The Celebrity Stan Culture of Buying What You Don't Need

In an era where influencers and celebrities dominate purchasing power, consumer culture has become less about need. A new makeup line, limited-edition merch, or a viral product collaboration, celebrity culture cashes in on excess and turns overspending into an aspirational ideal. The moment you open your phone, there is a new product launch, brand collaboration, or celebrity skincare line waiting. Since celebrities became brands, the line between appreciation and blind spending has started to blur. It is a carefully crafted spectacle that turns followers into lifelong consumers, often without them realizing it. Celebrities rave, get paid, and benefit heavily by normalizing excessive spending.

Shopping for the Name, Not the Need

For example, the Kardashian-Jenner family has created a blueprint that’s hard to ignore, one that equates fame with product empires. Their brand strategy is built on hyper-visibility, constant launches, and a lifestyle that centres on material excess. From billion-dollar cosmetics to clothing, food, alcohol, supplements, and fashion lines, each product is sold on their name alone. Their influence doesn’t stop at their own brands, they frequently promote their friends collaborations and products too.

Every now and then, they pivot to promoting thrift or secondhand fashion through their "pre-loved" closets. How can a culture built on constant consumption claim to support sustainability? It’s a contradiction that can’t be overlooked.

Take Kylie Jenner’s billion-dollar lipstick brand as an example. Her lip kits went viral especially the overlined lip trend she made famous. Millions rushed to buy them. And soon after, a flood of knock-offs and counterfeit versions took over the market. These dupes were not only unregulated and often made with toxic ingredients, but also added to the growing issue of plastic waste due to their cheap packaging.

Cara Nicole is a sustainability advocate who focuses on intentional living and accessible financial education. She talks about the links between sustainability and financial health. In her video, "How Stan Culture Keeps You Poor," she explains how being a fan of public figures can lead to overspending and poor money decisions often without realization.

Adding to this, psychology professor Daniel Wann developed a theory explaining how fans are more likely to make purchases and allow celebrities to shape their buying decisions. This happens even when there’s little to no transparency about how merchandise is made or the environmental costs tied to its production and mass consumption.

Apart from the culture of overconsumption, there is also another angle to their lifestyle. A study by Yard revealed that although data isn’t definitive, the biggest CO₂ emission offenders are often celebrities who frequently use private jets. These individuals are estimated to emit 3,376.64 tonnes of CO₂ annually, which is over 480 times more than what the average person produces in a year.

At the end of the day, you decide where your money goes. And that decision is powerful. But it’s worth being aware of how celebrity culture and fandom are often used to drive production, push trends, and get you to buy things you absolutely don’t need.