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.

When you have family on the tv regularly you dont all sit down to watch it together necessarily. Depends what it is, but when I see my family member on tv I just roll my eyes

Her parents remortgaging their house to send her to theatre school quite something, especially as one of 3. It’s interesting she didn’t seemingly become a ‘Dance Mum’ with Harper, it often follows.

She looks 13- 17. Not sure which 30 year old you hang out with.

They have grown up in the media though, they know the score and have largely benefited from it. I think the Beckham's are a normal -despite being very wealthy-- family

They’ve thrust their kids into the public eye, splashing them over social media long before the children could give consent or understand what was happening. It’s grim. So the Netflix documentary comes as no surprise whatsoever. It’s just another dimension of them living their lives (and their children’s lives) in the public arena

Im probably being super unreasonable but as someone who had an ED for several years, im always annoyed how many celebrities deny for years they have one (i know, I know, deceit and trying to hide it, is part of it) ....and then ,say "I used to have an ED" when it's clear as day they still do.
I almost felt Gwyneth Paltrow was more honest when she said she only had a cup of broth and 2 coffees a day (or similar) to keep her figure than all the others who say its because they are busy/looking after kids/doing yoga rather than severely restricting what they eat.

And i think nearly all celebs want some sort of sob story/overcoming adversity tale to make themselves feel more relatable rather than they got lucky. I remember hearing one person say they were really unpopular at school and had no friend, and a teacher from their school said they were one of the most popular girls in the school!

Re: VB ‘designing’, on second part of doc & unclear how she does this? She doesn’t sketch but ‘drapes material over herself’ so how does a garment take shape?

I do feel sorry for their kids having been in the public eye their whole lives, and bigged up to be something or someone special- unsure if that comes from the Beckhams themselves or the media....when they might be pretty average. Which of course there is nothing wrong with, but its almost like because theyre already famous they've almost got to justify themselves by being amazing at something.
If they'd grown up without cameras and fame they could potentially have tried (and failed) at things in private

If I worked with a high end interior designer & master upholsterers & said ‘let’s move the sofa over here & change the fabric to velvet’ is that the sort of thing? & if so what’s the difference between this and a £ hobbyist with some, good creative ideas but poss not more than the average mumsnetter with a fashion interest or flair?

We’d get better in time but we’d borrow from best & never have real creative vision re: pattern cutting/imagining the dress?

@Pedallleur City fans are so amusing; how everyone laughs at 'Who's that dying on the runway' with reference to the Munich disaster. To clarify, I was being sarcastic.
The idiot that claimed his dad was abusive - this man would travel by coach to support his son at every game when he was on the youth team. Euro aways he'd rather sit in Cattle class with the die hards rather than in Business with Officials / Pundits.

They also admitted that they constantly dragged their children around the globe, - entirely for David’s career and ego. The children’s education and chances to make lifelong friendships were tossed aside for fame and recognition.
No wonder Brooklyn doesn’t speak to them any longer. The youngest boy went to boarding school, so at least he has had some chance of stability, him and the girl seem the lucky ones.

@WateringCans but that's the exact problem don't show us your DC and people won't comment

@PinkPanther57 yes surprising ,didn't he earn enough to send her without remortgaging?
Also interesting how he talks of money and then his money

Their families will have benefitted from the money Brand Beckham brings in. They either won't want to cut off that income or won't think that exposing their children is a bad thing.

It amazes me how differently the Ramseys and Olivers have raised their kids, almost out of the public eye, and they appear to be doing well (marines, police, nursing, Uni).

I don’t think the beckhams mover around so much that it would be disruptive - they would have been able to go to amazing schools and live in amazing places - that’s not a bad thing

i always thought things switched when harper was born and the publicity ranked up. Do you remember them trying to launch one of the middle boys as the next Justin bieber? Just such an odd thing to do

i do think it’s interesting that the two boys in LT relationships have chosen women who are older/more dominating. I’m sure a psychiatrist could say a lot about that!!

saw a clip of them on Ali G when they were very young and the body language was interesting - she seemed very nervous and he seemed confident.

Meh! Not sure I care. They’re not a real family. They’re a brand. A company. A firm

Their whole life is curated carefully to maintain the brand

i dont wven believe the feud with eldest nepo baby is real. It’s given him more exposure and fame

Harper isnt a typical kid. She has her own instagram page with a hefty following

i reckon VB had a charmed childhood. She had to make it up or there wouldn’t have been much to say

Not watched yet but is there anything the world doesn’t lnow about VB? She lived her life entirely in the public eye from early adulthood to now

Exactly! Paps aren’t just floating around in the ocean are they 🤣

It would have been interesting to see this explored a little & it’s a very good point.

