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Forever

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1975 saw the publication of Judy Blume’s novel Forever, a work centered around a teenage girl experiencing love for the first time and losing her virginity. This release sparked controversy due to its candid depiction of sexuality, with many deeming it inappropriate for young readers. In fact, some states even banned the book from schools altogether.

Half a century has passed, and while “Forever” stands as Judy Blume’s most debated novel, it is not the only one that faced censorship challenges. Her earliest works, including “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and “Deenie,” were removed from school libraries due to discussions about menstruation in the former and references to masturbation in the latter. In her own words, written on her website over 30 years ago, Blume expressed surprise at the controversy, stating that much of her writing stemmed from her personal feelings and experiences as a young girl. The inspiration for “Forever” came after her 14-year-old daughter, Randy, requested a story about two characters who have sex without either of them meeting an untimely death.

Blume’s books, which she herself describes as her honest endeavor, continue to inspire us today. In bringing the book to life for Netflix’s latest series, Forever, creator and showrunner Mara Brock Akil aims to pay tribute to both the novel and its author by infusing a fresh perspective into an enduring tale.

In a Netflix press statement, the creator of hit TV series like “Girlfriends”, “The Game”, and “Being Mary Jane” acknowledged that Judy Blume played a significant role in shaping their writing voice. As an executive producer of “Forever”, Blume was one of the initial authors they read whose work fearlessly tackled the complexities of adolescence, leaving clear imprints of her unique storytelling in their own.

Before hitting the ‘Play’ button on “Forever”, delve deeper into the debate swirling around Blume’s groundbreaking coming-of-age novel, which served as inspiration for the latest Netflix series.

What is Judy Blume’s Forever about?

In the late 1970s, high school seniors Katherine and Michael first cross paths at a New Year’s Eve gathering. Teenagers from New Jersey, they soon embark on a romantic relationship that sets Katherine off on a personal exploration.

For years, Blume aimed to present a unique take on adolescent romance stories, contrasting from those she and her teenage child were accustomed to reading. In her online platform, she expressed her intention to create a book where two high school seniors fall in love, make a mutual decision to engage in sexual activity, and demonstrate responsible behavior throughout their relationship.

What truly resonated with numerous readers about “Forever” was its portrayal of a young woman’s journey through self-discovery, particularly in matters of intimacy. Blume empowered Katherine by allowing her character to exercise control over her emotions, thoughts, and physicality, thereby inspiring young readers to embrace similar autonomy.

When did the controversy over Forever start?

Following the publication of “Forever”, some parents raised concerns about the candid way Blume’s teenage characters discuss sexual topics. Additionally, they found the explicit descriptions unsettling. One mother expressed this to the New York Times in 1978 by stating, “I’d prefer my daughter read pornography than ‘Forever’. At least she’d understand that it’s not right, instead of reading about a normal girl who has sex and then the book ends.

Prior to Katherine’s first sexual encounter with Michael, who had more experience in that area, they both engaged in oral sex and mutual masturbation as a means of teaching and learning. The story also features an honest conversation between Katherine and her grandmother about birth control, which eventually led Katherine to visit Planned Parenthood to obtain the birth control pill. This aspect of the young adult novel sparked controversy among religious groups and schools due to Katherine’s choice to use contraception.

By 1982, educational institutions in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio raised concerns about the book, claiming it did not advocate for abstinence or monogamy. One school district criticized it as a practical guide on sexual activities for junior high students, while another argued it trivializes marital sex.

From 1990 to 1999, the book “Forever” was frequently targeted for removal or restriction, making it the seventh most challenged book, as reported by the American Library Association (ALA). This indicates that there were numerous attempts across the nation to censor this book due to its explicit sexual content and profane language. Books that ranked higher on ALA’s list included classics such as Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men,” Robert Cormier’s “The Chocolate War,” Michael Willhoite’s “Daddy’s Roommate,” and Alvin Schwartz’s “Scary Stories” series, which topped the list for that decade.

In addition to the book listed, four other works by Blume – namely, “Blubber”, “Deenie”, “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret”, and “Tiger Eyes” – were also included in the list.

Judy Blume‘s response

As a passionate film aficionado, I found myself becoming a vocal crusader against censorship in the ’80s, following Reagan’s election. This was my response to the criticism directed at my work. My initial encounter with censorship occurred when the principal of my children’s elementary school refused to stock my debut novel, “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?”, published in 1970, on the library shelves. He maintained that menstruation was a subject unsuitable for young girls to read about, despite the fact that many students had already started experiencing it.

Book bans are frequently justified as a means of safeguarding children, but Blume argues that the real motivation has always been fear. “Fear is contagious,” she stated on her website, “and some parents can easily be swayed by it. Banning books provides them with a sense of control over their children’s lives. This fear often appears as moral indignation. They want to think that if their children don’t read about something, they won’t learn about it. And if they don’t know about it, they believe it won’t occur.

Contrarily, she argued, hiding such books from children doesn’t prevent them from engaging in or contemplating sex. Rather, prohibiting books like hers denies kids the opportunity to learn about sex and discuss it more freely with their trusted adults. She emphasized that safeguarding children involves educating them and equipping them with knowledge, which includes encouraging and supporting what they choose to read. This was her message in an interview with Variety.

Due to her vocal opposition against book censorship and continuous advocacy for Planned Parenthood, Blume received hate mail. The threatening messages escalated so much that her publisher arranged for a bodyguard during live events to ensure her safety. Speaking to The Guardian in 2014, she shared that having the bodyguard was reassuring: “He was wonderful, I loved knowing he was there. And nothing harmful occurred, but it was truly terrifying.

