Backlash against children’s book author’s support of Planned Parenthood
Yesterday, I reported controversial children’s author Judy Blume is this year’s celebrity Planned Parenthood’s Mother’s Day pitch(fork) woman.
Well, today PP CEO Cecile Richards issued a surprising pity plea for Judy (click to enlarge):
I find this development very interesting. It could just be a cynical ploy by PP to get more money, which you’ll note Cecile did do.
But I think the situation must be serious for Cecile to admit pro-lifers are getting to Judy.
By so doing, Cecile draws even more attention to the fact a children’s author is inexplicably recruiting support for the United States’ largest abortion provider.
Cecile is also admitting PP has a growing stigma attached to it, which may give other celebrity PP supporters pause.
Verrry interesting.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Why so anti-women? Why shouldn’t PP ask for donations? They help thousands of women. What have you done, really done to help women?
i guess we must have done something right!
No more Judy Blume books for me.
I really do try not to be so snippy when it comes to Planned Parenthood- I mean, they aren’t exactly kind to, well, a lot of people…by any means necessary. But this actually just made me laugh. And I feel bad laughing; is that supposed to be an appropriate reaction?
“We know that everyone will be happy if you just donate to us!”
Nothing would make Judy happier than to know that the backlash has resulted in more support for Planned Parentless and the women they serve. I find that hard to believe. LOL!
I’m proud to be an “anti-choice extremist”! And I think Jill is right…… it may be hard to get future celebrity endorsements if they know there is going to be a backlash.
Although I believe Hollywood is 95% pro abortion many celebrities do not openly state this and don’t go in pro abortion marches, etc. Yes they attend the Democratic conventions and don’t hide the fact they are liberal but not a lot admit to being anti life.
Sandy, Planned Parenthood is not “pro-woman” they shame, yes shame, virgins who come to them for general health services. They leave women out in the cold who need pre-natal care, and they turn the victims of satutory rape over to their abusers with a wink and a nudge.
Joanne, I know. An anti-choice extremist? That’s a good one! Anyway, once any celebrity utters one word in support of abortion, I will boycott their products, movies, records, products, etc.
Sandy Brake
You’re confused. PP doesn’t HELP women. They are out to destroy the greatest gift a woman can receive: MOTHERHOOD. They promote sexual promiscuity, cover up for rapists, etc, etc, etc.
I’ll make sure to let my sister and brother know about banning Judy Blume. And its realy sad cause I loved “Tales of a 4th Grade nothing” and the sequels.
I never read that disgusting book “Are you there, God, its me, Margaret,” though, and will never let any children read it, either.
*oops* wrote products twice..above post.
I guess PP will have to find a new Cover Girl for their adds. I remember when Gwenneth Paltrow and her mom asked for PP donations for Mothers day once.
Needless to say, I have zero respect for either one of them anymore……..
Judy, do you really want to support this racist organization???
“More from the fit, less from the unfit”!!
“We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don’t want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.”
Margaret Sanger’s December 19, 1939 letter to Dr. Clarence Gamble, 255 Adams Street, Milton, Massachusetts. Original source: Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, North Hampton, Massachusetts. Also described in Linda Gordon’s Woman’s Body, Woman’s Right: A Social History of Birth Control in America. New York: Grossman Publishers, 1976.
Well I guess I spoke too soon about celebrities and abortion. I googled and came up with this list.
http://www.fightpp.org/show.cfm?page=celebrity
There are a LOT of names on the list. However I wonder if it’s really accurate as Laura Bush’s name in there (as well as Barbara) under others. The Bush women were pro abortion? I find that hard to believe.
Regarding Paltrow and her mom I was unaware of that until Jill posted it yesterday. Now that I know I’m really disappointed especially in Gwynneth.
Especially after what happened to the Jews.
