I'm Glad My Mom Died

Jennette McCurdy is easy to know and like and writes in an open and honest way. She's definitely no Shakespeare, but that's hardly the point. What she has to say is entertaining, interesting, sarcastic and pretty funny and I enjoyed it a lot.

Jennette lived in a world controlled, since she was a small child, by her narcissistic mother. At only six she was pushed into the limelight of a burgeoning child acting career and had no choice on the direction life took after that. Her deep belief that mom did everything out of love for her was good enough at the time and she never questioned the motives. And then one day mother was gone and she began to realize that the unconditional love wasn't so unconditional after all.

Jennette was extremely lucky, got some amazing breaks, lived the Hollywood dream and, best of all, had a highly motivated and supportive mother to push her to success. She would have achieved much less without that person in her life. You may even question how someone who became famous and lived the ultimate fantasy could have anything to worry about? It's a question of perspective. Jennette was messed up by her intense mother, and once she had time to look back and reflect, saw things differently.

The point is, society is scary and this biopic is a microcosm of what's wrong with the modern world. Too many available options, too much push and shove, and trying to achieve goals that aren't actually that important?

Jennette didn't realize that her overly ambitious mother was causing her massive psychological and physical harm. Nor did her mother understand that she was irreparably harming her daughter either. Mom took the surfboard and rode the waves, her children labouring as sled dogs to fulfill her ambitions and desires, but it wasn't out of bad intent! Mom wasn't a malignant or nasty person, no way, just blinded by the bright lights and unable to take stock. Constantly pushing to the next outpost at any cost and killing herself and psychologically damaging her family along the way.

Small girls are made to look older at beauty pageants, but in Jennette's case it was the opposite. She was forced to remain a child for as long as possible to keep on getting work that would eventually dry up. She was forced to behave and look like a small child through mom-enforced anorexia, which later became bulimia as she grew older and started to binge.

Jennette will always be remembered as that girl from iCarly and mom was scared of losing that fame (and income) sooner rather than later. I'm not justifying it!

But she didn't think, know or perhaps even care about the negative effects that child stardom would have on her daughter. Jennette had no way of saying no to mom either and was pushed into the whirlwind of stardom whether she liked it or not. Everyone was too afraid, unwilling or plain greedy to step off.

It's hard to decide who was at fault. Mom for being so obsessive and manipulative? Jennette for wanting and accepting the bright lights so badly? Or society for being as competitive and stressful as it is?

Life is tough, parenting is tough and being a good child is tough. Jennette McCurdy does a great job of telling it like it is, as a life that's no bed of roses even for the most ostensibly privileged.