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Mean Baby
Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up | Selma Blair
26 posts | 25 read | 11 to read
Selma Blair has played many archetypal roles: Gullible ingenue in Cruel Intentions. Preppy ice queen in Legally Blonde. Fire-starter in Hellboy. Muse to Karl Lagerfeld. Face of Chanel. Cover model. Advocate for the multiple sclerosis community. But before all of that, Selma was known best for being one thing: a mean baby. In a memoir that is as wildly funny as it is emotionally shattering, Selma Blair tells the captivating story of growing up and finding her truth. The first story Selma Blair Beitner ever heard about herself is that she was a mean, mean baby. With her mouth pulled in a perpetual snarl and a head so furry it had to be rubbed to make way for her forehead, Selma spent years living up to her terrible reputation: biting her sisters, lying spontaneously, getting drunk from Passover wine at the age of seven, and behaving dramatically so that she would be the center of attention. Although Selma went on to become a celebrated Hollywood actress and model, she could never quite shake the periods of darkness that overtook her, the certainty that there was a great mystery at the heart of her life. She often felt like her arms might be on fire, a sensation not unlike electric shocks, and she secretly drank to escape. Over the course of this beautiful and, at times, devasting memoir, Selma lays bare her addiction to alcohol, her devotion to her brilliant and complicated mother, and the moments she flirted with death. There is brutal violence, passionate love, true friendship, the gift of motherhood, and, finally, the surprising salvation of a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. In a voice that is powerfully original, fiercely intelligent, and full of hard-won wisdom, Selma Blairs Mean Baby is a deeply human memoir and a true literary achievement.
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Scochrane26
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Pickpick

This was a great audiobook for my commute. Being a Gen X-er, I‘ve watched Blair in a lot of movies. Was interested in her struggle with MS. Her stories jump around a bit chronologically. Read by her, at times she is very emotional. 4/5 ⭐️

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SonyaBeatty
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I am currently listening to this audiobook. Selma Blair narrates this, which adds so much. You hear the raw emotion in her voice.

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gossamerchild
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Pickpick

I loved this, so much. Selma also reads this, which makes it that much better. Don't you love it when the reader expresses emotion when they read? She either comes very close or actually cries in multiple places.

And did you know she was friends with Carrie Fisher? Those stories almost brought me to tears.

Very authentic sounding celebrity memoir. Highly recommended.

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Kris10H
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Book #6
4/5 🌟
Okay, I've never really liked Selma Blair. I always found her acting pretty flat. I didn't know much about her other than that, because I didn't really care to. My pre-conceived notion was that she was pretty much a real life Vivian Kensington.
BUT....

Kris10H Since she was diagnosed with MS, and started speaking about her health struggles, I have been awed by her strength and bravery. Her graceful dancing on DWTS is the reason I finally watched a dance routine on that show.
I love how autobiographies humanize celebrities. Sometimes, they end up being exactly who you expected them to be, good or bad.
11mo
Kris10H Sometimes, you're pleasantly surprised. I am always glad to learn about different perspectives, and gain an understanding and empathy for why people are who they are. 11mo
6 likes2 comments
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Sharpeipup
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Starting this memoir for #celebritybc #smgbookclub

25 likes1 stack add
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xxjenadanxx
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Pickpick

A brutally honest and personal love letter to Selma from Selma, in what reads like a reconciliation journal to her past. Her childhood was one of juxtaposed privilege and emotional neglect, with little Selma constantly vying for her mother's very conditional affection.
If you like celebrity memoirs I highly recommend giving this a listen, as Selma reads it herself. It will shock you, devastate you, and break your heart over and over again.

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mcctrish
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Pickpick

This audio book is spectacular. It‘s read by SB and written by her, she is a GREAT writer! SB has lived through some serious shit I wouldn‘t wish on anyone, and made some choices that I responded to out loud with “for the love of god Selma, NO!” But she blames no one for her choices/circumstances/life not even the people that do bad things to her, she owns it ALL! Prince Harry should take a page from her book

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mcctrish
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The sun is shining and I should be out in it. Instead I‘m inside hanging my Lego Hokusai The Great Wave on my attempted gallery wall.

dabbe Looks fabulous! ❣️ 13mo
mcctrish Thank you @dabbe I am so pleased with it all 13mo
peanutnine Love it! Beautiful accent wall 😍 13mo
ReadingRachael It looks fantastic!! 13mo
44 likes4 comments
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mcctrish
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Next on audio and I‘m looking for chores so I can keep listening ( what a difference from Spare)

currentlyreadinginCO oo how is this 👀 13mo
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Pickpick

Catching up on reviews!
I read Selma Blair's autobiography. I am incredibly impressed with it. My expectations were not high but I found myself both in awe of her and feeling so much sympathy for her. She has such a positive outlook on life, and a deep understanding of people. The way her mother treated her was highly abusive but she just seems to shrug & tell us through it all she loves her. I ❤️that she has nothing mean to say about anyone.

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Nadiasbookishworld86
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I‘ve been a fan of Selma‘s since Cruel Intentions/Legally Blonde days. This book is a look inside her private life, her dark and sometimes harsh upbringing helped me understand why she has been able to use the arts as a coping mechanism
TW : Neglect, alcohol abuse, depression. I went into this book blind and found myself down so many rabbit holes of discovery. What we experience as children really does play a part in how we turn out as adults.

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Was able to hear Selma Blair talk about her book this morning! She is so funny and amazing, excited to get home and read it!

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deeannloso
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I loved this book! It‘s the story of a rambunctious (and troublesome ) girl who was just looking for love and validation from her mother. She has her struggles but she pushes through them. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Bekkers
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Pickpick

Book 57 done for 2022. This was an interesting read, I have followed Selma's career since Cruel Intentions and besides being a great actress, she is a wonderful storyteller!

