Over the past year, celebrities have been flipping the script when it comes to autobiographies and memoirs. Celebrities have begun to open up about experiences, trauma and other nuanced aspects of their lives.
Some celebrities, like Jennette McCurdy and Matthew Perry, wrote memoirs about their struggles, such as addiction and childhood fame, and how they coped. These stars have been through a lot to get where they are, and the road to fame is always bumpy.
What was once a tool used by celebrities to placate the public has become an outlet to share vulnerable stories. While society is drawn into celebrity stories, some readers believe that not all of them are as transparent as they should be.
A lack of vulnerability in writing could be the work of a ghostwriter. This is someone who aids in writing a piece of literature under the name of their employer, typically receiving no credit.
Utilizing a ghostwriter can be beneficial and harmless, simply a tool for corrections and suggestions. Oftentimes, however, celebrities hire a ghostwriter to completely translate their thoughts into writing.
Senior Gianni Dentino of Belmar believes you can identify the use of a ghostwriter in biographical pieces based on the way the work is written, such as in the autobiography he read by Cliff Burton.
“It was probably paired down a lot with the help of an editor of some sort, but it definitely felt like I was reading it through him,” said Dentino.
If a ghostwriter was used, a celebrity’s personality should still be present. Just because the celebrity didn’t entirely write the work, their emotions still need to make the reader understand what they’re trying to get across.
A celebrity’s published work has the potential to damage their reputation. All news isn’t always good news, especially regarding celebrity stature. Publishing something so bare can be taken different ways, so audience perception is everything.
Britney Spears’s memoir, “The Woman In Me,” helped propel her back to popularity decades past her prime. According to Rolling Stone, Spears’s music streams went up around 24% after the release of her memoir. The novel sold over a million copies in the first week, showing excitement to hear her story.
Dentino feels that a celebrity memoir or autobiography can either hurt or help celebrity reputation depending on the audience.
“If the wrong people read it, then it could lead to less popularity,” Dentino said. “For the intended audience, I think that it will only help with popularity.”
Memoirs can also negatively impact reputations of fellow industry celebrities. Actress Emily Ratajkowski’s memoir “My Body” accuses singer Robin Thicke of behaving inappropriately while filming the “Blurred Lines” music video.
After the music video’s release, Thicke and his collaborators faced backlash on their choice of lyrics for “Blurred Lines”, as many people found them too sexual and risqué.
Celebrities often try to please society, and autobiographical pieces are a popular demand to hear from everyone’s favorites. The public loves to hear from a star’s point of view, whether it’s behind the scenes drama or vulnerable accounts of their lives. Even if a celebrity used a ghostwriter to help refine their memoir, society is still going to want to hear the story.
