So many celebrities are sharing their struggles with anxiety, with depression, and with PTSD that my cynical nature suspects these “candid” stories are:

1.) Becoming a fad.
2.) Engineered publicity.
3.) Portend a whole new campaign of celebrity appeal to false authority.

The threat is that sincere, genuine, and heartfelt stories of mental challenge – publicly shared from sincere, genuine, and kind-hearted folks in the public eye -will be diluted and cheapened by publicists who manufacture “mental health bravery” for their celebrity clients.

There’s also the threat that folks will buy into “because a celebrity said something their OPINION holds validity and meaning.” This is appeal to false authority, an economic term quite often used in advertising. Because Peyton Manning is good throwing a ball and because he advertises for Crystal Whirlpool feminine douches this means these are incredible cooch-cleansers worthy of elevated purchase.

Think it through. How are dull-witted marginally-comedic barely-tolerable second-tier actors Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy in any way medically savvy enough to prove vaccines cause autism? And why are polio and small pox making a comeback? Appeal to false authority. Jim and Jenny are (baffingly) notable actors therefore scholarly medical researchers worthy of blind considertion.

It’s the same as consulting Quentin Tarantino on brain surgery. If at all indicated by his films, his medical advice is get to the brain as quickly and directly as possible and then liquify the goo inside. A miracle cure!

Look, I’m not fond of my cynical nature because productive behavior health advocacy requires unchecked idealism. So, to temper my embarrassing cynicism, let’s turn to my good friend Mat Wright and his thoughts on the matter.

I agree, and sometimes I shout at the tv or turn off, I think stop stealing this very real thing from those that really live it…..but I do cheer on those that my spider senses pick up on that are or feel genuine 💚💚💚

Spidey Sense to cull the wheat from the chaff, the true from the truthless, the bull from the bullshit. I like that. I like the cute and tidy way Mat retains idealism in the throes of shouting at the tele.

It’s true. The cynicism recognizes the artificial publicist/puppeteer, the idealism rewards the genuine celebrity vulnerability.

By the by … Let it go, Mat. No matter how forcefully you wave at the Queen on BBC 1, she’s never going to wave back. Let it go.