Shock Value!

January 26, 2005 2:25 PM

"To me, bad taste is what entertainment is all about..." - John Waters

Gotta give him credit... he never loses the ability to shake people up, this time on NPR.
Listen for yourself to the "offending" piece here. (Safe bet he's giggling about it all...)
posted by miss lynnster (21 comments total)

I love John Waters, even though he often says things I disagree with 100%. Meanwhile, let me state here for the record that I think Jeffrey Dvorkin is a major, if not the major, contributor to the public impression that NPR has its head completely up its ass.
posted by soyjoy at 2:34 PM on January 26, 2005

What did he actually say that was so shocking? I can't seem to find anything aside from statements that some viewers found it objectionable.
posted by mathowie at 2:57 PM on January 26, 2005

I heard the piece on the radio a month ago, and I don't remember anything shocking...
posted by koeselitz at 3:00 PM on January 26, 2005

I heard it too, all of it, while driving and don't remember anything. But then again, I have the scratch 'n' sniff card for "Polyester" in my scrap box. So maybe I'm not the best person to ask?
posted by raysmj at 3:03 PM on January 26, 2005

Maybe the comment about how he wished "It's a Wonderful Life" was a porn film called "It's a Wonderful Ass."

(Full disclosure:I have a wonderful ass.)
posted by sexymofo at 3:14 PM on January 26, 2005

I remember listening to him as I drove and being filled with the joy of hearing a man who was unabashedly proud of his eccentricity and humor. I loved it. And I can't for the life of me figure out what would be shocking, although I'm sure there was plenty if you were looking for a reason.

He is, after all, gay.
posted by docpops at 3:15 PM on January 26, 2005

ah, yes, now I remember the crack [pun] about "It's a wonderful ass". That one almost sent me into a culvert. Bravo.
posted by docpops at 3:16 PM on January 26, 2005

I think the joy of John Waters is that while many of us find him a funny, harmless, creative eccentric... to other people (in particular the bible belt folks & such) he represents the devil incarnate & should be smote. The coolest part of all (IMO) being that he just giggles through the whole thing, remaining unwaveringly happy with who he is.

I remember reading "Shock Value" when I was in art school. Good times.
posted by miss lynnster at 3:19 PM on January 26, 2005

I am not a big fan of John Waters' movies but I am a big fan of John Waters, the man.

And maybe I'm reaching but he strikes me as the directorized version of Frank Zappa a little bit. Smart, contrary, witty and most definitely laughing at you at the same time he's laughing with you.
posted by fenriq at 3:34 PM on January 26, 2005

ETA... OOOF. Correction, sorry.
What I read was "Crackpot," not "Shock Value."
posted by miss lynnster at 4:15 PM on January 26, 2005

Eh, phooey. There was nothing "shocking" about the John Waters piece. I, personally, found it to be quite delightful. I heard it on the way into work and it just made my day. (But, then again, I just love John Waters). If people can't handle the word "ass" and the mention of plastic doggie-doo, then piss on them.
posted by nevafeva at 4:26 PM on January 26, 2005

I guess I'm in a weird demographic with relation to John Waters. His stuff doesn't offend me, and it doesn't entertain me either. Shocking conservative people is easy, and it doesn't take talent. Obviously, I'm not in his target audience (or his target anti-audience), but he bores me.

Some parts of Crybaby were ok, though.
posted by bingo at 4:53 PM on January 26, 2005

I'm a Baltimorean, born and bred. John Waters represents everything I love about this city.
posted by Faint of Butt at 5:09 PM on January 26, 2005

So who, might I ask, represents everything you hate about the city? How about that guy walking in the middle of North street, inches from all the passing cars' side mirrors, like it was a sidewalk?
posted by pmbuko at 6:00 PM on January 26, 2005

The Dvorkin piece is just hard to follow. What is he rambling about? I listened to the Waters interview, but he's obviously not talking about that. Seemed like maybe he dictated that piece from the shower and didn't edit it?
posted by Hildago at 6:05 PM on January 26, 2005

So who, might I ask, represents everything you hate about the city? How about that guy walking in the middle of North street, inches from all the passing cars' side mirrors, like it was a sidewalk?

Speaking as another Baltimorean, I can't think of much to hate that's specific to Baltimore. Wacky homeless people are everywhere. But people like the egg lady, well, that's Baltimore for you! The thing I like most about John Waters isn't the "shock value" stuff - he's just not that shocking any more since we've all caught up to him - but the characterizations of Baltimoreans.
posted by me & my monkey at 7:10 PM on January 26, 2005

I thought it was great that he bought one of these dolls. I'm sure he has an appreciation for them that no other owners have. I was surprised that neither he nor the interviewer used the term "uncanny valley".
posted by 445supermag at 8:56 PM on January 26, 2005

Wow, thanks 445supermag. I didn't quite get it when they were talking about the doll with the startlingly realistic face and the scowl. Now who could be pro-choice after seeing that?
posted by Turtles all the way down at 2:52 AM on January 27, 2005

So who, might I ask, represents everything you hate about the city?

The school board, mainly. But that's neither here nor there.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:04 AM on January 27, 2005

Does Ellicott City count as (sort of) Baltimore? At least it ain't Towson.
posted by bardic at 6:03 AM on January 27, 2005

The Dvorkin piece is just hard to follow. What is he rambling about?

Not even Dvorkin knows. You're right that the piece reads like an embarrassing first draft. But more than that, the point with which (for unclear reasons) he tries to conclude it is utterly bogus. He pretends that two uses of "so called" are indistinguishable:

1. In predicative use (properly without hyphen): Called or designated by that name. 2. In attributive use (hyphened): Called or designated by this name or term, but not properly entitled to it or correctly described by it. So the "Orwellian" sense is actually the second meaning. On the radio, it's those pesky hyphens every time.

Ha! Because, see, people can't hear the hyphens! But what they can hear, dumbass, is the fact that the first usage comes after what it modifies - e.g. "New York is the Empire State, so called because of its economic and industrial growth in the early 19th century" whereas the hyphenated version comes before what it modifies, e.g. "Dvorkin's so-called understanding of the English language." It's perfectly clear, and Dvorkin is perfectly moronic.

(Still seething over his hanging Terry Gross out to dry after her famous interview with Bill "walkout" O'Reilly.)
posted by soyjoy at 7:30 AM on January 27, 2005