Scan barcode
bobbygw's review against another edition
5.0
A great collection of essays from America’s most wonderful, funny, quirky and cult film director (who can forget, once seen, the marvels of ‘Pink Flamingos’ and ‘Female Trouble’). For those who aren’t already fans of his journalism as well, John Waters is a natural writer; you can hear his voice as he reflects, shares, meditates and wryly comments on a wide range of topics. He’s also very well and widely read, and his cultural interests are equally wide-ranging and, unsurprisingly, archetypally JW.
While this latest collection is accomplished and well worth the price - the UK edition, this review refers to, by the way, is by Beautiful Books, and is truly beautiful in format, dust jacket and design – and this review will highlight a bunch of evidence to justify such claims – it doesn’t have the many hysterically funny, laugh-out-loud moments that run through two of his previous collections of journalism (I’m thinking here of ‘Crackpot’ and ‘Shock Value’, both of which I adore).
But there’s no harm or foul in this fact, as there’s a greater maturity and depth to be found in these essays. (Still, if you want incredibly funny, there is one article in particular, ‘Baltimore Heroes’, in which he tells you stories about some of his beloved local heroes, and, one especially had me laughing out loud time and time again: Esther Martin, who ran a bar whose only clients were bums and misfits, alcoholics and troubled, with Esther as ‘keeper of the asylum’, but all of whom were welcome in The Wigwam, or Club Charles as it was later renamed. Esther was clearly an amazing, remarkable woman, who took shit from no one, and swore like a motherf**ker. It’s the stories her grown-up kids share with John Waters about Esther’s swearing – including the fact that she swore on yellow post-it notes left around her house for her kids (all of whom loved Esther to bits, and for whom Esther was clearly a responsible parent), that leave you gasping for breath.)
In ‘Bookworm’, he tells you about some of his many favourite reads (in his Baltimore house, he had as of the time he wrote the article, 8,425 books). He shares his love for the very quirky, brilliant fiction of Ivy Compton-Burnett, and focuses on ‘Darkness and Day’, one of ‘her strangest novels’ – which is saying something, because only her first one was ordinary (she disowned it), the rest are all uniquely original and disturbing; he evokes the wonder of Jane Bowles’ ‘Two Serious Ladies’, and the little-known English novelist, Denton Welch’s ‘In Youth Is Pleasure’, and others, besides. It’s fascinating, and demonstrates his real love for great fiction.
Interestingly, in ‘Leslie’, he maturely reflects on the Manson murders – as well as his obsession about them as an interest ever since they occurred in 1969 - in terms of the real implications and impact on the lives of the victims as well as on the life of – and his long-term friendship with - one of the murderers in particular – Leslie being, of course, Leslie Van Houten, one of the original Manson ‘family’, who was involved in the LaBianca murders (‘the night after the Tate massacre’), and still in prison.
He acknowledges how at first he was gratuitous and thoughtless in the way he drew upon the murders as fodder for entertainment, directly inspiring and leading him to write and direct the an homage movie to the murders, ‘Multiple Maniacs’; besides dedicating ‘Pink Flamingos’ to the ‘Manson girls, “Sadie, Katie and Les”’. The article shares his thoughts and feelings about the history and experience of being a long-term friend to Leslie. It is fascinating, troubling, moving and intelligent; deeply researched, compelling, and he also pulls no punches with himself or the reader. One of the most insightful interpretations of true crime that I have ever read.
I also want to single out his great article on his collection of modern art, ‘Roommates’ (the roommates in question being the art itself, inhabiting his house and two apartments). And it sounds like a fantastic collection, including pieces by Cy Twombly (probably the best appreciation I’ve ever read on this artist), besides Mike Kelley, Peter Fischli and David Weiss, and Richard Tuttle, and others.
I have read a lot of art appreciation over the years, but none has come close to conveying as well as ‘Roommates’ a collector’s passion, and personal taste, and likewise consistently insightful observations about the art works themselves.
Fans, of course, will also be delighted that his mainstay obsessions continue in his latest collection, including a piece singing the praises of the fashion designer, Rei Kawakubo; besides great articles on the rock and roll singer, Little Richard (about an interview Waters did with him); on ‘Outsider Porn’, where he shares his passion for two of his favourite ‘genius’ outsider gay porn directors, Bobby Garcia and David Hurles – both sadly now absolutely broke, and both, you come to feel along with Waters, were genuinely brilliant and revolutionary gay porn masters – phwor (to readers who enjoy such films!); and one - ‘Cult Leader’ – that is a singular, funny fantasy about him being a great and charismatic cult leader and what he expects of you, his devoted follower.
