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USF PRESENTS “THIS FILTHY WORLD”

1/7/2011

The Arts at USF are pleased, yes- pleased and excited to present John Waters, Jan. 27, 7pm in Theatre 1. The event is free and open to the public. There will be a reception and book signing immediately following the show at the USF Contemporary Art Museum.

John Waters’ one-man show is a “vaudeville” act that celebrates the film career and obsessional tastes of the man William Burroughs once called “The Pope of Trash.” Focusing in on Waters’ early negative artistic influences and his fascination with true crime, exploitation films, fashion lunacy, and the extremes of the contemporary art world, this joyously devious monologue elevates all that is trashy in life into a call to arms to “filth followers” everywhere.

If you know nothing about John Waters, some may introduce you to his most commercially popular movies: Hairspray (1988), Cry Baby (1990) and the musical remake of Hairspray. But for those who know his work well will be the first to tell you that these movies don’t completely represent him. They don’t call him the Pope of Trash or the King of sleaze for nothing.

Known best for his cult celebrity, the movie that solidified his position and what most of his fans most know him for is his 1972 midnight movie, Pink Flamingos. What would become the most notorious and arguably the filthiest independent movie, Pink Flamingos centered on the great battle to secure the title "Filthiest People Alive," and pitted Divine's "Babs Johnson" against Mink Stole and David Lochary's truly evil "Connie and Raymond Marble.”

Waters went on to shock audiences in Female Trouble, Polyester (shot in Odorama), Pecker, and A Dirty Shame. He has featured infamous celebrities like socialite and kidnap victim Patty Hearst, and notorious Mafia moll turned stripper Liz Renay in several of his films; and has been credited as giving such celebrities as Ricki Lake and Johnny Depp their break out movie roles.

Not just a filmmaker, Waters is a practicing artist and is an avid contemporary art collector. Three books follow his art career, Director’s Cut (1997), John Waters: Change of Life (2004) and Unwatchable (2006). His quirky personality and his eclectic taste spawned magazines that tour his house and ephemera and books that beg the answers to questions of his taste and sanity in Shock Value (rerelease 2005), Crackpot (rerelease 2003) and Role Models (2010).

Whether you are a square or a drape- you may find half of what John Waters says as inappropriate and downright shocking; but, you may also find yourself laughing out loud, and just a little bit filthy too.

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