Regardless of the challenges, Blume persistently stands up for herself. In 2023, when her book “Forever” was being taken out of a Florida school district where she resides and runs a bookstore, she expressed to NPR that having her books banned early in her career was an intensely emotional event for her as a budding author. She admitted it was tough to accept, but it didn’t deter her from continuing to write.

Is Forever still considered controversial?

In an interview with BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg in 2023, Blume confessed that she had mistakenly thought book censorship was becoming less common in the U.S. She recalled the 1980s as a time when book banning was at its peak and found it abhorrent. However, she noted with concern that libraries and schools have been implementing policies to restrict books once more. This trend, according to her, is far worse than it was in the 1980s, particularly in America, because it has become politically motivated.

A little over a year ago, I read in The New York Times that conservative organizations were playing a significant role in the recent wave of book bans. Instead of merely voicing their concerns to school districts, they’ve been actively engaging in local and state politics to influence censorship policies. As Keith Flaugh, one of the founders of Florida Citizens Alliance, put it, “This isn’t about suppressing literature; it’s about safeguarding our children’s purity. It’s about empowering parents to decide what their kids read, rather than having schools impose ideologies on our children.

As a passionate movie-goer and bookworm, I can’t help but feel a pang every time I hear about the censorship of stories. In the 2023-24 academic year alone, a staggering number of over 10,000 books were prohibited nationwide – a figure that more than doubled from the previous year! This chilling statistic comes from a report by PEN America. The troubling aspect is that these bans predominantly targeted young adult novels with characters of color and those identifying as LGBTQ+. It’s hard not to feel disheartened when we consider the impact this could have on fostering empathy, understanding, and acceptance in our future generations.

In the previous year, “Forever” was among the 13 books prohibited in all public schools across Utah under a fresh state law, which empowered legislators to take out books deemed to have “explicitly pornographic or indecent” content from classrooms.

In August of the previous year, 12 out of 13 books prohibited by the state were penned by female authors. Since then, the list has grown to 16 banned titles, with 14 being written by women. Among these censored works, six are from Sarah J. Maas, a popular fantasy author known for “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” This marked the first instance where an entire state outlawed a collection of books. (According to The Salt Lake Tribune)

What are the differences between Netflix’s Forever and Blume’s book?

In a fresh take on the television or film versions of Forever since the 1978 made-for-TV movie, creator and showrunner Mara Brock Akil aimed to modernize the material for today’s social media era while maintaining the book’s bold honesty.

Back in the ’80s, Brock Akil discovered the book “Forever” during her preteen years. This book soon became one of her all-time favorites. Despite the fact that Judy Blume’s books didn’t have much or any Black representation, Akil stated to Vulture in May, she could still connect with them due to their profound humanism. “She wrote in a way that allowed me to insert myself into the narrative and recognize myself,” Akil explained. With her latest TV series, Brock Akil aims to achieve the same for today’s teenagers, offering them relatable characters and stories.

The eight-episode series traces the romantic journey of Black high school seniors Justin (played by Michael Cooper Jr.) and Keisha (Lovie Simone) over their final year. In contrast to the original setting in New Jersey during the late 1970s, creator Brock Akil moved the storyline to Los Angeles in the late 2010s. As explained by Akil in a Netflix statement, this era around 2018 symbolizes how Black individuals were often left alone to navigate societal issues of the day.

In the summer of 2020, during the widespread protests following George Floyd’s death, screenwriter Brock Akil sealed a comprehensive agreement with Netflix. The tragic deaths of Floyd and other unarmed Black men led Akil, a mother of two boys, to express concern that Black boys are the most vulnerable group. She explained to Vulture that even considering dating can be terrifying for them, leading her to raise her sons with this perspective in mind.

As a film enthusiast diving into the world of storytelling, I find it fascinating to compare Joanna Blume’s book with the Netflix series adaptation of “Kissing Booth.” While the book primarily follows Katherine’s journey as she explores love for the first time, the show takes a unique turn by concentrating on Justin’s experiences. Inspired by his own teenage son and his friends, creator Brock Akil aimed to shed light on the complexities of race and class in contemporary society, particularly during adolescence. In an interview, he emphasized that “The biggest difference between a white family and a Black family in the upper middle class is that Black parents tend to exert more control over their children, creating a very narrow space for them to exercise any autonomy.” This shift in perspective adds depth and nuance to the series, making it an engaging exploration of societal issues.

In this television show, Justin is both a basketball enthusiast and a musically inclined character who struggles with ADHD, making it tough for him to concentrate on academic tasks. His affluent parents, portrayed by Karen Pittman and Wood Harris, are doing their utmost to aid his success, yet the expectation of attending a prestigious university has left him feeling like he’s lost control over his own decisions.

In contrast, Keisha is both an exceptional athlete and student, yet her single mom struggles financially, living hand-to-mouth. Her ambition lies in attending Howard University, but a scandal involving her former boyfriend has left her questioning if her aspiration can ever come true. Then, during New Year’s Eve in 2017, they cross paths again with two former classmates, sparking a romantic encounter that will forever alter their lives.

Instead of altering character races and offering fresh viewpoints, this TV series delves into problems that resonate with today’s youth such as consent, cyberbullying through sharing explicit content (referred to as revenge porn), and prejudice based on race.

In another form of expression, this adaptation remains faithful to Blume’s knack for exploring the intricate emotions of adolescence. As Brock Akil stated on behalf of Netflix, “The myriad questions we grapple with during those years—your first time, your first kiss, saying ‘I love you’ for the first time—were relevant then and remain so now.

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2025-05-08 16:08

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