When you think of Rock n’ Roll and R&B music, the names that come to mind are Elvis Presley and Amy Winehouse, not Austin Butler and Marisa Abela. The work and lives of some of the most popular stars are being reimaged into movies for all to see. Many are fascinated by learning every fact about the lives of their idols. Is that so wrong? Is it wrong that these celebrities never had a say in what was being said or shown in these movies after their deaths?
Bohemian Rhapsody, a drama-style documentary highlighting Queen’s life, was the most popular movie of 2018. This, along with many others, is a key part of the evolving trend that many movie companies have participated in: profiting off of the lives of deceased celebrities. These movies revealed the harsh realities certain celebrities lived their entire lives trying to conceal; exposing the good, bad, and in between.
Many people are forced to go through life with flaws they are ashamed of. Unlike celebrities whose lives are being publicized, most people have the luxury of hiding aspects of their lives they don’t want others to see. The families of these celebrities have to deal with the backlash of hurtful information being spread about their deceased relatives, such as Elvis Presley’s daughter and granddaughter being against the movie Pricilla coming out due to the extreme portrayal of his relationships.
It’s not unheard of that when a celebrity passes their family tries to profit off of their deaths. A prime example of this was Kobe Bryant’s passing; his mother tried to sell his shoes, clothes, and other personal items he didn’t want to be sold in the time he was alive. In the case of Michael Jackson’s death and his family affairs, his family is still fighting for his estate to this day and giving him unwanted negative publicity.
The amount of exploitation that these celebrities have to go through after their passing has gone up. There is a new movie coming out every year that highlights a past musician, not a person of status. When someone isn’t here to defend and allow for these things to be said we as a society need to stand up for them and recognize how these movies may be intertwining, but aren’t ethical. At the end of the day, these celebrities are human beings, just like the people profiting off of their hardships. When watching these movies, take into consideration whether or not the same human beings really wanted their lives to be forever available for the world to see.