But he also writes beautifully, in a deeply personal and touching way, of his love, respect and appreciation for Tennessee Williams; ‘he saved my life’, Waters writes in his opening sentence to the essay, called ‘The Kindness of Strangers’; and the equally lovely and charming, always thoughtful and learned essay appreciation on Johnny Mathis, his life and accomplishments, and whose opening sentence reads ‘I wish I were Johnny Mathis’. Of course.
I wish I were John Waters, if only for a day. He’s a true star, in the 1940s/50s Hollywood sense of the word, when it meant something; he is Little Richard, Johnny Mathis, Rei Kawakubo, yes, sometimes even Leslie Van Houten and a Cy Twombly drawing, but he is always, uniquely, irrepressibly John Waters. I love you, Mr Waters. May you write and direct much, much more, you beautiful, lovely, wicked, funny, clever Master of Filth.
While this latest collection is accomplished and well worth the price - the UK edition, this review refers to, by the way, is by Beautiful Books, and is truly beautiful in format, dust jacket and design – and this review will highlight a bunch of evidence to justify such claims – it doesn’t have the many hysterically funny, laugh-out-loud moments that run through two of his previous collections of journalism (I’m thinking here of ‘Crackpot’ and ‘Shock Value’, both of which I adore).
But there’s no harm or foul in this fact, as there’s a greater maturity and depth to be found in these essays. (Still, if you want incredibly funny, there is one article in particular, ‘Baltimore Heroes’, in which he tells you stories about some of his beloved local heroes, and, one especially had me laughing out loud time and time again: Esther Martin, who ran a bar whose only clients were bums and misfits, alcoholics and troubled, with Esther as ‘keeper of the asylum’, but all of whom were welcome in The Wigwam, or Club Charles as it was later renamed. Esther was clearly an amazing, remarkable woman, who took shit from no one, and swore like a motherf**ker. It’s the stories her grown-up kids share with John Waters about Esther’s swearing – including the fact that she swore on yellow post-it notes left around her house for her kids (all of whom loved Esther to bits, and for whom Esther was clearly a responsible parent), that leave you gasping for breath.)
In ‘Bookworm’, he tells you about some of his many favourite reads (in his Baltimore house, he had as of the time he wrote the article, 8,425 books). He shares his love for the very quirky, brilliant fiction of Ivy Compton-Burnett, and focuses on ‘Darkness and Day’, one of ‘her strangest novels’ – which is saying something, because only her first one was ordinary (she disowned it), the rest are all uniquely original and disturbing; he evokes the wonder of Jane Bowles’ ‘Two Serious Ladies’, and the little-known English novelist, Denton Welch’s ‘In Youth Is Pleasure’, and others, besides. It’s fascinating, and demonstrates his real love for great fiction.
Interestingly, in ‘Leslie’, he maturely reflects on the Manson murders – as well as his obsession about them as an interest ever since they occurred in 1969 - in terms of the real implications and impact on the lives of the victims as well as on the life of – and his long-term friendship with - one of the murderers in particular – Leslie being, of course, Leslie Van Houten, one of the original Manson ‘family’, who was involved in the LaBianca murders (‘the night after the Tate massacre’), and still in prison.
He acknowledges how at first he was gratuitous and thoughtless in the way he drew upon the murders as fodder for entertainment, directly inspiring and leading him to write and direct the an homage movie to the murders, ‘Multiple Maniacs’; besides dedicating ‘Pink Flamingos’ to the ‘Manson girls, “Sadie, Katie and Les”’. The article shares his thoughts and feelings about the history and experience of being a long-term friend to Leslie. It is fascinating, troubling, moving and intelligent; deeply researched, compelling, and he also pulls no punches with himself or the reader. One of the most insightful interpretations of true crime that I have ever read.
I also want to single out his great article on his collection of modern art, ‘Roommates’ (the roommates in question being the art itself, inhabiting his house and two apartments). And it sounds like a fantastic collection, including pieces by Cy Twombly (probably the best appreciation I’ve ever read on this artist), besides Mike Kelley, Peter Fischli and David Weiss, and Richard Tuttle, and others.
