# When celebrities' reputations jump the shark **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [March 30, 2026, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887 "2026-03-30T13:17:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/1 "2026-03-30T13:17:58Z")
Dionne Warwick recorded decades worth of hit songs. Then one day in the 1990s she signed on to become the spokesperson for a 1-900 service called ‘the Psychic Friends Network’. Celebrities have, of course, been using their names to promote products and services for many years, but occasionally they make dubious choices who to hitch their wagon to and their reputation suffers as a result. Are there any other examples of celebrities that have signaled ‘_hey folks, I’ve officially hit the skids and now find myself slumming on late night infomercials or having my name associated with other dubious endeavors’_ In other words, who are the Troy McClures of today? ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/2 "2026-03-30T13:25:40Z")
I don’t think there’s a better example than Montel Williams hawking payday loans. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/3 "2026-03-30T13:38:42Z")
Sam Waterston hawking [Old Glory Robot Insurance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Gh_IcK8UM) was a low point for him, IMO. More seriously, I think I remember Wilford Brimley more for his pronunciation of “diabetes” and his Quaker Oats work than any of his acting, but that may be just due to my age. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/4 "2026-03-30T13:42:06Z")
How about Jared Fogle who gained fame endorsing Subway for years? What a pig! 🤢 ---
**Author:** ![Meatwater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meatwater/32/20074_2.png) [@Meatwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatwater)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/5 "2026-03-30T13:45:22Z")
Not sure if it’s just me, but Kevin Hart constantly trying to get you to gamble. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/6 "2026-03-30T13:46:01Z")
It would be fair to say Jared Fogle was nobody before Subway decided to use him in their commercials. It was only afterwards that we learned about all the child pornography stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/7 "2026-03-30T13:49:22Z")
A long time ago I saw an infomercial where Erik Estrada was trying to sell undeveloped properties in Florida. Had a scammy feel to it. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/8 "2026-03-30T13:53:52Z")
Katherine Heigl pitching Poise bladder leakage products. I mean, don’t get me wrong–for those who have that problem, I’m sure it’s a necessary and very welcome product. But hearing her say stuff like, it prevents the “coughing fits panty blitz”, I just feel embarrased for her. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/9 "2026-03-30T14:00:18Z")
On a related tangent - Mike Lindell & Elon Mush (\<-- good typo, I’m leaving it!) have both caused financial hits to companies they were CEOs of because of their political positions. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/10 "2026-03-30T14:02:02Z")
In Argentina Erik Estrada is known more for his late night commercials about weight-loss drugs than for CHIPS I fear. My generation still dimly remember Poncharello, but mostly he’s the man with the hilarious (to us) accent that went down 20 pounds (whatever a “pound” is, we use kilos) with reduce-fat-fast. You can say “ió bajé 20 libras de peso con reduce-fat-fast” to anybody around my age and get a recognition smile. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/11 "2026-03-30T14:06:33Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > More seriously, I think I remember Wilford Brimley more for his pronunciation of “diabetes” and his Quaker Oats work than any of his acting, but that may be just due to my age. I’ll defend him a little. He looked old enough to be hawking said and it was far from shady. In addition, this guy never earned big money as an actor until sometime in the 80s. Even then, he was never an A-lister. He was a well known character actor and the Quaker commercials I don’t think caused his reputation much harm if any. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/12 "2026-03-30T14:07:57Z")
> [@Meatwater](#): > > Not sure if it’s just me, but Kevin Hart constantly trying to get you to gamble. It is not just you. This guy has made money, plenty of it. He hawks gambling so much, I wonder if he is in debt due to gambling. ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/13 "2026-03-30T14:12:33Z")
I believe I recall Tom Selleck doing reverse mortgage commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/14 "2026-03-30T14:13:46Z")
How about Orson Welles? About 45 years ago, he was doing [commercials for Paul Masson wines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orson_Welles_Paul_Masson_advertisements). To go from directing one of the highest-rated movies of all time to shilling low-end wines is quite a drop in one’s career. “We will sell no wine before its time.” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/15 "2026-03-30T14:18:48Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > Sam Waterston hawking [Old Glory Robot Insurance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Gh_IcK8UM) was a low point for him, IMO. We’re soon to get to the point when insurance against robot attacks is no longer a subject of parody but a legitimate need for many. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/16 "2026-03-30T14:22:59Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > How about Orson Welles? [His frozen peas commercial was a particularly low point.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1PJTY9AVA) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/17 "2026-03-30T14:24:17Z")
That was kind of sad. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/18 "2026-03-30T14:27:07Z")
I don’t know it appearing in commercials has sullied his reputation, but I’m getting awfully tired of seeing John Hamm popping up in commercial after commercial for this, that and the other thing. There gets to be a saturation point, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/19 "2026-03-30T14:43:47Z")
Karl Malden had Brando-level prestige in Hollywood before he became mostly known for hawking travelers checks. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/20 "2026-03-30T14:45:30Z")
Alex Trebek made good money as Jeopardy host. Then he decided he needed more and decided to do Colonial Penn insurance commercials. (Colonial Penn offers guaranteed acceptance, “no medical exam” policies, that are not really very good insurance products) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887.md?page=2)