How Judy Blume broke rules, offended parents, took on Pat Buchanan and shut down Twitter mobs

nypost.com:

It was 1984 and the author of bestselling children’s books including “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.,” “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” and “Blubber” was invited to appear on CNN’s “Crossfire,” a news entertainment show co-hosted by liberal journalist Tom Braden and conservative political commentator Pat Buchanan.

As the guest, Blume sat between them, smiling anxiously at the camera.Buchanan kicked off the conversation. “Ms. Blume looks like a very nice lady,” he began steadily, before landing his first verbal punch. “What I wanted to ask you . . .

what is this preoccupation with sex in books for 10-year-old children?”Blume’s eyes widened as he continued, describing references in her books to menstruation, masturbation and voyeurism. “Why can’t . . .

you write an interesting, exciting book for 10-year-olds without getting into a discussion of masturbation?” Buchanan asked her, evoking her 1973 novel “Deenie.”She was nimble throughout the segment, dodging most of Buchanan’s blows. “Are you hung up on masturbation?” she asked him when he wouldn’t back down about what she described as “one scene in one book.” But his point had been made to “Crossfire”s audience — Judy Blume’s books were bad for children.