The following is the Planned Parenthood list of performers supporting “The March for Women’s Lives Celebrity Coalition”:
Margie Adam, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Aniston, Curtis Armstrong, Elaine Aronson, Bea Arthur, Ed Asner, Kevin Bacon, Alec Baldwin, William Baldwin, Meredith Baxter, Shari Belafonte, Maria Bello, Polly Bergen, Thora Birch, Amy Brenneman, Betty Buckley, Jessica Capshaw, Lynda Carter, Stockard Channing, Jill Clayburgh, Kate Clinton, Glenn Close, Cindy Crawford, Sheryl Crow, Alan Cumming, Tyne Daly, Blythe Danner, Kristin Davis, Ossie Davis, Dana Delany, Laura Dern, Ellen DeGeneres, Ani DiFranco, Illeana Douglas, Denise Dowse, Fran Drescher, Kirsten Dunst, David Eigenberg, Hector Elizondo, Emme, Eve Ensler, Giancarlo Esposito, Melissa Etheridge, Morgan Fairchild, Edie Falco, Frances Fisher, Calista Flockhart, Jane Fonda, Bonnie Franklin, Janeane Garofalo, Ana Gasteyer, Indigo Girls, Annabeth Gish, Whoopi Goldberg, Lauren Graham, Maggie Gyllenhaal, LisaGay Hamilton, Ben Harper, Ed Harris, Salma Hayek, Marg Helgenberger, Isabella Hofmann, Helen Hunt, Amy Jo Johnson, Kathryn Joosten, Ashley Judd, Catherine Keener, Carole King, Swoosie Kurt, Christine Lahti, Sanaa Lathan, Sharon Lawrence, Lisa Loeb, Amy Madigan, Natalie Maines, Wendie Malick, Joshua Malina, Camryn Manheim, Frances McDormand, Ewan McGregor, Marilyn McIntyre, Sarah McLachlan, Moby, Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, Alanis Morissette, Kathy Najimy, Alyson Palmer, Joe Pantoliano, Mary-Louise Parker, Adrian Pasdar, Pink, Martha Plimpton, Doris Roberts, Paul Rudd, Susan Sarandon, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Martin Sheen, Cybill Shepherd, SONiA, Fisher Stevens, Gloria Steinem, Julia Stiles, Corky and Mike Stoller, Sharon Stone, Amber Tamblyn, Mary Testa, Charlize Theron, Uma Thurman, Heather Tom, Stanley Tucci, Kathleen Turner, Ted Turner, Sarah Weddington, Audrey Wells, Bradley Whitford, Alfre Woodard, Thom Yorke, Amy Ziff, Elizabeth Ziff
Joanne, Here is a list of our pro-deathers.
I guess you could add on Judy Blume. Bea Arthur just passed away. Don’t know if anyone knew that.
Heather,
I’ve seen that list before that you posted. That march was in 2004. I don’t think there has been one since, at least not that I could find. But the list I posted is actors and other well known people who have supported PP or spoken out in favor of abortion, and its a much more extensive list.
But as I said Laura Bush is on it? I can’t believe that. But the list of actors is probably quite accurate.
Joanne, yes. I cannot find a march since 2004. Some of these women aren’t on the updated list.
I wonder if some of them became pro life? Does not seem likely but there are a few actors who agree with us on this issue.
Joanne, If you go back through the “Maude” archived videos, Maude really wanted that baby. Bea Arthur’s character finds herself pregnant at 47. Her daughter and husband push her into having the abortion. I’m not sure how Bea felt about abortion in real life though.
Joanne, don’t forget that a lot of them have since become mothers. Christina Aguilara had a son. Maybe this helped to change her POV. I hear Jennifer Aniston is adopting. Maybe God will soften their hearts.
I can’t see Laura Bush on the list. I could not see that one being the case.
And the Maude episode addressed the abortion issue, but it also exposed abortion for what it is. A typical woman in crisis without any emotional support from anyone. It was sad.
Laura Bush and Barbara Bush are listed under “others”.
I didnt see that abortion episode on Maude. When you think about it…..daytime soaps have always been very liberal but one issue they don’t touch is abortion. Deep down even pro abort people know its wrong.
Joanne, I agree. They did proceed with some caution to make it look like a difficult decision. Maude was in need of support. She didn’t get any. Look at abortion today. Nothing has changed. Woman in crisis + no support = ABORTION!
Joanne, I’m off to bed. Have a wonderful night.:}
Why, as a children’s author would you support killing off your target audience? I am like you Heather, once I find out who is proabortion I do not support them in any way.
Sandy Brake,
If a pregnant fifteen year old walked into PP with no job, nowhere to live and no support from anyone but DIDN’T want an abortion, how would PP help her?
In promoting Planned Parenthood, the billion-dollar abortion business, doesn’t Blume realize she is helping them to eliminate future readers of her books?
Some good comments have been posted about the racism of Planned Parenthood and it’s founder, Margaret Sanger.
But, how many realize that since 1973, Roe V Wade, that now with the missing children, who now would be grown and with the children they would have had not having been born, the average high school class of Freshmen are missing one-third of their classmates? Some economists say this is part of the economic problem. Fifty million aborted souls plus their children who would have been born would have made up at least a fourth, probably a higher percentage, of our present population of 300 million. This is human carnage on a grand scale!
sandy, PP helped these women into an early grave.
