The Celebrity Memoir

Julia Chiappe

If I spotted Julia Fox and Colin Jost in a room together, my first remark and attempt to start a conversation with the two of them might be: “I loved your memoirs!” which is true, but for vastly different reasons. Julia Fox’s Down the Drain is a candid recollection of her tumultuous life, shifting between Varese, Italy, and New York, all while written in an immersive present tense. I read it as an eager spectator, and despite lacking in stories comparable to the text itself, I was entertained. Colin Jost’s A Very Punchable Face is of the Saturday Night Live (SNL) memoir sub-genre—sharp, comedic, and painfully honest (Spoiler alert: He has been punched in the face a number of times and they are all detailed in the book.) While reading Jost’s book as a curious fan of SNL/Weekend Update, I sought writing tips, late night television secrets, and entertainment, albeit a form unique to a comedy writer’s storytelling. These books were distinctly different from each other, but they fall under a much broader and highly controversial umbrella category: the celebrity memoir.

Not only does the publication of the book prompt excitement, but rampant discourse is to be expected.

The celebrity memoir is somewhat of a cannibalized genre. There is usually either an existing audience for the ideated book, or a hope that revived relevancy will be enough to generate one. Not only does the publication of the book prompt excitement, but rampant discourse is to be expected. Press begets press begets press. In recent years, memoirs such as Spare by Prince Harry and Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry have inspired worldwide anticipation, and others such as Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!) by Bethany Joy Lenz have garnered attention in more niche corners of the internet, i.e. curious, observant fans of the TV show One Tree Hill. If the subjects covered in celebrity memoirs are so varied and oftentimes specific to an intended audience, what exactly are we seeking from the genre?

Why Are We So Invested?

In some ways, the genre simply serves as a vessel for celebrity gossip. It’s a way to engage with popular culture and get the information “straight from the source”. A number of celebrity memoirs revisit the unthinkable, dredging up decades-old rumored scandal, while others manufacture seemingly one-sided issues with a simple name-drop. Some readers view it as reality television on paper. In a recent episode of Not Skinny But Not Fat promoting actor Lukas Gage’s upcoming memoir, host Amanda Hirsch told Gage, “I took a few days off watching TV to read this.” Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton of the internet-famous Celebrity Memoir Book Club even designate themselves as mediators of the content. Their website proclaims, “we read celebrity memoirs so you don’t have to”, noting their goal of “discussing celebrity gossip without having to dig through a celebrity’s dirty laundry”. While “dirty laundry” feels a bit reductive considering the range of memoir content, Parker and Hamilton, in general, do a good job of making the enormity of a person’s written life seem more relatable and digestible. 

What other genre provides the opportunity to hear from the muse herself?

The typical set-up in older episodes of Celebrity Memoir Book Club frames them against a large-scale wall of the brightly-colored spines of shelved memoirs as they reference particular passages and quotes. Despite Parker and Hamilton’s implication that the publishing industry is seemingly inundated with this genre (they have over 250 episodes!), not every celebrity memoir is written to be “clipped,” e.g. reading salacious quotes from an upcoming work with the intent of going viral across social media. It can be inspiring to hear first-hand from your favorite musicians, actors, and media personalities. In the case of Pattie Boyd’s memoir, Wonderful Tonight, it was intriguing to hear about the essence of the ‘60s it-girl, the history behind the girl that inspired George Harrison’s “Something” and Eric Clapton’s “Layla”. What other genre provides the opportunity to hear from the muse herself? In Dave Grohl’s The Storyteller, notable quotes are interspersed in a handwritten font, amid stories of loss and mentions of obscure punk music that soundtracked important moments in Grohl’s life. In this regard, the celebrity memoir can be more than a vessel for voyeurism. As a reader, my interest in this genre is typically reserved for figures that I am an existing fan of, although memoirs marketed as “bombshell” tell-alls often grab my attention as well. I have found myself reflecting on my desire to peer into the written lives of my favorite writers and musicians. If it’s that provocative for me to consider the purpose in consuming this genre, I can’t help but wonder what the initial stages of intention behind writing it looks like.

The Ghostwriter in the Room

Celebrity memoir discourse is, of course, inextricably linked to ghostwriting. Prince Harry infamously hired writer and journalist, J.R. Moehringer (allegedly the “highest paid ghost”) to write the aforementioned Spare. Moehringer penned a fascinating piece in the New Yorker about his writing process and ghostwriting in general. He breaks the task down to his five-year-old daughter: “Imagine if one of your classmates wanted to say something, express something, but they couldn’t draw. Imagine if they asked you to draw a picture for them. . . That’s ghostwriting.” Framed in this way, the task seems perfectly comprehensible, but perhaps Moehringer’s authorized transparency is what stands out. Not every subject is so up-front. In an article for The Ghostwriters Agency, Teena Lyons writes that “Thousands of memoirs are penned by secret co-authors.” For Lyons, it’s a scavenger hunt. She investigates the acknowledgements for clues as to who could’ve assisted in the production of the memoir. Some celebrities are extremely tight-lipped about their use of a ghostwriter, while others such as Paris Hilton, as noted by Lyons, are direct in their gratitude to the ghost for helping them find their voice. In a Hollywood Reporter tell-all, ghostwriter Sarah Tomlinson defends celebrities who use a ghost, claiming that “they can make much more money having a perfume or a residency”, but “they have a passion to write a book.” And evidently, they have an audience.

Celebrity Memoir Style Guide

Most recently, I finished reading Cudi by actor and musician Scott Mescudi (a.k.a. Kid Cudi). While I’m partial to shorter, themed essays in a celebrity memoir, Mescudi’s writing was refreshing and honest enough that the division of his life into three longer “acts” wasn’t as daunting as I anticipated. Long-form celebrity memoirs with a lack of partition seem to be in the minority, and covers almost exclusively feature a photograph of the subject themselves. Cudi subverts this phenomenon, instead highlighting an abstract, cartoon caricature on the cover, a nod to Cudi’s personal hobby that is a recurring plot point. In a similar vein, Seth Rogen’s Yearbook centers a solo cartoon-version of Rogen. Upon taking off the dust jacket, however, you will find him surrounded by stylized cartoon versions of figures that have inspired him and/or have been influential in his career. Despite an isolated visual focus of a singular subject being the default, Rogen implies that his story has been informed by all the people around him.

For a lot of memoir authors/subjects, this is the first time their narrative arc features their own name and not a character or tabloid persona.

One thing the celebrity memoir usually gets right (at least, in my reading experience) is the ending. For a lot of memoir authors/subjects, this is the first time their narrative arc features their own name and not a character or tabloid persona. The last five words of Rob Sheffield’s Love is a Mix Tape echo the title itself, whereas Grohl’s concluding chapter uses a crosswalk metaphor to chart a full-circle moment. From a marketing perspective, who knows if there will be a sequel? Widespread interest or niche corner of the internet aside, this genre is subject to the same scrutiny as any other, so there’s no guarantee.

Upon reading, you may develop a newfound sense of respect or appreciation for the author (and/or ghostwriter), or perhaps you’ll empathize with the memory that helped generate your favorite song lyric. Whether you’re a fan seeking inspiration or a reality TV lover looking for an outlet of entertainment, the celebrity memoir is a genre worth exploring.

Celebrity Memoirs on My TBR

Julia Chiappe's avatar

Julia Chiappe

Julia Chiappe is a staff writer at Berkeley Fiction Review. She enjoys many genres of books and film, including romance, horror, and contemporary fiction.

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