Have you ever watched Jersey Shore and thought “Man, I could do that and be funnier?” Well, maybe you can.

Brett Cohen, a 21-year-old resident of New York, was able to do just that. By hiring a couple guys off of Craigslist to follow him around and play as bodyguards, cameramen and paparazzi, he was able to fool dozens upon dozens of people near Time Square into thinking he was a famous celebrity.

Now, I can’t say that if I saw Edward Norton or Bill Murray on the street, I wouldn’t be asking to have my picture taken or get an autograph. But when you have no idea who the guy is or why he’s famous, why would you even care?

How many of us would be able to walk down the street right past Pat Quinn, the governor of Illinois, without a second glance? However, if Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi walked by, we’d go all fanboy/girl.

We as a people put way too much power into celebrities, and hold them on such a high pedestal when our attention and devotion is better placed elsewhere. One such place is politics.

I’m sure by now many of you know this is an election year, and if you’re like me, you’re already sick of all the campaigning done by Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. Or you’re thoroughly disgusted by the views of people like Todd Akin about “legitimate rape,” but unfortunately that case is not even close to being over.

There are still four presidential debates before the election. You know, that time when they’re put on live TV and try and make the other guy look like a moron? Yeah, those.

Don’t worry, though, good citizen. I’m not here to try and sway your vote, nor am I going to try and tell you the importance of voting.

You’re all big boys and girls now, and you’ve heard the speeches a hundred times before. I’m just giving you one outlet to put your attention into rather than the name of Snooki’s baby (yes, sadly, I know it’s Enzo).

Take the extra time you would rather have spent watching reality TV and turn on a documentary, get a head start on that reading assignment or go and make sure you don’t put on the freshman 15. Do something worthy of the fame so many people get just for being at the right place at the right time.

Show you can do better than the Jersey Shore.