Even their name is a lie — they’re not about planning parenthood. They’re about planning NOT to be a parent.
They facilitate sexual abuse of underage girls. They promote premature sexual activity among teens, with the attendant (and for PP, very profitable) STDs, pregnancy scares, teen pregnancies, and teen abortions.
They make money by creating human misery. How much more evil can you get?
And it’s really appalling that an author of books that target mostly pubescent GIRLS is supporting an organization that facilitates sexual abuse of those same girls. And NOTHING could make her happier than if more donations facilitated more sexual abuse. Is she raising funds for NAMBLA, too? Or is it only girls who she thinks ought to be sexual abused by adult men?
Are pro-lifers being played?
http://www.thrufire.com/blog/2009/05/dont-feed-the-planned-parenthood-promotion-troll/
(I tried to hook this in with a trackback, but it’s not working…)
Speaking of children’s book authors whose money supports abortion:
Try Chris Van Allsburg – Polar Express, Jumanji, Two Bad Ants, etc.
His wife and daughter are big supporters of Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island.
How is Judy Blume a CONTROVERSIAL children’s author? She is the sole messiah of menstruation for young girls who are now older than you are. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was read by such a wide variety of girls and women it is unfathomable to know where women and girls would be right now without her no holds barred tales of growing and maturing bodies and readying prepubescent girls for womanhood. There are so many parents out there who do not properly explain puberty and menstruation to their daughters due to shame or just pure negligence and these parents would find it much easier to simply go out and purchase a book, hand it to their daughter, and say ‘Here you go, have a good time and I hope you don’t have any additional questions.’ In the recent published book ‘My Little Red Book’ which includes several real stories from real women and girls about their first periods, Judy Blume made more appearances in the recollections of first periods than not. Seriously, stop pouring gasoline on the fire. You can hate PP and everything that they do but coming off and saying that Judy Blume is controversial is nothing but extremist language and reveals your underlying mission to heard more cattle in for your cause.
Holly, it’s about being a spokeswoman for the biggest, and bloodiest baby chopping organization that we won’t tolerate.
If you can please give to your local Crisis Pregnancy Center or Right to Life Organization in honor of Mother’s Day. Mother’s who need REAL help, financial, emotional and physical are given just that at a CPC!!
Carla, great point!
Posted by: Joanne at May 6, 2009 10:31 PM
Yes, both Laura and Barbara Bush are “pro-choice.” Sad to say, but true.
Posted by: Holly at May 7, 2009 7:03 AM
I think that’s what’s wrong with that whole generation. They read this kind of garbage, yes GARBAGE! There is absolutely nothing redeeming about any of her books.
Yes, I read (some) of them and even at 12 I knew I had wasted my time.
Kristen, I never knew that. Sad.
“Although I believe Hollywood is 95% pro abortion many celebrities do not openly state this and don’t go in pro abortion marches, etc. Yes they attend the Democratic conventions and don’t hide the fact they are liberal but not a lot admit to being anti life.”
Don’t generalize I know plenty of individuals who consider themselves to be liberal but are pro-life.
Over and out everyone off to work!
Jana, have a nice day!
“Yes, both Laura and Barbara Bush are “pro-choice.” Sad to say, but true.”
What’s even sadder is pro-life clergy and pro-life media make Laura and Barbara Bush comfortable in their “pro-abortion” skin.
Holly,
Yes, I am old enough! :) I read the sole messiah of menstruation’s books. My parents told me nothing…I remember the book Forever passed around the lunch room in 6th grade. Perfect sex education for me and my friends!!
I believe there is a word for when parents delegate the training and raising of their children to others.(Authors, teachers, police, PP)
It is called neglect.
Hmm, let’s see, where on earth should kids go for this super-secret information on menstruation, etc.?
HOW ABOUT THEIR PARENTS?!?!?!?!?!
Mom and Dad are supposed to be doing the reproductive education. Not schools, children’s authors, churches, whoever. Parents. Just like Mom and Dad teach them how to take care of every other area of their bodies.
For those of you who were raised in homes that were, shall we say, shy about these things — there is a WONDERFUL book for parents on how to address sex, menstruation, etc. called “A Chicken’s Guide to Talking Turkey With Your Kids About Sex” by Dr. Kevin Leman. I highly reccommend this book to all parents, with children of any age at home.
Carla, I’m sorry your parents neglected your education and your emotions.
