For any “junk” cinema aficionado or self-proclaimed “outsider,” a magical, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will be coming to COD with the arrival of the “Pope of Trash.” Director John Waters, in all of his pencil mustache glory, will be hosting a masterclass for COD students in Spring 2025. The masterclass will be a part of the course ENGLI/MPTV 2234 on Authorship and John Waters, taught by English Professor Michelle Moore.
Waters has written and directed iconic cult classics like “Hairspray” and “Serial Mom.” He is best known for creating transgressive black comedy films that stretch the boundaries of what is seen as acceptable art. He explores themes of sex, religion, drugs and practically anything that is considered taboo and shocking. Due to his provocative content, he has been labeled the “Prince of Puke.”
As a result, Waters has cemented himself into counterculture movements. In films such as “Pecker” and “Hairspray,” it is the underdogs who are on top. Filth and weirdness are celebrated, not mocked. His films can be borderline pornographic and feature a million different fetishes, acceptable or otherwise.
Despite outrage, Waters says that controversy and shock are the point. In a March 2022 interview with the New York Times, Waters said, “Humor is how you fight. It’s how you make people change their mind. Everything I’ve ever done is about using humor as a weapon. I don’t think I’m mean, but everything’s touchy now. When things are touchy, isn’t that when comedy gets more exciting? Always, I was trying to satirize the rules of the world I lived in. At the same time, I was trying to make you laugh and to see, what are the limits?”
Waters is a certified icon within the LGBTQ+ community. John Waters is openly gay, and many of his earlier films star the late Baltimore Drag Queen, Divine. Waters began filming in the ‘60s, gaining increasing popularity in the ‘70s. He would receive mainstream acclaim in the ‘80s. Much of his work was filmed during the AIDS epidemic. While politicians were arguing over the morality of being gay, Waters was creating a world where the community held complete freedom to be who they are without judgment, acceptability be damned.
No matter what, Waters will always run away from making ‘good art.’ The best way to describe Waters is through the infamous 2019 Met Gala theme “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” The fundraising event for the Met Museum saw its attendees in their couture gowns fully misunderstanding the theme. It is John Waters who has always been an embodiment of camp, perfectly mastering the performance and theatrics of camp.
Last month, Waters’ directorship was on display at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. The exhibit, titled “John Waters: Pope of Trash,” places his film props and memorabilia on display as well as his approach to filmmaking.
COD will have its own homage to John Waters’ work in the form of a semester-long class. The masterclass will be in conjunction with the course ENGLI 2234: Film Directors and Authorship. English Professor Michelle Moore created the class to reflect her own interest in John Waters’ work. However, there has been little academic scholarship about him despite the cultural significance of Waters and his films.
“I have been a giant John Waters fan for as long as I can remember,” said Moore. “When it came time to write another book with my co-editor, Professor Brian Brems, it just popped into my head: John Waters. Who else has been so beloved for so long and has not received their due in the academic world?”
The class will meet once a week to screen and discuss Waters’ work, as well as pieces of film and literature that have inspired him.
“We will be covering all of his films, including his early ones that are not his completed films,” Moore said. “We will also be watching films that provide the context for the kind of work he is doing. We will also be thinking about Waters against the commercial popular culture he was lampooning in the ‘80s and ‘90s. He is an icon in the LGBTQ world. There are so many people who have said that he’s saved their lives by presenting a place where outsiders are on top. That legacy continues to this day.”
Access to the masterclass is limited to 35 people and will be prioritized for those enrolled in ENGLI 2234. Any remaining seats will be available to the COD community.
“If you want to be part of the masterclass, take the class as we cannot promise that you will get in. Mr. Waters has already assigned homework and is involved in the syllabus. You will meet him, and the masterclass is designed for you to have this class taught by him, and it is something that you can put on your CV,” concluded Moore.
The class is available only for the Spring 2025 semester and runs from January 27 until March 23 on Mondays from 1:00 pm to 3:50 pm. For any additional questions, reach out to Professor Moore at [email protected].
