Mel Gibson — lately of "Help me stop to bashing you, Jews" fame — is also a star in Who Killed the Electric Car. Somehow I missed this minor detail in the midst of all the ink, airtime, chatter and jokes devoted to him this week.

I'll probably skip the movie. I could blame it on Mel (haven't we had enough of him already?). But to be honest, the new Will Ferrell movie looks like more fun.

Still, Mel is endorsing a lefty, green car. Arnold Schwarzenegger — the first civilian to drive a Hummer — just struck a deal with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to fight global warming. Brad Pitt just sponsored an eco-design competition in New Orleans. Leonardo, Gwyneth and everyone else loves hybrids. Is anyone left in Hollywood who isn’t 100% green? More important, is it making an impact of the rest of the world?

Environmental groups, such as Global Green and PETA, clearly think so. They devote considerable time and resource to develop sophisticated celebrity campaigns and secure A-list endorsements. Star power, they know, raises awareness, generates buzz, ramps up the cool factor and gets their cause on The Today Show.

At the end of the day, though, does it really work? I know that we live in a celebrity culture and, technically, that means that the general public rushes out to emulate the stars. I know we're supposed to worship them and all that. But does anyone care? I don’t mean teeny-boppers. I mean, people like you and me.

A couple minutes ago, I would've sworn that I’m immune, I’m not the type to get star-struck, I don't blindly go anywhere the rich and shiny people lead. Then I glanced at the In-Style magazine on my coffee table and truth is, I am definitely influenced by celebrities.

I’ve got tons of fashion mistakes in my closet to prove it.