ABSTRACT
Americans embrace the renowned and the notorious, and many a celebrity has harvested this admiration to champion social causes, oftentimes supporting organizations concerned with disease eradication. For example, Jerry Lewis has become inextricably associated with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Michael J. Fox has become recognized as an advocate for Parkinson's disease. Similar to celebrity advocacy, celebrity disclosure of a disease is likely to focus attention on a particular affliction, perhaps more so than advocacy because the
social issue has become "personal" to the celebrity, and he or she is considered a credible source on the issue, given direct experience.
