Netflix recently launched its new miniseries on Tejano music legend Selena, but not to a warm welcome.
Fans took no time to fact-check "Selena: The Series." While the 1997 film "Selena" received somewhat mixed reviews, the recent series seems to stray further from the late singer's reality according to fans.
Perhaps most notably, the decision to portray Brownsville, Texas, as a mountainous space attracts laughs online.
this selena show’s depiction of brownsville is something else lmao pic.twitter.com/De6ESBsqxr
— allen (@allendlg) December 5, 2020
That one time I hiked the Brownsville mountains...#SelenaNetflix #selenatheseries pic.twitter.com/1W5waGv4Ax
— P❌nche Rolo (@Rolo5Meats) December 5, 2020
A trend started on Twitter: hashtagging the Brownsville area code with mountainous landscape elsewhere.
Ahh nothing like a good stroll in the #956 pic.twitter.com/60TeRxWRF0
— Roberto Alejandro Lopez (@RobertoAleLopez) December 6, 2020
Just another day in the 956! pic.twitter.com/JxP9WeST0O
— Mary (@mareyes15) December 6, 2020
But the critiques don't stop at the scenery. Viewers also take issue with the portrayal of Selena herself.
There was a fullness to Selena's presence, a bountifulness that filled every room. She had a striking, uncontainable laugh. She could switch from irreverent diva to humble girl-next-door in a literal blink of an eye. She exuded boisterous joy AND elegant self-possession.
— Maria Elena Garcia (@NopalitaMami) December 6, 2020
Who was Selena? The new Netflix series about the singer doesn’t have a clue https://t.co/O2RaaMiJXo
— TIME (@TIME) December 8, 2020
Both the acting and physical portrayals were called into question.
Selena Quintanilla was a brown skinned Mexican American woman NOT a white woman of Italian/Mexican descent with eurocentric features. Also the Queen of Tex-Mex music was NOT this thin. Do better @netflix #SelenaNetflix pic.twitter.com/07PztUXGPC
— •¤•¤•©A.C.©•¤•¤• (@ADiamante77) December 4, 2020
As @mala_munoz 's threads have reminded us, many ppl are incredibly protective of Selena's image. People saw themselves in her mestiza features. So it's not just about whether the Netflix depiction is true to Selena. It's whether it's true to everything she stands for.
— Maria Elena Garcia (@NopalitaMami) December 6, 2020
Part One of the series includes nine episodes and is streaming now. It's not known when Part Two will be released.
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