Docu-memoir series explores the late singer's influence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
a little
One episode highlights a non-graphic but disturbing audio recording of the day Selena was killed by the president of her fan club. Maria expresses her sadness, along with her mother's, of the day Selena died. Emotional clips of fans reacting to Selena's death in 1995. Graphic audio recording of shock jock DJ Howard Stern's hateful speech against Mexican immigrants.
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The podcast mentions Selena's sexy, iconic stage outfits: embellished bustiers, corset tops. One episode goes into the media's obsession with big butts. Brief discussion of Selena's relationship with her husband.
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Selena once famously said, "With a positive attitude, you can be anything you want to be." Episodes describe how Selena was a working-class woman who wanted to work hard to provide enough money to cover basic necessities. She embodied humility and compassion, as she used her fame to promote self-empowerment for women and inspired them to be their best selves. Selena also started a boutique/beauty salon business through her own means. The host, Maria Garcia, is honest in sharing her experience as a Mexican American in Texas and finding connection and empowerment in Selena and her story. Maria is a Mexican American journalist who does a great job going in-depth into Selena's life and legacy. Maria's curiosity drives the intrigue and in-depth nature of this podcast.
Educational Value
a lot
As a podcast about the impact Selena made on many people's lives, especially how she gave a voice to Latinos who didn't feel seen and inspired them to strive, this series covers a lot of ground. Garcia makes meaning of her life and legacy by exploring how Selena helped Mexican Americans struggling with their bicultural lives feel like they belonged. Education on Tejano music, an in-depth look at Selena's journey.
Positive Messages
a lot
The podcast shows Selena's strong devotion to family and friendships, and also introduces other positives themes like community bonding, commitment, following one's dreams, belonging, and overcoming obstacles within a male-dominated music industry. The show celebrates culture and connecting to your family history and tradition.
Diverse Representations
a lot
Host Maria Garcia is from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and was raised there and in El Paso, Texas. Selena and her immediate family are Mexican Americans based in Corpus Christi, Texas. The podcast features interviews with other prominent Latino figures like Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla, and political leader Julian Castro. Selena embodied a very common experience of Mexican Americans growing up in the United States. Discussion of the experience of Mexican Americans: not feeling accepted by their own culture, not fully accepted as American. Selena destigmatized this perception. Niche genre of Tejano music is explored. Commentary on history of anti-Blackness in Latino culture. In his interview with Garcia, Selena's father uses misogynistic language and patriarchal prejudices; e.g., he explains that he didn't approve of Selena's relationship with a man with long hair; he thinks long hair is only for women. Episodes are in both English and Spanish.
Parents need to know that Anything for Selena is a part-documentary, part-memoir series based on the true-life story of Mexican American singer Selena Quintanilla Pérez, who died tragically at the age of 23 during the height of her career. Host Maria Garcia started the nine-episode series to understand why Selena had touched her life since she was 7 years old. Garcia, just like the singer, was a Mexican American who struggled with who she was and where she belonged. Belonging is the main theme that drives the series, but as it progresses, her passion project evolves into something more meaningful. Through her unwavering curiosity, rigorous reporting, and passionate storytelling, Garcia begins to understand how Selena touched the lives of millions of fans in Mexico and the United States. Each episode is narrated in two versions, English and Spanish. The topics on this show set the stage for having meaningful conversations with children on themes like identity, compassion, humility, and more. This is a great show for families to enjoy together or for independent tween or teen listening.
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What’s It About?
ANYTHING FOR SELENA is a part-documentary, part-memoir series based on the true-life story of Mexican American singer Selena Quintanilla Pérez. The influential Tejano pop singer died tragically in 1995 at the age of 23 years old during the height of her popularity, helping put Latinos on the map and breaking barriers of all kinds with her charismatic, free-spirited personality and memorable songs. In each of the nine episodes, Garcia dives deep into a specific topic centered around the different ways Selena made an impact on culture and music, and how her legacy lives on today -- whether it's Latino identity and belonging, fatherhood, race, or the power of image and celebrity. Selena was always a dreamer, the living embodiment of positivity -- always reminding Mexican Americans and other Latinos that it's possible for them to achieve great things. And if they encounter obstacles due to not being "American" enough, there's always ways to overcome them. Instead of following a typical linear documentary-style pattern, Garcia has a throughline of themes and important cultural impacts she highlights in each episode. Each episode is unique in its approach. In one eye-opening one, Garcia gathers the courage to interview Selena's father, who was known to be overly protective of her life and career before her untimely passing. One lighthearted episode touches on the media's obsession with big butts, and how artists like Selena and Jennifer Lopez began a mainstream craze that quickly turned political. Episodes feature Selena's iconic music and typically run about 45 minutes.
Maria Garcia, the host of the podcast, traveled to Corpus Christi, Texas, the home of Mexican American Tejano pop singer Selena, with one question in mind: What does her journey teach us about what it means to belong when you're a Latino in the United States? Anything for Selena is both relatable and empowering as it asks the question many Latino citizens think about when feeling the need to blend in with U.S. culture. This podcast is a beautiful reminder that Selena was so much more than her music -- she was also a source of strength and understanding for a large portion of Latinos in the United States.
Garcia has strong journalistic integrity as she seeks the answers to her questions throughout each episode. The nine episodes, plus two bonus episodes, go into a wide range of subjects, each telling Selena's unique story from two points of view: the choices she personally made to live her best life, and the ways that those choices affected the culture. The rich catalog of Selena's songs, which make numerous appearances throughout the show, is an added bonus to this already well-executed audio production. From heart-rending ballads to festive Tejano music, these songs feel as alive today as they felt over three decades ago. It's why Selena continues to resonate today with millions of people regardless of race, gender, or ethnicity.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Anything for Selena highlights the enormous influence of Selena and how she helped raise awareness for the Latino community.
What did the host learn about what it means to belong when you come from two separate cultures? Is this something you've gone through? What can you take from this podcast to have a greater understanding and sense of belonging?
Selena embodied humility and compassion, even as she became more and more famous. How did these character strengths she displayed empower young women?
Have you ever lost a friend or family member? How did it make you feel? If so, what are ways to better cope with mourning and loss?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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