I read just about all of Judy Blume’s books at various ages (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, …Green Kangaroo, Blubber etc in elementary school; Are You There God?…, Then Again, Maybe I Won’t in junior high etc). They weren’t my education but I found them a good complement to the education my parents gave me. Both of my parents discussed puberty and sex with me, and I had the standard “what’s happening to my body” books. I found Judy Blume’s puberty-related books to add a personal or emotional perspective to the information I already had, especially because they weren’t explicitly focused on the facts of puberty but were more coming-of-age stories that took place against the backdrop of puberty.
I couldn’t understand the big hullabaloo over menstruation in Are You There God? because I was like, “Who wants that?” Fortunately I was a very late bloomer so I had time to get used to the idea. ;)
Alexandra,
I’m glad you enjoyed Blume’s books.
I didn’t read Judy Blume while growing up – I wasn’t interested. I think I turned out OK. (?)
My thought is why waste money on a book about menstruation when mom’s advice is free?
* * *
army_wife,
“For those of you who were raised in homes that were, shall we say, shy about these things — there is a WONDERFUL book for parents on how to address sex, menstruation, etc. called “A Chicken’s Guide to Talking Turkey With Your Kids About Sex” by Dr. Kevin Leman. I highly reccommend this book to all parents, with children of any age at home.”
I haven’t read the book that you recommend, but I am familiar with Dr. Kevin Leman. I’ve had something he wrote pasted on the refrigerator for years. I love it! It’s called A Child’s Ten Commandments to Parents, by Dr. Kevin Leman
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/altss/printstory/frontpage/109512
Thank you sweet Alexandra. I have certainly learned what NOT to do as a parent and although it is not easy, I find myself giving to my children all of things(support, encouragement, communication)that I did not receive. That is a blessing. Indeed.
Janet, I don’t think anyone needs to read Judy Blume or they risk not turning out okay!
As for why read a book at all…why seek out any additional information when we could all just be told the truth and leave it at that? I guess that a lot of kids find value in reading books that run parallel to the things they’re learning about. Like when I was in elementary school I would read historical fiction that dealt with the time period we were studying. Why read a story about the American Revolution when the teacher’s lessons were free? Because it made everything more real; it related the material we were studying to my own life.
Actually in my high school European History class we did a similar thing — we read a classic work of literature to accompany the “big” periods of history that we were studying. We could have just learned about Voltaire and the main themes of his writing, but it was really fun to read Candide.
Books aren’t a waste of money to many parents, even those that buy them rather than getting them from the obviously free library system, which is where most of the books I read came from. Kids all learn in different ways. I was always a very cautious and hesitant child, and so I found great comfort in reading fictional stories that allowed me to contemplate the experiences of others from within the safety of my own home.
Carla, your children are blessed to have you for a mom. :)
My mother was much the same way with me. She had a very unhappy childhood and it took her some time to work out all the ways in which she had not been given what she needed — but she did it so that she could correct those mistakes for us. I love her so much for it.
Alexandra,
I agree with you, I was being sarcastic about spending money on a book. I value reading highly, my favorites are historical fiction and any non-fiction. We went to library a lot as kids!
* * * *
I think the older we get, the more we appreciate our Moms!
Remember, Sunday is Mother’s Day!
Hi Janet,
Mother’s Day is bittersweet for me on so many different levels. I haven’t seen my own mother for 7 years. I miss the three babies I have in heaven and yet, my husband and kidlings manage to plow through my sadness and celebrate my role!! :)
My heart also aches for so many of my friends that are unable to conceive and long to hold their adopted babies.
My response to Judy Blume recommending donating to Planned Parenthood in Mother’s name
Happy Mother’s Day? http://organizeunbornhumanlife.ning.com/profiles/blogs/happy-mothers-day
Very good post RooForLife!! Thank you!!
YOur welcome Carla and thank you!
Nothing says ” Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. Thank you for not aborting me.” quite like a donation to PP!!
I’m sorry, Carla. I’ll be thinking of you on Mother’s Day. :)
I wanted to respond more this morning but work was calling my name…
It seems childish to me that PP has a “lets tick them off even more” attitude by giving even more money to planned parenthood. What a stupid way to ask for donations. I worked in fundraising for four years while getting my undergraduate degree and I am currently getting a Masters in the field. It doesn’t seem like that would be successful fundraising tactic. But I guess I could be wrong
Carla and all,
In answer to your question, yes, PP would help the 15 year old pregnant girl. Now answer my question, what have YOU and this “Jill” group done for women besides slam an organization which provides prenatal CARE, pregnancy CARE, postpartum CARE and contraception. PP is not a big AB clinic. It helps women. Again, what have YOU done to HELP WOMEN? Making them have babies is not helping.
