The most bizarre part of this is that the original novels that this film is based on were written by a guy who read his underage daughter's diary about her adventures and romances with surfer culture and decided, "This will make a great story!"

Can you imagine, as an underage teenage girl, having your father turn your diary turned into a series of novels filled with sexual and romantic exploits, then made into several films and a TV show? I think I'd be too embarrassed to ever show my face in public again.

[–] celeste@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/03/the-real-life-gidget-looks-back-from-80 She seems cool with it!

"When the movie came out in 1959 it earned good reviews, although according to her diary, Zuckerman herself found the experience of watching a movie about herself 'the weirdest thing' and expressed disappointment that it strayed from her father’s book."

"She was inducted into the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame in 2011. 'I consider Kathy the "Fairy Godmother" of surf culture,' world surfing champion and Surfing Hall of Fame Board of Directors cochairman Peter 'PT' Townend said in an email. 'Her father’s novel followed by a Hollywood movie exposed the world to surfing and ignited the explosion of surfing in the ’60s.'"

"'I am the girl that surfed,' she said. 'I am the daughter of Frederick Kohner, who wrote a wonderful story. I am not a movie actress, I am not an influencer. I’m a pretty private person…. There’s Gidget and there’s Kathy Zuckerman. I enjoy it. I’m pretty amazed; I lived it all.'"