UCR’s Associated Students Program Board hosted, “A Conversation with Jennette McCurdy” this past Wednesday featuring the actress, and now author, Jennette McCurty. During her talk, McCurdy discussed her New York Times Best Selling book, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” as well as topics regarding the entertainment industry and her journey with recovery.
In preparation of McCurdy’s arrival, anxious and excited students began lining up about four hours before at 3 P.M., although the event did not start until seven. The line could be seen between Rivera and Watkins Hall stretching to the Bell Tower. It was said by students waiting in line that those who arrived to wait at 5:15 P.M. were the last few to make it into the theater once doors opened. Despite the large turnout, ASPB kept control of the crowd and gave those who had their R’cards a wristband before being sent to a bag search by security.
The moderator of the event was ASPB’s Senior Coordinator, Jazmin Alvarez Barragan. She hosted the first half of the evening guiding the conversation and started by asking McCurdy about her recovery through her eating disorder and abusive family dynamic. McCurdy welcomed the questions and did not shy away from starting with difficult topics. She stated that “we shouldn’t sugar coat topics when we are trying to heal” and that “humor can be a great coping mechanism if it isn’t used as a defensive mechanism.” She also spoke about her relationship with therapy and how it opened her eyes to the toxic relationship her mother had created where McCurdy had no choice but to obey and suffer. Her relationship with her mother ultimately resulted in the other mental health problems she faced throughout her career and 20’s.
After this first portion, McCurdy read an excerpt from her book where she detailed the events of her attending an award show. She had just begun therapy and her therapist attended the event to help watch over McCurty so that she would not binge and purge as award shows were a trigger. Despite the evening resulting in a panic attack, McCurdy was held accountable and not permitted to give in to the unhealthy needs of her eating disorder. The crowd cheered following the end of the passage praising her strength.
Students Dina Mirmotalebisohi, a 2nd-year biology major, and Hana Hassan, a 2nd-year philosophy major, hosted the student question and answer portion during the second half of the talk. While in line, members of ASPB walked around with QR codes that allowed students to submit questions. The questions asked ranged from topics in her book to less serious questions like if McCurdy was a morning or night person. She responded that she preferred the night. McCurdy stated that implementing boundaries is important when considering self care and that developing your own fashion style is a pivotal step when in recovery. She even admitted that she’s a Sabrina Carpenter fan. The last question asked was what the best advice that McCurdy had received was. She responded that what she could think of at the moment was “to keep your eyes on your own paper,” advice that was given to her by friends that are also writers. This means that you shouldn’t compare yourself to others and that you should focus on your own work.
Overall those who were lucky enough to attend the event had a good time and McCurdy was friendly throughout the evening. Star-struck students cheered as McCurdy stated their names and answered their questions directly. A select few were also able to connect with her when she reversed roles and began asking the audience questions such as what people’s favorite ice cream flavors were and if they had read the novel “The Three Women.” She ended by taking a group selfie with attendees right before leaving for the night.
While the University Theater is a nice venue, it was too small for the crowd with about 200 students being turned away. Camping culture has taught young people that it is normal to clear their schedules and wait for hours in order to meet someone famous. There was no registration for the talk and it was not live streamed. Getting an accurate count of students who wanted to attend would have allowed for the use of a larger space or the option to watch online.