Sandra:
By your logic, since I have never donated to a Jewish organization or done anything in particular to help the Jewish community, I am not allowed to critisize the Holocaust.
How do the personal lives of pro-life individuals invalidate the evil of abortion? Abortion is wrong because it kills innocent human beings, and civilized people do not kill innocents to solve their problems.
Demanding that strangers on the internet prove to you that they meet some arbitrary litmus test of personal achievement before you will address their concerns about abortion is a weak attempt to distract from the heart of the issue.
Sandra, what universe do you live in where Planned Parenthood provides routine preganacy care.
When you call asking about prenatal care, they push for abortion and tell you that the only “prenatal care” they offer is a pregnancy test.
If I remember correctly less that 1% of all of planned parenthood’s business is prenatal care. Maybe one center in Nebraska offers the service, but it’s hardly a standard service offered by PP. Ditto for post-natal care.
So much for “comprehensive women’s healthcare.”
Oh man, I totally missed the statement about the 15 year old girl.
Planned Parenthood wouldn’t help her. They’d pressure her into a secret abortion and cover for her 31 year old boyfriend.
Carla and all,
In answer to your question, yes, PP would help the 15 year old pregnant girl. Now answer my question, what have YOU and this “Jill” group done for women besides slam an organization which provides prenatal CARE, pregnancy CARE, postpartum CARE and contraception. PP is not a big AB clinic. It helps women. Again, what have YOU done to HELP WOMEN? Making them have babies is not helping.
Posted by: sandra blake at May 7, 2009 6:00 PM
What have you done? Or because you aren’t pro-life you’d don’t have to help women? I knew many people here would adopt a child if it meant preventing an abortion. I know many people that would care for a women if she were pregnant.
All PP did for me, many years ago, was provide me with an exam and birth control, which I now regret using because of the toll it took on my body and the horrible side effects.
Sandra,
Your logic for supporting PP because of everything else they do decides abortions is silly. The fact is PP does perform abortions and even if a small fraction of what they do is abortions they still perform them.
It’s like me telling you to support an organization that does really great things for people but then a small portion of what they do supports slavery or something you are completely against.
Sandra, we volunteer at and support pregnancy resource centers which provides the services you listed and more, except abortion and contraception, which they provide referals for contraception, for pregnancy and parenting women.
*and provides the services and more for pregnant and parenting women, except contraception and abortion services, however they do give referrals for contraception.
*decides=besides…. there my dyslexia setting in.
PP would help a 15 year old girl who doesn’t have a place to live, doesn’t have any money and whose parents kicked her out and who doesn’t want an abortion? HOW would they help her?
Oh, I’ll answer that myself. They would try to convince her that getting an abortion is the BEST thing she could do!! Let’s kill the child to “help” the mother!! The only CHOICE PP is interested in is ABORTION!
Maybe outside there would be a sidewalk counselor who would offer real help. An ultrasound, referrals for places to live, referrals for jobs, support and encouragement, prenatal care, pregnancy care and postnatal care, referrals for adoption, cribs, strollers, playpens, diapers…..the list goes on.
Our baby bottle fundraiser raised $535 for the CPC I am on the board for!! WOOT! :)
Way to go Carla! Helping already- born women!!! :)
$535.00 raised for your Crisis Pregnancy Center (for those who don’t know the meaning of CPC)!
Here’s a riddle:
Why do pro-aborts say that CPC’s are “fake”?
Because they take business away from abortionists.
Don’t feed the Planned Parenthood Promotion Troll
Sometimes the best way to obtain huge public exposure is to use your enemies outrage against them. In this case it looks like Planned Parenthood is up to it’s usual tricks of setting up an outrageous Mother’s Day promotion to instill both …
I read and liked a lot of Judy Blume’s books, but “Forever” depressed the living hell of me. It was about a girl in her late teens who decides to have sex with her boyfriend, but it wasn’t romantic at all. There was something…clinical, really, about the whole thing. It seemed like it was more about the physical aspect of sex and getting birth control than it was about their relationship. Plus this guy referred to his penis as “Ralph” and they end up breaking up anyway. At the time I was reading it I read that Judy Blume wrote it to write a book where a teenage couple have sex and nothing horrible happens to them, but losing your virginity to some guy who calls his penis “Ralph” and then breaking up with him sounded pretty horrible to me. I mean, ICK. It made me want to stay away from all boys for about two years.