in medicine, science or anything related. In fact, I’m not sure what McCarthy has done beyond pose nude in Playboy and appear on a TV reality show.

But please don’t let facts get in the way of hysteria.

Because of what McCarthy claims, thundering herds of parents are telling their pediatricians that they don’t want their children vaccinated because they don’t want their children getting autism.

Incredible!

It’s got to be driving the pediatricians nuts. They spend 10 years plus in training and some minor “celebrity” overrules their knowledge and experience.

As I mentioned in my previous post, you may not like it - I hate it - but it’s a fact.

It happens all the time. Some TV or movie actor makes some claims about health, the environment, global warming, etc. and huge numbers of people believe them, simply because they are “celebrities” (even that word rubs me the wrong way).

What does this have to do with your efforts to get publicity?

Simple.

In order to get the maximum value from your publicity, you have to become a celebrity.

Whoa, Nellie. Don’t get worried. Don’t get upset. It’s a whole lot easier than you ever imagined.

And I’ll explain it next time.