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MelKelsey
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Book 125

I listened to Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up by Selma Blair. I love memoirs! I love listening to memoirs read by the authors (especially celebrity authors), and getting to know their minds, personalities, and lived experiences. Blair talks about her love for horses, her penchant for mediums, her career and struggles with MS, and motherhood. A great listen. 4 ⭐️s

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Melismatic
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Panpan

I‘m not sure how I feel about this. I‘m not sure who this memoir is for…or if she needed to write it. Listening to the audiobook, I went from feeling empathy to pity to feeling downright worried for her mental health. So much heavy stuff in this, much of which doesn‘t appear to be fully realized by Selma herself. I hope she‘s okay.

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britt_brooke
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ A bit gimmicky if I‘m being honest, but an okay celebrity memoir. Years of unknown MS symptoms + years of alcoholism. Some pretty brutal stuff flecked with Hollywood name dropping. The nonlinear storytelling didn‘t bother me like it has some folks. I thought it helped provide bits and pieces of a broader picture. Blair is an excellent narrator with one major exception: the crying spurts felt disingenuous, as if crying on cue.

Cinfhen Meg wasn‘t crazy about this one either / so #Maybesomeday and definitely #BorrowNotBuy 2y
britt_brooke @Cinfhen Just skip it. 😂 2y
Megabooks Agree with Britt @Cinfhen !! 2y
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britt_brooke @Megabooks 😆 We took one for the team! If I‘d been more present on litsy lately, I‘d have seen your review and skipped it myself. #thankunext @cinfhen 2y
Cinfhen Another GREAT # @britt_brooke and now I‘m out / #thankunext @Megabooks xxx 2y
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ncsufoxes
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Pickpick

It was fascinating to read about Selma Blair‘s childhood (as a person that has studied attachment theory at length there is so much to unpack about her childhood). I enjoyed learning about what lead her to her career. I wished though that she talked more about her MS diagnosis & her advocacy work. This has been such a big area for her the last few years so I think that it would been nice to learn more about this. The name dropping was a bit much

ncsufoxes so some of the book seemed a little scattered. #bookspin (edited) 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
19 likes2 comments
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CBee
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Pickpick

Finally finished this - I wish I could listen to audiobooks around the house, but there are too many distractions. So, I listen in the car! Anyway, I‘ve always been a Selma fan - felt a kindred spirit somehow (misfits and such). Her book is raw, emotional, beautiful. Can‘t recommend enough even if you aren‘t a fan. ♥️

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AudiobookingWithLeah
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Pickpick

4¼⭐(p.s. the baby in the pic is not Selma Blair but she is kind of mean-looking…)

I found listening to this quite interesting and I even learned a thing or two…so I call that; worthwhile. Selma Blair‘s story is comprehensive without feeling bogged down and it felt sincere…even when the truth wasn‘t so pretty.

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IamIamIam
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Pickpick

An interesting memoir of a narcissistic mother, the affect it takes on a child, alcoholism, emotional and sexual abuse, but also recovery, chronic illness and motherhood. Selma Blair has many layers and I appreciated all of them!

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actualdisneyprincess
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I love Selma Blair so much. What an amazing person. 💖 #meanbaby #selmablair #memoir

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Bibliophile_22
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Mehso-so

A candid and personal depiction of Selma Blair‘s life and struggles

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Tiffiney
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Pickpick

First I read the book, then I watched the documentary. Very heavy…but also inspiring.

CBee I‘m almost finished with the audio and have just been blown away - will definitely watch the documentary after! ♥️ 2y
35 likes1 comment
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lissafraser
Pickpick

I will admit that I don't know a lot of Selma Blair's acting. The reason I picked up this book was because of her advocacy of MS. I really enjoyed getting to know the story of her childhood.I feel that it explains who she is and why she is that way. I am amazed at how strong and resilient this woman is. I really enjoyed her book and would read another book that she wrote.

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Megabooks
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Mehso-so

I was a bit frustrated by this for a couple of reasons. One, half the book covers her growing up years. I wish the parts about her movies and being dressed by major designers weren‘t so rushed. I wanted to know more about her MS, too. I appreciate that she shared her battle with alcoholism. Two, the crocodile tears at sad parts were v annoying! I think a superfan would‘ve found the childhood stuff more interesting. Nothing spectacular to me. ⬇️

Megabooks Recent celebrity memoirs I‘ve read in the order in which I enjoyed them: Dave Grohl >>> Jennifer Grey >> Selma Blair > Melissa Gilbert FWIW @Chelsea.Poole (edited) 2y
Cinfhen I heard this was good but I‘m happy to trust your opinion and skip it! I‘m not such a fan of Blair anyway (edited) 2y
Chelsea.Poole Thank you! I am interested in the Dave Grohl, as I‘ve heard good things from you and others here. Also, was interested in this one but may be skipping or holding off at least! 2y
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Graywacke I‘m also interested on Grohl‘s memoir. I sampled it on audible and like those 5 minutes a lot. 2y
Megabooks @Cinfhen it may be a Meg not enjoying it thing and not an it‘s terrible thing. 🤷🏻‍♀️ just compared with Grohl and Grey, it wasn‘t as good. 2y
Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole like I said to Cindy ⬆️, I don‘t think it was a bad memoir, but it wasn‘t what I wanted. 🤔 2y
Megabooks @Graywacke it‘s wonderful!!! 2y
Cinfhen I‘d rather go for Grey since Dirty Dancing is a long time favorite 🤩 2y
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