I think the bullying she speaks about was very real. As I recall from her autobio it happened at her local secondary school rather than the stint at the theatre school. The Rolls Royce arrival & her differences from crowd won’t have helped or her ego without the needed confidence. IMO it planted an ‘I’ll show them seed’. Not entirely a bad thing especially when coupled with bag loads of grit & determination.

Dance or Theatre school can be very tough especially if you’re weaker re: singing/dancing.

Everything they do is staged. I remember a friend (who’s a real fan, god knows why) showed me some of their Instagram stuff years ago. Harper was sitting on daddy’s knee, pretending to drive the car or something, and it was all so scripted. Other clips with VB: ‘what are you doing, Harper?’ and then she’d reply with clearly prepared scripted lines. It was really odd! I mean, she was very young, I can’t imagine how weird that must be to set up these scenes with your own child and then plaster it over social media. So utterly unfair to a child, that they’re brought up thinking this is normal and having zero private life.

I think the boys were a bit ‘luckier’ in that Instagram and influencers weren’t such a thing when they were younger so they escaped it a bit more. Also 3 of them but only one prized girl. Although the boys were older when they began to be thrust more into the public eye, it was equally staged…. VB always draped around Brooklyn (until he’d had enough and went no contact!) The boys also had a tough time being set up for public ridicule with the ‘projects’ their parents thrust on them - Brooklyn came off worst here with the dreadful photo book, but there was also that Christmas single from Cruz which is best forgotten…. The only one with any discernible talent seems to be Romeo who at least played football at a decent level for a short while, but even he seems to have given that up to float around doing a bit of modelling or swanning about on yachts.

like others, I’m also surprised that given the beckhams seem pretty friendly with the Ramsays, they don’t seem to think that there are other ways of bringing up children and that maybe thrusting them into the public eye, making them part of the brand without their consent (they were all exposed well before adulthood) and using the Beckham name to do nepo stuff like the photo book and releasing a Christmas song … just maybe this isn’t exactly an emotionally healthy way to raise children.

I’ve no doubt they love their children deeply but they’ve got this so wrong.

also rather surprised that one or two posters have said ‘oh but it’s healthier to be open and talk about difficult things rather than covering it up.’
Well, quite. But a healthy open discussion and understanding of difficult things like eating disorders should take place within the family. It’s not compulsory to make a Netflix documentary about it. But, you know, more money, more publicity….

& at @AccidentallyWesAnderson I also thought she doesn’t seem happy or confident, she wants to prove herself as they noted, can you ever? Especially if you contrast her re: the ‘islands in the stream’ & role as support & helpmeet to DB in his Doc.

DB seems to have all the power, the balance of power has shifted from earlier days. Imagine having to go cap in hand to your generous husband whilst your business haemorrhages his millions & it’s at point where he can no longer afford to prop you up. I thought it was interesting at the end where DB mentioned ‘another baby’ apparently in jest. It reminded me of Jamie Redknapp having a later mid life blindsiding baby with a model. For me his apparent love & support seem to have a hollow ring here in a way it didn’t in his own doc.

Does she have a temper? The switched on blonde lady with the glasses felt like nobody’s fool. Could her team really not challenge her extravagance, a good team will. She said she didn’t realise she was spending tens of thousands she couldn’t afford on flowers or that this was a bad idea.

Harper seems very close to David especially. Has he established himself as the alpha & Mum wastes Dad’s money in past? This can be very toxic. I wanted to see more of VB not just the businesswoman. Although there’s lots to admire re: tenacity it feels a stretch to say she’s a fashion designer, she’s surely a director/manager with lots of cash & a developing creative flair? I like her make-up, I’ve heard the real money is made in the cheaper stuff NB: this & make-up.

Their home seems so depressing. No fun and laughter.
When you look at Stacey and Joe how warm and friendly their family and home come across.

the Beckhams especially Victoria have forgotten where they’ve come from.
she is so desperate to be in the upperclass fashion world. It is not nice to see.

i do feel sorry for her kids.
At least with Wayne Rooneys kids they are grounded.

Yes I assumed the ridiculous accent was due to insecurity.

There is no doubt she is a hard worker but she doesn’t really acknowledge that her connections and husband’s millions have made it happen. I would quite fancy ‘going in to fashion’ (and I can draw) but I can’t just call up Roland Mouret and ask him to help and get my husband to pay. I did laugh when it turned out she was spending ridiculous amounts of money on ridiculous things such as flowers and that was why the business was going under. She just says ‘I didn’t know’ I don’t know anything about business’ and I thought that maybe some of the money would have been better spent learning about business than just ‘draping’ material over models. Also telling that she admitted everyone was scared to tell her ‘no’.

VB is a very dull person

hard working, resilient, savvy, yes

but by god, she must be boring to live with