# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/62 "2026-03-30T21:28:20Z")
The first ones I thought of are the ones who pushed Crypto and FTX. I remember Matt Damon, Larry David, Tom Brady, and many others advertising heavily for a time. When FTX collapsed their reputation took a hit, but with the passage of time their association with it has almost been completely forgotten. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/63 "2026-03-30T22:00:05Z")
Anyone old enough to remember an older John Wayne hawking Datril (an early actaminophen-type drug)? There was outrage that this American icon would stoop to shilling merchandise!!! His career was winding down anyway at that point but people felt he had debased himself. Times have changed. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/64 "2026-03-30T22:57:50Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Joe Namath hawking Medicare Advantage plans and hearing aids. Yeah. ---
**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, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/65 "2026-03-30T22:59:40Z")
The Joe Namath ads are kind of sad, because I’m _almost_ old enough to remember him in his prime. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/66 "2026-03-30T23:01:18Z")
Joe probably didn’t have a lot to fall back on. His acting career died young. He probably didn’t get paid that much in his prime. And don’t forget his panty hose commercial! ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/67 "2026-03-30T23:02:22Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > Anyone old enough to remember an older John Wayne hawking Datril (an early actaminophen-type drug)? There was outrage that this American icon would stoop to shilling merchandis Wayne also did commercials for Wells Fargo around the same time. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/68 "2026-03-30T23:11:55Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Joe probably didn’t have a lot to fall back on. His acting career died young. He probably didn’t get paid that much in his prime. As did his TV sports announcing career, which seems to have petered out around 1990. In addition, he had the infamous sideline interview with Suzy Kolber in 2003, when he was inebriated, and which led to a stint in rehab for alcoholism. He probably made a fair amount of money from endorsements and appearances back in his heyday, but he played in an era in which pro athletes (even stars) didn’t make a great deal of money, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he isn’t doing terribly well financially now. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/69 "2026-03-30T23:37:04Z")
What about Milton Bradley’s Dark Tower electronic game? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cxrY7MWEkwE/hqdefault.jpg "Milton Bradley Dark Tower Game Tv commercial with Orsen Wells") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxrY7MWEkwE) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/70 "2026-03-30T23:47:10Z")
I’m old enough to remember him being a big deal ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/71 "2026-03-30T23:47:56Z")
“Blansky’s Beauties” (that was the name of his sitcom, wasn’t it?) ETA: Nope. It was “The Waverly Wonders” ([The Waverly Wonders - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Waverly_Wonders)). Blanksky’s Beauties was a Happy Days spinoff, joining the string of successes that included “Out of the Blue” and “Joannie Loves Chachi” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/72 "2026-03-31T00:10:11Z")
And the film _CC and Company_ I think he was trying to be a Burt Reynolds-type. I see he was in a few other films, but that’s the only one I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/73 "2026-03-31T00:50:30Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > > Joe probably didn’t have a lot to fall back on. His acting career died young. He probably didn’t get paid that much in his prime. > > As did his TV sports announcing career, which seems to have petered out around 1990. In addition, he had the infamous sideline interview with Suzy Kolber in 2003, when he was inebriated, and which led to a stint in rehab for alcoholism. > > He probably made a fair amount of money from endorsements and appearances back in his heyday, but he played in an era in which pro athletes (even stars) didn’t make a great deal of money, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he isn’t doing terribly well financially now. According to various online sources of which [this](https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/broadway-joe-namath-s-net-worth) seems to be the most…reputable, Namath’s net worth is somewhere around $25 million, thanks in large part to a variety of endorsements. How that figure is derived is something of a mystery. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/74 "2026-03-31T01:01:12Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > According to various online sources of which [this](https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/broadway-joe-namath-s-net-worth) seems to be the most…reputable, Namath’s net worth is somewhere around $25 million, thanks in large part to a variety of endorsements. How that figure is derived is something of a mystery. Well, good for him if true. Most of those endorsements were 40 to 60 years ago now, and that article simply says “partaking in smart investments” explains why they think he’s wealthy today. If he did invest well, and not piss (or drink) away his money from those years, yeah, he could well be doing nicely. Other than the Medicare Advantage ads, I suspect that any other actual income he’s getting these days is from doing appearances and signing autographs, assuming he’s still well enough to travel much; his days as a valuable national figure for product endorsements are long behind him. ---
**Author:** ![Mavis\_Topholese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@Mavis\_Topholese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mavis_Topholese)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/75 "2026-03-31T01:32:52Z")
Advertising pioneer David “Ogilvy & Mather” Ogilvy hired Eleanor Roosevelt to do a margarine commercial, and she later reported that her mail was evenly split between people that were sad she’d damaged her reputation, and people that were _happy_ she’d damaged her reputation. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/76 "2026-03-31T03:10:37Z")
Not the first time she did something like that. She changed her name to “Warwicke” in the 1970s because she thought it was classier, and when her record sales didn’t surge, changed it back. Henry Winkler hawking reverse mortgages is a big disconcerting to me. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/77 "2026-03-31T03:16:23Z")
I honestly do not understand the popularity of “Ancient Aliens.” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/78 "2026-03-31T03:20:00Z")
Who’s Walton Goggins? Anyway, that was a name I had never seen before, and when I looked him up just now, he’s been in things I have never seen. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/79 "2026-03-31T03:36:58Z")
> [@troub](#): > > Walton Goggins has been in everything lately including, I’ve noticed, a _ton_ of commercials for _all kinds_ of stuff He’s definitely striking while the iron’s hot. Can’t say I blame him. I don’t think it’s hurting his reputation at all. He usually seems to play someone quite unlikeable, but in the commercials he’s the opposite - like he’s winking because we’re all in on the joke. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/80 "2026-03-31T03:54:27Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Anyway, that was a name I had never seen before, and when I looked him up just now, he’s been in things I have never seen. Well, sure. We all have actors that fall through a cultural hole in our own personal zeitgeist. But once you’ve seen (and heard) Walton Goggins he will stick with you as that guy. He’s no chameleon - rather he has one of those pretty distinctive presences. Exactly the sort of person advertisers covet as a celebrity endorse/commercial actor. Because if you know him (and he’s been in several prominent TV shows in particular), he’ll immediately catch your attention in a commercial as your mind goes ‘oh, it’s that guy.’ Very Wilford Brimley. Wilford Brimley and Walton Goggins were/are both very fine actors. Genuinely talented. But they were/are always distinctively Wilford Brimley and Walton Goggins. Like a casting director searching for a “Walton Goggins-type” distinctive. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2026, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/81 "2026-03-31T07:28:43Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > He usually seems to play someone quite unlikeable I wouldn’t say that. He usually seems to play someone who _should_ be quite unlikable, but Goggins manages to make him likable anyway. [Check him out.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE8I2vLE_0o) He’s the one without the suit. One of my favorite actors working today. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887.md?page=5)