India is the most prolific film producer in the world and plays a pivotal source of entertainment. Films and advertisement however, are also instrumental in setting trends for fashion and lifestyle. People in India love to talk about films, film stars, even box office revenue of films. In fact, films are the reflection of modern society and culture on one hand they easily influence all sections of society in all possible ways on the other. Beside fans of the film celebrities check in on Face book, what they are doing on Twitter, and even check apps regarding their dream celebrities’ day to day details. People largely start imitating their dream heroes and heroines, their style, their way of living, talking and thinking at an early age. In 1928, William H. Shot Executive Director of the Motion Picture Research Council carried a research on the influence of film on human behavior with a grant of $ 200,000 from Payne Fund. The study revealed that “…were authentic portrayal of life, from which they draw patterns of behavior, stimulation to overt conduct, content for a vigorous life of the imagination, and ideas of reality” [Jowett, (1976), p.225]. Blumer (1993) on the other hand, talked about how the films affect the young children’s feelings which he calls ‘passionate love’. While a number of factors influence the cultural values and life styles of a society, the overwhelming amount of films and advertising and their pervasive impact lead us to argue that celebrities whether from films, modelling or advertising leave an indelible imprint on our social and cultural values. Ronald (1981) in his book.
Teenagers are the most common people trying to copy their idols. The images that infiltrate the minds of young people effectively manipulate their sense of self, especially with regard to their physical appearance. When young men and women are constantly, seeing ‘skinny, big breasted, tall, tan, women and ‘muscular, tan, tough, trim, and handsome men’ they begin to think that those images of the male and female body are the ideal and are the only acceptable and attractive body types. Weisfeld-Spolter and Thakkar (2011) have studied the roles of celebrities in the diffusion of fashion amongst teenagers in the USA by examining them as opinion leaders who influence teens to try and ultimately adopt new fashion styles. Thomsen et al. (2002) commented on the relationship between reading beauty and fashion magazines and the use of pathogenic dieting methods among adolescent females (study #1), and stated that “teenagers are believed to be among the heaviest users of many forms of mass media, particularly, specialised magazines. Recent circulation figures reported by the standard rate and data service indicate that more than 6.5 million adolescent females read 17, teen, and YM, three of the most popular magazines targeted at teenage females, each month. Teenagers are in search for self-esteem, their identity, and a ‘cool’ self-image. All of these aspects of a teenager’s life are detrimental to who they will become”. The power of the celebrity easily takes control of the teens and leaves both negative as well as positive influences. A teen needs to satisfy his needs and aspirations for love, acceptance, and success in order to experience high self-esteem, self-respect and confidence. He gains his self-esteem by pleasing his parents, peers, and society. The research paper on examining the roles of celebrities as opinion leaders for the diffusion of fashion in the US teen market explored the impact of celebrities amongst teenagers in the USA to try and ultimately adopt new fashion styles. Over half-billion global teens between the ages of 13 and 18 years represent a dynamic opportunity for marketers who wish to grow their businesses and build consumer loyalty. The attitude of teen girls who think that they do not have perfect hair, perfect bodies, or perfect clothing can wreak havoc on a teen girl’s self-esteem. While talking about the impact of advertisements on children Kumar and Lata (2009) have stated that television viewing which frequently limits children’s time for vital activities such as playing, reading, learning to talk, spending time with peers and family, storytelling, participating in regular exercise, and developing other necessary physical, mental and social skills, has become the major source of information and entertainment and mostly guides their thinking and living patterns. As far as children are concerned, in a matter of seconds, most of them can mimic a movie or TV character.
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