John Waters

Utne Reader

Named the 'pope of trash' by William S. Burroughs for his raunchy films, Multiple Maniacs, Mondo Trasho, Desperate Living, Pink Flamingos, Hairspray and the most recent succes du scandale, Serial Mom, he has a penchant for finding humor in all forms of marginalia. He has single-handedly re-vivified camp and kitsch, using his films to draw the line between good bad and bad bad, a distinction full of grace.