Candid photographs—those taken by the paparazzi, in most cases— may be the only other thing to give us such an immediate step forward into the lives of the famous. Documentaries can do this as well, but like autobiographies, these are done with hindsight. Photographs, on the other hand, give us the same in-the-moment feeling we get from a fresh blog post. [8]
Why blog?
Regardless of how necessary the information obtained from a blog seems, there's still the question of why a celebrity would voluntarily share their most private details with the general public. For instance, in February 2009, singer Erykah Badu had her boyfriend update her Twitter readers about the birth of her daughter as it was happening. [9]
Why the self-inflicted invasion of privacy?
Some say it's the confessional part of human nature taking over while others consider it a way to actually counteract privacy invasion. Laura Fitton, a social media consultant, told Forbes Magazine that blogging (and "microblogging" via Twitter) is a way for celebrities to take control back from the rest of the media.
"It's more about controlling your privacy than giving it up. When Britney [Spears] shares her details on Twitter, it's not going to stop paparazzi from stalking her. But it devalues the stuff they're able to steal from her. She's actually reaching in and taking back a piece of the paparazzi economy." [10]Other celebs do it to cut off impostors. Kathleen Hessert, Shaquille O'Neal's media consultant, suggested her client start a Twitter account and begin microblogging after she discovered a fake account had been set up and someone else was posting as the NBA star. It was again a defense mechanism, trying to make sure the "real" Shaq was being heard and put out in the light he wanted to be seen in. [11]
Another aspect to why celebrities blog, beyond controlling their public image, involves the basic human desire to expose something about one's self by offering a confession. Blogger-turned-columnist, Grant Stoddard, says that "more and more people are feeling more comfortable with putting themselves out there." He admits this makes the act of confessing personal details to complete strangers much less impressive than it once was. [12] Still, the point that the general public is more accepting of this overall lack of privacy is valid, and adds insight as to the sheer volume of celebrity blogs available for consumption.
Skeptics of the “heart on the sleeve” nature of celebrity blogs believe that the author’s writings are closely monitored to ensure no damage is done to that author’s image or the brand they are associated with. This can occur through official moderation of the blog by a third party--employed by the same company as the blog author--or through an individual publicist. [13]There’s also an element of self-moderation that surely occurs with every blog post, not just those of celebrities. Sure, people may be willing to share a lot of themselves with blog readers, but they surely keep some things to themselves. [14]
Why read?
The hyperactive nature of social media, which blogging is considered a derivation of, often raises concerns of quantity over quality. How much of what the author says is of any great importance and, more bluntly, who cares? [15]
In a society where every DVD copy of a film contains hours of bonus footage and behind-the-scenes features, it’s natural to want the same kind of extra information about celebrities. And what better way to get those additional insights than to hear (or read) them directly from the celebrity in question?
As for anyone would want to read Shaq's witticisms and musings on Twitter (such as, "The best way to secure happiness is 2 b az happy as u can everyday"), Hessert says "people want to know about celebrities as people." For fans, it's another level of engagement with their favorite celebrity. For the celebrities, it's another way to build their brand and their identity. [16]
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