Katy Perry has done a lot of things. She’s kissed a girl and liked it, married comedian Russell Brand on the back of an elephant and lived through a very public divorce.
But another part of Perry’s growing resume is slowly becoming an integral part of pop stardom. Friday, Perry’s concert and life documentary, “Katy Perry: Part of Me,” hits theaters. “Part of Me” promises to chronicle Perry’s life on and off the stage. The documentary follows its predecessors like “Glee: The 3D Concert Movie” and “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.”

The concert documentary is an easy way for already popular musicians to make even more money without any extra work. They’re filming something that is bound to happen whether anyone decided to make a movie about it or not. There’s no script to write or extra lines for artists to remember. All they have to do is show up and find some old footage from their beginnings. In a musical climate where pop stars earn the most from concerts anyway, the dollar signs are practically coming to them.
But remember when you had to be something especially unique to have a movie made about you? Those were the days when you had to be a musical icon to have something as big as a movie. Celebrities didn’t make their own films. If a pop star was lucky to have a biopic created, it was when he or she was 80 or dead—not still developing a career.

Bieber’s “Never Say Never” was made in 2011. Only a year before he decided that he was a big boy and said things like “swaggie” while beating up the paparazzi. Miley Cyrus’ concert movie, “Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert,” hit theaters before she got engaged or walked around wearing T-shirts as dresses back in 2008. Pop stars and celebrities in their mid-20s and younger very rarely have their personas solidified — their musical evolutions are set to change at any point.
Luckily, that means celebrities can make more movies whenever they want. More money may mean more problems, but more documentaries mean more cash. Plus, I’m pretty sure Perry and Bieber will certainly each have another concert soon enough.
The problem is that whether a musician actually deserves to have an entire movie dedicated to his or her life stops being a question. Once celebrities make the documentaries, it’ll seem like they do. The fantastic editing and literally made-for-radio soundtrack is cotton candy for the brain. I’m not even a huge fan of Perry, but after seeing the “Part of Me” trailer, I thought her concert looked awesome. It’s all neon lights and crazy costume changes.

After someone sees the incredible advertisements and countless publicity interviews, a concert documentary won’t seem so out of the question. Everyone will think, “Hey, it’s like going to the concert without paying $80 for it.” The $12 ticket will seem like a deal. And after one weekend, another singer is up $20 million without batting an eyelash.

With one concert documentary in the can, I wonder if the same stars decide to do more. If “Part of Me” does well in the box office, will that mean more pop stars will be jumping on the bandwagon? Everyone should probably start expecting “Haus of Gaga” for summer 2014. If the Lady isn’t already working on it, you’re welcome for the idea, Stefani.

Ariana Romero is a junior magazine journalism and political science major. Her column appears every week. She can be reached at akromero@syr.eduor followed on Twitter at @ArianaRomero17.