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

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

Judy Blume was in the hot seat. 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 … Read more

Why Bill Cosby and Laura Bush really hated ‘The Simpsons’

Why Bill Cosby and Laura Bush really hated ‘The Simpsons’

Easily offended sensibilities and hand-wringing over every pop culture moment seem to characterize the times we’re living in, but such battles have been brewing for centuries. In his new book, “Outrageous: A History of Showbiz and Culture Wars,” Kliph Nesteroff looks at nearly 200 years of controversies to help us understand the present moment. In … Read more