John Waters is the king of filth. A filmmaker, author, comedian and all-around queer icon, the Baltimore-born bicoastal auteur has reigned over a kingdom of trash, kitsch and camp for almost 50 years. From his early run-and-gun shoots to major Hollywood productions, his films have consistently polarized audiences and critics. Some have hailed him as a mad genius, while others have declared his work the most disgusting of all time.
Look no further than his 1972 cult classic Pink Flamingos, in which drag diva Divine, a frequent collaborator, literally eats dog shit — no cuts, no special effects, no trick photography. Once considered a high-water mark of obscenity and banned in several countries, the film landed on the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2021 alongside family-friendly fare such as Return of the Jedi, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and Wall-E. (His film Hairspray, which spawned the Broadway musical of the same name, was added the following year.)
Waters, 79, ponders (and, perhaps facetiously, laments) his reversal from reviled smut-monger to respected artist in his 2019 memoir, Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder. Not even he quite understands how his own films that celebrate depravity have become globally revered and preserved.
“I’m using shock value to make a point — so you will stop, so you’ll be amazed and then listen to what I have to say.”
John Waters
One such film is 1974’s Female Trouble. Divine plays angsty teen Dawn, who, after not receiving the “cha-cha” heels she requested for Christmas, runs away from home, gets knocked up, and grows into a fame- and glamour-obsessed miscreant encircled by a rogues’ gallery of similarly fiendish associates. Waters will present the film with live commentary and a post-screening discussion at this year’s Vermont International Film Festival on Wednesday, October 22, to a sold-out audience in Burlington.
Seven Days recently caught up with the filmmaker by phone.
Is there a particular scene in Female Trouble that you’re still especially proud of today?
I think knocking over the Christmas tree. Pretty iconic, even if you hate the movie. It happened for real. The Christmas tree did fall over on my grandmother. Nobody pushed her — it was an accident — but I remember being obsessed by that as a child. It wasn’t as if she was pinned under the presents screaming or anything. I’ve told the story many times in my Christmas show, and people all over the world told me how common an occurrence it is. Usually, the tree falls over because of alcohol or the dog.
What can you say about shock value?
I’m using shock value to make a point — so you will stop, so you’ll be amazed and then listen to what I have to say. It’s easy to be shocking. All movies that say they’re like John Waters — I hate those movies, because they’re usually trying too hard. I make fun of the rules that people who think they’re outsiders live by, not insiders. We already make fun of those rules. They’re too easy. What shocks people is that you are unapologetic and joyous about the rules that you break for a good reason.
You’re one of the only people who’s seen Tom Six’s latest film, The Onania Club, which is supposedly so offensive that it’s unreleasable. What’s the deal?
It’s a really well-made movie, but no one will ever be able to screen it. It’s so politically incorrect. It’s about rich, face-lifted Beverly Hills women who gather together to jerk off while watching starving Black children or 9/11 news footage.
Right, but all of that is in the trailer, so what else is in this movie that makes it such a problem for distributors? How is it more offensive than your own films?
Well, there’s lots of necrophilia. They get celebrity look-alike corpses to have sex with. It shocked me, but it is good. It delivers. The Human Centipede was shocking, too. To me, it’s in the same vein, but there’s some extremes in it that — it’s never gonna fly.
What do you think filmmakers who are told their films are unreleasable should do?
You have to know the business you’re in. You have to have humor. It has to satirize something in some way or change how you think about things to be — the dreaded word — transgressive, which is a good word, but you can never say it about yourself.
What other words do you have strong opinions about?
My three most hated ones are “journey” — a journey is escaping from Ukraine, not winning the Film Independent Spirit Award. I hate the word “rigorous,” for art. I hate “humbled.” If you’re that humbled, go get in a paddle wheel somewhere.
What about $10 words?
Highfalutin words? I like “pernicious.” I was called that once.
Burlington just banned public nudity after many years of tolerance. Any thoughts?
I’ve never been nude. Andy Warhol said nudity was a threat to his existence. Most people at nude beaches are the ones you wish would put their clothes back on. The cute ones are never nude, right?
San Francisco still tolerates nudity. You have to sit on a towel; that’s my favorite. You see people waiting for the bus nude, which does make me laugh. It makes me think of the movie The Nude Restaurant that Warhol made. But I don’t want to sit next to you nude. You might be comfortable with your own body, but I’m not. You might have impetigo, I don’t know. I don’t want your amoebas jumping off onto me. Keep them in your own pond.
We see a lot of news about crumbling cities, including Baltimore. Have you seen any positive developments in your hometown?
All those cities Trump is going after, saying they’re nightmares — yeah, in some ways, it’s true. But that’s why they’re cheap enough for a bohemia. That’s why there’s still room for the arts and everything. You need a scary neighborhood to open a fancy new restaurant. You need a bad neighborhood so the gays can come in and fix it up and flip it and make money.
Those cities are the coolest cities, the ones he’s coming out against. You need a little danger to start something new.
I remember when Trump came out against the roaches and rats. I was on “CBS Morning News” the next morning. I said, “We celebrate that.” In Hairspray, Ricki Lake kicks a rat off her shoe during her first kiss. She wears a roach-print dress.
You take what people use against you, and you exaggerate and embrace it and turn it into a style — and you win. I’ve always done that.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
John Waters presents Female Trouble on Wednesday, October 22, 7 p.m., at the Main Street Landing Film House in Burlington as part of the Vermont International Film Festival. The show is sold out.
The original print version of this article was headlined “Dirty Rotten Scoundrel | VTIFF headliner John Waters talks Female Trouble, film controversies and why crumbling cities are good for the arts”
This article appears in Oct 15-21 2025.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!