http://ask.metafilter.com/tags/socialcause Questions tagged with 'socialcause' at Ask MetaFilter. Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:11:26 -0800 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:11:26 -0800 en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://ask.metafilter.com/96518/Shoot%2Dthe%2DMessenger%2DCult%2Dof%2DPersonality Which causes or ideas have become more about the messenger than the message? I remember, for a while after "An Inconvenient Truth" came out, there was a lot of fuss given on Al Gore personally alongside (and sometimes more than) the attention on climate change. Now Al Gore's fame has quelled a little, but I was wondering if there have been any other social causes or new ideas that are now only remembered because of the presenter - or even if those ideas have fallen by the wayside in favour of the presenter's personality.<br> <br> While Princess Diana brought landmines to greater public attention, it wasn't the cause of her fame, and the landmines cause hasn't diminished just because of her. Similarly, there isn't one clear person that can be credited for the gay rights movement or the feminist movement.<br> <br> However, how many people would understand Albert Einstein's Theory or Relativity or how it's relevant to today's world? How about Stephen Hawking's work on astrophysics? Has their "celebrity" overshadowed understanding of their work on a mass level?<br> <br> Also, has there been any studies or research done in this area? Is there a name for this phenomena? tag:ask.metafilter.com,2008:site.96518 Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:11:26 -0800 cause celebrity fame hype idea knowledge messenger persona personality shootthemessenger socialcause socialjustice divabat