Media Minute, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
On November 4th, 2022, Selena Gomez debuted her new documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me only on Apple TV+. The promotion for the documentary was amazing. On Selena's Instagram, she gave two months of Apple TV+ free! As someone who grew up watching Selena on shows like Barney and Wizards and Waverly Place, and who has looked up to her as one of many successful Mexican-Americans in media, I was so excited about this documentary.
The documentary is a glimpse into Selena's success, mental health, and demonstrates her vulnerability, bravery, and strength.
Oftentimes, people tend to dehumanize those with money and success, especially if money and promotion are involved as we see throughout the documentary. It breaks my heart to see someone treated so horribly by the media, and using her mental, physical, and emotional well-being against her. There were scenes where interviewers were asking Selena questions, and as soon as she was done answering they immediately cut her off and made her feel like a product. I could not believe the level of disrespect I was seeing from people in media throughout the documentary, including paparazzi (although from paparazzi that is to be expected sadly).
Not only were media personnel hard on Selena, but she was extremely hard on herself. With so much fame and success also came pain, not just in the physical sense but also emotionally and mentally. The amount of pressure performers have to go through to get on stage is enough, but adding the number of people in the audience along with the expectations from a team would quite possibly break anyone. Even through those difficult-to-hear journal entries and emotional breakdowns, I still saw a strong person who is making a difference in the world.
I loved My Mind & Me's focus on Selena's philanthropy. Her goal to bring therapy courses into the education curriculum is something the education system has been needing for a long time. As Selena emphasized, when we're in kindergarten we learn how to recognize emotions, but after kindergarten, our emotional learning in schools stops. We need to learn how to handle them as well, and the older we get the more complicated emotions become.
Her trip to Kenya was both a philanthropy trip and a much-needed vacation. Selena Gomez is doing what many people with money should be doing, helping those in need and giving back. Seeing her connect with the students in Kenya and the scenes in Texas where she was talking to old neighbors and family was a beautiful thing to see. The one thing that makes humans human is the connections we have and make with each other.
I greatly appreciate the narrative the documentary followed, as it was about Selena and only Selena. There were many speculations on the internet that there would be Selena talking about her past relationships in-depth, but I'm glad the narrative was on her and her legacy. She deserves her own spotlight for the things she has done and what she has accomplished with her platform.
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me brought me to tears. Between her opening up about her Bipolar Disorder, Lupus, and the struggles that came along with her symptoms, it was an emotional rollercoaster. What added to the emotions was the piano motif played in the sad parts of the documentary. The motif ends up being her newest single, "My Mind & Me."
Whether you are a Selena Gomez fan or not, I highly recommend watching Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me. The documentary gives perspective on how fame and money do not automatically equal happiness, as well as her trials and tribulations, health struggles, and the good she is doing in the world.
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