Behind the Music

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Behind the Music
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Behind the Music is a TV series that's something of a reboot of the original series of the same name that ran on VH1 from 1997 to 2014. On each episode, a musical artist who was featured on the earlier version of the show is re-examined, with old footage from the first episode coupled with new segments that show where the artist is now. The amount of iffy content depends largely on each subject. Some refer to excesses of sex and drugs (generally in the context of mistakes they've made in their past) as well as violence and tragic deaths. Some also are more apt to curse than others, though language is infrequent and generally hovers in the "hell" and "damn" space. Subjects featured are notably diverse in their race, ethnicity, musical style, and sexual identity, though most artists are in their 40s and above, due to the retrospective nature of the storytelling. For the most part, artists are now portrayed as at peace with their lives and able to reflect on past mistakes with reactions ranging from amusement to embarassment.
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What's the Story?
More than 20 years after the premiere of VH1's long-running music biographical docuseries, BEHIND THE MUSIC lives once more. Each episode takes a second look at artists covered in the original series -- including Huey Lewis, Ricky Martin, Duran Duran, and Jennifer Lopez -- repackaging footage, photos, and details uncovered in the original series, and bringing viewers up to date on where each artist is now in their life and career.
Is It Any Good?
Not so much as reboot as a continuation, this new iteration on the classic music-bio docuseries is, as always, variably enjoyable depending on how much the viewer appreciates each subject. Repackaging and adding to old Behind the Music episodes is a pretty genius concept; the show worked before, so with a little sprucing, old background details on the music makers fans know and love should shine once more, and it's fun to catch up to where these stars are now. It works, mostly, though the show retains the rags-to-riches-to-rags framing for most of its subjects that made musical biographies and the show itself something of a trope in the '90s and 2000s. The show also makes the questionable choice of framing old content as if it's a newsreel, which detracts from the emotional connection viewers might have with, say, old baby pictures and footage of fledgling stars.
But the old thrill of seeing stars unguarded still works; fans of artists like Ricky Martin and Duran Duran want to see old pictures and footage of their favorites when they were baby-faced, as well as hearing what they're up to lately, and so they shall. It's slightly depressing to realize how many of the artists in Behind the Music's catalog of 274 old episodes won't be making an appearance in the new version, having died in the interim, but reviewing a list of artists covered over the years might make some fans excited at the idea of potentially seeing more if this new version lasts. The series in itself is worth a look, even if viewers cherry-pick only the episodes that feature an artist they already like.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the phenomenon of celebrity and our culture's obsession with famous people. Why do we find the personal details of their lives so fascinating? Why are we so interested in their stories of adversity? Does anything you learn from the show change your feelings about the person or group being profiled? Does the downside of being famous outweigh the positive aspects?
It's been said that it's impossible to present real life truthfully when subjects know they're being documented, that the presence of the camera or reporter inevitably changes what's told and shown. What do you think about this idea? Do you believe Behind the Music is presenting truths about the lives of the artists featured?
Behind the Music frequently discusses the difficulties of its subjects' lives: drug addiction, deaths, frayed relationships with others. Is this focus meant to be instructive to viewers or to appeal to our interest in gossipy details? How can you tell?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 29, 2021
- Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, LL Cool J
- Network: Paramount+
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love musicians
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