‘I’m a normal girl with strong values’. Spanish influencers’ documentaries, celebrity status and the centrality of the family

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of docurealities about influencers. They have claimed to be the most important professional project of their careers and promised to show ‘the person behind the influencer’. This study analyses how social media celebrity is portrayed in these docurealities, focusing on four specific cases from the Spanish influencer industry: Dulceida, María Pombo, Marta Díaz and sisters Lola Lolita and Sofía Surfers. At the same time, our aim is to unveil what social and cultural discourses and values are disseminated through these docurealities. Through analysis, we identify them as a source of legitimation of influencers’ status and professional careers through narratives of hard work, talent and predestination, which closely connect with the traditional storytelling associated with conventional celebrities. This research also highlights how these docurealities contribute to reproducing conservative narratives associated with postfeminist and neoliberal ideals, reinforcing the myth of the nuclear family as the dominant unit of care, need and resource distribution.