Waters' 'Filthy World'

Known at the beginning of his career as "The King of Sleaze,"The Prince of Puke" and "The Pope of Trash," provocative indie filmmaker John Waters has wormed his way into America's heart. His film "Hairspray" was reworked as a Broadway hit and this summer was adapted into a popular mainstream musical starring John Travolta in drag. Another musical, based on his ode to juvenile delinquency, "Cry-Baby," is about to open in tryouts. Waters brings his one-man show "This Filthy World" to St. Paul on Saturday. He'll discuss his career and obsessions, and might take questions from audience members, if they can get a word in edgewise.

Q It's been your job for about the past 40 years to think up shocking ideas, and --

A No, no, no, I'll stop you on that one. I don't agree with shocking. If I was just trying to be shocking, my career would have stopped in 1972. I never tried to top it. I tried to surprise you and make you laugh at things that aren't safe to laugh at. It's easy to shock. It's harder to surprise people and make 'em laugh.

Q Anyway, surprising ideas. The question then is, does it get harder --

A No, every day I'm inspired by things. I live in Baltimore, that always inspires me. Things happen to me in my daily life that are funny every day. I was in a bar in Baltimore and I asked a guy what he did for a living. He said, "Can I be frank? I trade deer meat for crack." I can't think that up. I could think of three movies about him. I mean, does he wait at a deer crossing sign and gun it when he needed a fix? It takes a while to get deer meat so you have to plan ahead, which isn't what most junkies do. Little things like that, anything can inspire me.

Q A couple weeks ago we had a case of somebody seeming normal but behaving oddly --

A Oh, at the airport! I hear that airport is becoming a big tourist attraction. I want to make a movie about it. "The Last Stall on the Left." Sex in a public bathroom? How could you? In every airport bathroom it's very crowded. It's in the main airport, eh? I have to go there. Which stall was it, do you know?

Q I wish I had that information. You used to go to criminal trials. Do you still --

A No. I can't. Court TV has made it so common. And now they recognize me. And if they don't like me, they'll give the defendant 10 more years. I feel bad. I can't go unnoticed anymore. And then the press thinks I'm going to make a movie about it.

Q I guess that's the downside of fame, then?

A Yes. You can't have bad sex in public and you can't go to murder trials. That's what you've got to give up.

Q You're becoming more respectable than --

A Oh, sure! "Lowdown Dirty Shame" got an NC-17; I had huge censorship problems. That's mainstream?

Q But what about "Hair --

A That's the most devious thing I ever did. Middle American families are going to "Hairspray" and seeing two men singing a love song. They're clapping and encouraging their 15-year-olds to date black guys. If I ever did anything perverse, that's it.

Q But it's been very well- receiv --

A Of course it has, that's what's subversive about it! They don't see. I'm an insider now. I'm the establishment. Isn't that hilarious? I've always wanted to sell out. Nobody would buy me.

Q Whose idea was it to have you cameo in it as a flasher?

A Theirs, and they were smart because they asked me right at the beginning. I did it before I knew that I did. I got to be the only dirty thing in a PG movie.

Q And now a "Cry-Baby" musical is going to Broad --

A Oh, I've seen the whole thing, it's fabulous! It's going from Broadway to San Diego. I'm really excited. People ask me, "Can lightning strike twice?" I say sure, it hits the Empire State Building once a week. Whether they're going to make a movie of it, that I don't know. Why not?

Q You're at work on a children's film?

A I'm hoping to make it. We'll see if anybody gives me the green light. I'm in the middle of it. It's a terribly wonderful children's Christmas adventure called "Fruitcake." That's about all I say about it because after you do something, you have to talk about it the rest of your life.

Q What was your favorite movie as a kid?

A Always "The Wizard of Oz," because I wanted to be the witch. In "Cinderella" I rooted for the stepmother. ... I rooted for the queen in "Snow White," I rooted for Captain Hook. Always I was on the wrong side. Which continues.

Colin Covert • 612-673-7186

Colin Covert • ccovert@startribune.com