The Victoria Beckham documentary - is this a weird perspective of mine?

[Jessekate]

Just reading about tonight's premiere of VB's documentary and seeing the Beckhams lined up ready to watch it, and all I can think of is how awful it is for the kids (and particularly Harper) having to watch all this.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we shouldn't ever be vulnerable in front of our kids and I know they have to understand the real world etc etc, but it just seems like such a lot for a 14 year old to have to absorb about a parent. So much vulnerability, all the stuff about eating (or lack of), VB being bullied as a child, her low self esteem. I look at my DD and DS (13 and 17) and think how worried they would be to hear all that about me and how anxious and protective it would make them feel, and in turn, how guilty I would feel. I don't think it's something that any amount of material wealth could compensate for. It would have such an impact on them, and not in a good way, I think.

I applaud VB for being so open, but part of me thinks it might have been a documentary to have done when all her kids were older...at least well out of their teens.

I also remember watching the David documentary and they were talking about how footie fans used to shout 'Posh spice takes it up the a*e' and again, all I could think of was....your kids are going to watch this. I was cringing on my sofa!!

I'm late 40s so maybe a bit old fashioned, but to me a lot about parenting is about having very filtered conversations in front of kids, even (or maybe especially) teenagers.

I don't mean to sound sanctimonious, although I probably do, lol! Just interested to hear other viewpoints, as everyone is going on about how amazing the documentary will be, but it can't be an easy watch for everyone in that family.

The documentary was produced by David’s production company. Of course it’s going to show her in a good light, that’s the reason it was made.

Yes this was before the tension!

I loved the doc ! I think she came across really well, and thought she set a really good example for her kids.

I do agree with you @Jessekate

I have just finished watching this complete and utter self indulgent snooze fest. I think her children are safe from being ‘traumatised’ by this documentary as they’ll will have fallen asleep in the first 10 mins!

The only unintentionally amusing moment was when she said ‘she would never forget where she came from’ having been accused of doing so by Mel B. However this was said in an overly affected English accent, over pronouncing every word having totally ditched the strong Essex accent she had when younger. It was painful to listen to.

I’d love to know in what sense she’s setting a good example? Sell your privacy from infancy, get no education, and trash your business to the point it needs tens of millions of bailouts because you’re spending things like £80k on houseplants for your office? Let your husband openly cheat, and inject yourself to the point of being barely yourself anymore. She needs lots of therapy!

The talking down to her thing was something I noticed in the other documentary. When he kept telling her to be honest about not being working class, he was so patronising. Not only that, he was wrong. Culturally the family were working class and she knew that. He didn’t seem to have a nuanced enough understanding of his wife’s upbringing.

I remember reading her autobiography when it came out and she talked about her dads rolls Royce and how it was second hand and 15 years old.

my old house was adjacent to a council estate and there was one house that had a 15yr old Bentley on the drive and that was VERY much a working class road

It’s completely foreign to me to want the limelight, which she was clear was something she wanted. So I don’t understand that part of her motivation. But thats the same in every celebrity. Putting that to one side. As celebrities go, I meant more that - despite being treated in an appalling way by the press, (and being a real victim in that sense eg the headlines etc), she has the determination and willpower to keep going. I thought the scene at the end was DB asking her to stop do they could do other stuff, but she seems really committed to her dream. I think that’s fab.

also pps commenting on what Harpur wore, whether she should spend more time in trackie bs etc, I do think commenting on kids should be off limits.

I think she would be judged negatively whatever she did. Interested to watch this. I enjoyed the Beckham one and thought she came across well there. As did he. His fellow players all seem to hold him in high esteem. Living the life they do, where both of them were extremely successful and high profile in their own right, it's hard to know how you or I might behave if we found ourselves in the same situation.

Nobody would be commenting on Harper if her parents weren't insistent on shoving her into the limelight though. There are masses of kids of famous parents who I have no idea what they look like or how appropriate their clothes are for their age because their parents insist on keeping their privacy sacred.

She is not designing those clothes. She may have some hand in it, approval, whatever. But she is not designing those clothes.

I don’t understand why people refer to her getting so much criticism in the press and this kind of ‘all she goes through’ narrative. Does everybody realise that all of those Daily Mail articles, all the pap shots, they are from camp Beckham, yes? The incessant yacht pictures and boring stories, the phone call is coming from inside the house, guys!

There is absolutely nothing about them that intrigues the frothing plebs any more than any other sleb, the point is that the Beckhams court it and sell it and encourage it. All this back and forth, the stories about their side and Brooklyn etc, all of those stories are coming from their side. This isn’t conspiracy or speculation, this is just what it is. We could know nothing about any of them, that’s doable, and it’s a choice. They actively choose to promote themselves in every which way available to them.

The way they’ve both used their dc since they were babies, to promote Brand Beckham is disgraceful. The fact their eldest son is non contact says a lot about their parenting skills.

Brooklyn and Nicola said no more photos on that staircase thank you.

She was far less awkward & far more attractive as a child than she thinks. Just starting to watch.

I agree. I haven’t watched her docu yet, watched his. Don’t have particular hate for either but I don’t think he’s the nice person his persona makes him out to be. I think he’s ruthless and probably a bit of a narcissist.

Her interactions around him and in general are so stilted and curated. Everything about them is curated so of course this documentary is going to show her in a favourable light. Their kids are largely unremarkable though and there are worse people to hate on.

There’s an insecurity & an almost an arrogance to her. Possibly pointing to neurodiversity of some kind as she’s likeable & feels authentic.

Who on being flown via the Versace private jet, to the Versace store & told anything was hers for free (aged 19) would ask for sleeves to be removed & lots of adjustments. That’s a confidence. Timid she’s not.

Also the clothing budget all going to her alone - or lion’s share - to facilitate Gucci purchases whilst Geri ‘not interested’ & banished to Oxfam as no money left. Really?

I haven't seen the doc yet but I think people who are that famous can't really be 'real' anymore so they sort of hide behind a persona/mask and become a bit odd. I really think extreme fame would be traumatising. Ok she sought it out but no one knows they're going to end up that famous and about the dark side of it - kidnap plots etc. The media is brutal to women. But yes given all that I'm surprised she didn't want to keep her children out of the spotlight a bit more.

I think by 14 there’s not much that would shock

I think VB’s biggest admirer might be IAMX. It struck me how like her he has become. I wonder if they are friends in real life / if she’s spotted the resemblance!!!

Yeah she’s always hanging off him in a way and he does seem irritated as you say. Understandable maybe seeing as he’s had multiple affairs. Allegedly.

Just finished watching it.
One of the most boring and smug things I have ever seen.
Christ knows why I stuck with it but I hate leaving things half finished and thought surely it must perk up at some point.
I was wrong.

Not trying to be mean, it’s just an observation! Think they both seem like decent, talented people

Yes the reviews said it was dull too - it always is when celebs finance films about themselves. To be fair there's not much incentive for the Beckhams to get some hardcore documentary film maker in who's going to reveal any secrets or major personality flaws lol