The celebrity book deal is hard to ignore.
We’ve all seen them, we’ve probably read a few of them and some of you roll your eyes as hard as I do at them.
What I’m referring to is the common practice of capitalizing upon, or even trying to extend, someone’s celebrity and relevance through a book.
Some of these take the form of cookbooks, some are autobiographical, some are children’s books and even some are novels.
A few that come to mind are “Hard Candy” by Lauren Conrad, “Rebels: City of Indra” by Kendall and Kylie Jenner and “Sounds Like Me” by Sara Bareilles.
Recently, “Love, Loss and What We Ate” by Padma Lakshmi sparked this train of thought for me.
Full disclosure: I haven’t read all these books, so I certainly can’t comment on the quality of writing.
However, that’s not what my problem here is.
I take issue with these books because they come off not as a sincere attempt by an entertainer to try their hand at literature, but instead as a way to make a few more bucks.
I mean, honestly, is anyone picking up Perez Hilton’s children’s book because they think he’s the next Roald Dahl?
I’d guess not.
At the risk of sounding like a literature purist or a gatekeeper for anyone who hasn’t sacrificed their life to the literary gods, I do believe anyone can and should write a book.
I just also believe the intentions should be honest.
Authenticity is hard to come by in a world dominated by social media and where the struggle to stay relevant is felt by celebrities and college students alike.
My dismay at these last-ditch efforts to remain relevant is the somewhat naïve hope that literature is one industry that could remain authentic.
Reading has been a therapeutic and important experience for me.
Any time I see someone using it as just another conduit for cash, I feel a piece of credibility for authors everywhere slipping away.
I do think there is a right way to do the celebrity book deal.
I think that only happens when it’s well-timed and is truly necessary.
Releasing your memoir when album sales are dropping is a cheap ploy for publicity.
An exposé on your reality show past 10 years later is clearly just a way to stir the pot one more time.
Some celebrities even resort to ghost-writers to pass off the ideas and work and then take all the credit.
I’m looking at you, Kendall and Kylie Jenner.
For example, I think many comedians have succeeded in writing books that show another side to them that isn’t accessible in a 60-minute Netflix special.
Unfortunately, I don’t see this phenomenon abating anytime soon, especially with how fast popular culture chews through celebrities now.
All I can hope for is to see book stands filled with genuine, not ghost-written, novels and thought-provoking memoirs.
I hope to see books covering more than a failed celebrity relationship that was hot five years ago.
rarosens@indiana.edu
@rachrosenstock
