What is up with all the celebrity documentaries?

Is it just me or is there a new celebrity documentary every week? Beyonce, Travis Scott, The Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber have all released documentaries in the past 18 months. This new genre of celebrity centered documentaries seems to piggyback off of the social media era trend of celebrities being relatable and aims to blur the boundaries between megastars and their fans. But why? Is their intimacy profitable?

For fans, watching these documentaries are just a continuation of a story that is already shared by artists on social media. We’ve already seen how Swift’s drama with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West plays out, because it was already posted on Instagram stories. She shared her mom’s cancer diagnosis on Tumblr in 2015. We also know her political beliefs because there was an entire Instagram post dedicated to explaining them. We know how hardworking, creative and diligent Beyonce is. And we’ve already seen Instagram stories of Travis Scott buying Kylie Jenner a Ferrari. 

Celebrities don’t owe us anything and we shouldn’t expect them to actually be transparent. Perhaps Taylor Swift wants to change her public perception after being publically deemed callous and calculating. Maybe Justin Bieber wants to promote his new album. Although, I can’t help but wonder what motives are behind releasing a “tell-all” documentary. Both documentaries are intimate but how can we be so sure of their authenticity?

What do you think of celebrity documentaries? Are they just a way for celebrities to better integrate their brand?

JUSTIN BIEBER: SEASONS  – Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAVgKdbDlRY