Judy Blume & Dylan Mulvaney

[BabyofMine]

I think I just had some sort of revelation.
I’m actually furious. Maybe I’m overreacting but Judy Blume wrote a book called Are you There God? It’s me, Margaret in the 70s. My myself, and I bet many others of my era, it was the first time I ever read a book that depicted a girl going through puberty like me. It made me less afraid of periods, and growing breasts which I did precociously. It meant so much to me.

So there is a film adaptation coming out and I was ecstatic when I saw the news.

Just seen the first piece of promo apart from the trailer that I have come across - TikTok suggested it to me - and it’s a cosy little chat between Judy Blume the author and Dylan Mulvaney. Talking about what it’s like to be a girl, grow breasts and such…
Really, Judy fucking Blume? Why of all people would you choose to promote the movie, which I would presume would have a target audience of preteen and teen girls, with a person that will never go through female puberty, will never bleed between their legs like a girl, never has to worry about buying sanitary products, or a million other things girls worry about.

I’m sure they have their own many and varied things to worry about, and lots of experiences that might be great to share with their audience, but really?

I just feel like I’ve been pissed on from a great height. I may well be overreacting - forgive me, I’m due on.

I'm currently rereading the book as my daughter is the same age as Margaret. Always loved Judy blume. So so disappointed by this - and yes, I now won't be taking my daughter and her friends to see it.

Also, for those saying 'she can't be cancelled'. Perhaps not, technically / financially. But she sure as hell can get targeted, abused & demeaned & understandably that's a place most people don't actively want to be.

What I saw at the time of the JKR thing was a lot of people who hadn't bothered to inform themselves what JB was quoted as saying raging at Hadley Freeman because JB suggested that she had been slightly misrepresented by Hadley, and lots of people ran with that.

All that rage would be fully turned on JB if she had stood by her comments about JKR. I lost respect for her when she tried to say it was just generalised concern for a writer being attacked. Hadley posted her notes and it's clear that JB was vocally supportive of JKR.

So who is DM's target audience?

Tweens, rather than teens, from what I've seen. And some women old enough to know better, I think it kind of gets blurred with "fabulous darling" men in drag.

Yes, I agree with your reading.

This Judy Blume film is going to be discussed towards the end of today's Woman's Hour. Listening to the chirpy presenter of today's programme, I don't expect her to be raising anything of a controversial nature.

Are you there God? It’s me Slothtoes, and this is a fucking offensive misogynistic gaslighting travesty