Watching The New Selena Series Triggered My Traumatic Childhood Memories So Proceed With Caution
Let me start with the disclaimer that I love Selena. I owned some cassettes of hers, I loved the movie with Jennifer Lopez, and I was SO excited to find this series in the top ten on Netflix so I could review it.
However, as soon as I started watching it, it made me anxious. The acting was done so well that it concerned me.
And all of this is because of her dad.
Over-bearing, controlling, manipulative, demeaning, etc.
None of the kids could seem to do anything right. They were forced into stardom. They pretty much didn’t get the chance to just be…a kid.
All of this hits home a bit too hard for me. My dad was like that, but worse.
Add some radical religious beliefs and severe anger issues and then you got it.
So watching this dad just mentally abuse these kids over and over had me anxious most of the series.
But they made the acting SO believable. You could see that the dad loves his family. You can see that he thinks that what he is doing is the right thing. But it’s still just so cringe worthy.
Then, of course, add at the end that he won’t let his 20 year old daughter date a guy in the band. These days, that wouldn’t fly for most females.
You’re 20, you make your decisions.
But that scene hit home for me even harder. My dad actually ended up disowning me for choosing a relationship.
And now my husband and I are happily married for almost 7 years with two amazing children, and my parents to this day have never met their grandchildren over such a dispute.
We even packed up and moved in an RV when I was 12 to pursue my dad’s dreamed and lived out of it for a few years. I’m telling you, this series reflected on my life pretty hard, and not in a good way.
Because of my love for Selena, you better bet I will still be watching the part 2 when it comes out, but hopefully I will be better mentally prepared this time.