I have read a lot of art appreciation over the years, but none has come close to conveying as well as ‘Roommates’ a collector’s passion, and personal taste, and likewise consistently insightful observations about the art works themselves.
Fans, of course, will also be delighted that his mainstay obsessions continue in his latest collection, including a piece singing the praises of the fashion designer, Rei Kawakubo; besides great articles on the rock and roll singer, Little Richard (about an interview Waters did with him); on ‘Outsider Porn’, where he shares his passion for two of his favourite ‘genius’ outsider gay porn directors, Bobby Garcia and David Hurles – both sadly now absolutely broke, and both, you come to feel along with Waters, were genuinely brilliant and revolutionary gay porn masters – phwor (to readers who enjoy such films!); and one - ‘Cult Leader’ – that is a singular, funny fantasy about him being a great and charismatic cult leader and what he expects of you, his devoted follower.
But he also writes beautifully, in a deeply personal and touching way, of his love, respect and appreciation for Tennessee Williams; ‘he saved my life’, Waters writes in his opening sentence to the essay, called ‘The Kindness of Strangers’; and the equally lovely and charming, always thoughtful and learned essay appreciation on Johnny Mathis, his life and accomplishments, and whose opening sentence reads ‘I wish I were Johnny Mathis’. Of course.
I wish I were John Waters, if only for a day. He’s a true star, in the 1940s/50s Hollywood sense of the word, when it meant something; he is Little Richard, Johnny Mathis, Rei Kawakubo, yes, sometimes even Leslie Van Houten and a Cy Twombly drawing, but he is always, uniquely, irrepressibly John Waters. I love you, Mr Waters. May you write and direct much, much more, you beautiful, lovely, wicked, funny, clever Master of Filth.
karenleagermain's review against another edition
4.0
Last month, I saw John Waters perform at UCLA and I met him as he signed my copy of “Role Models.” I very carefully have read my autographed book (no spills or bends) and loved it! This book is mostly about the quirky people that Waters has grown to love and considers to be his Role Models. It is a very eclectic bunch of people…some famous, some infamous and mostly people that no one has every heard of! I love how he seeks out the people that most of us would not give a second glance to. Waters has a fascinating take on life and his enthusiasm spills over.
In particular, I loved the whole chapter on Leslie Van Houten and the chapter on books. He had a lot of great one liners and observations as someone who loves to read. I kept nodding in agreement as I read the chapter. I really liked the idea of his art pieces being his roommates. Waters views the world in such an offbeat and it’s great! I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
In particular, I loved the whole chapter on Leslie Van Houten and the chapter on books. He had a lot of great one liners and observations as someone who loves to read. I kept nodding in agreement as I read the chapter. I really liked the idea of his art pieces being his roommates. Waters views the world in such an offbeat and it’s great! I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
maryehavens's review against another edition
5.0
"Do we secretly idolize our imagined opposites, yearning to become the role models for others we know we could never be for ourselves?" John Waters, Role Models
I would say "yes" to this quote. As much as I admire the absurd/outlandish statements that John Waters can, and will, "put out" there, I will probably never do it myself. His fashion choices, his magnetic draw to the fringes of society, his down and dirty living amongst this fringe: I admire him for holding up that mirror to this part of society so we can all see it. But the closest I'm willing to get is listening/reading a book about it. Maybe I'll dye a purple streak in my hair when I go all gray. That pales in comparison to his lifetime of "trash" but hey, he's led me to embrace my inner flair so I'm going with it. And he would approve because he's not judgemental at all.
So many parts of this book made me laugh out loud (my favorite line was probably: "I'm disgusted hearing about this. I'm digusted that I have to tell you this!") and made me cringe with repulsion. And I identified with so much of it too. It might have taken him 60 years and countless therapy sessions but it's so incredibly refreshing to hear someone embrace their own weirdness and make no apologies. And then to hear what THEY get weirded out about!!
Driving around with John Waters was like driving around with your best, weirdest friend. You can tell them anything, they can tell you anything, you worry about their safety, you love hearing their stories, and you'll always be there for them. But you kind of pray for them extra hard just because you know they need an extra dose of guardian angel :)
I would say "yes" to this quote. As much as I admire the absurd/outlandish statements that John Waters can, and will, "put out" there, I will probably never do it myself. His fashion choices, his magnetic draw to the fringes of society, his down and dirty living amongst this fringe: I admire him for holding up that mirror to this part of society so we can all see it. But the closest I'm willing to get is listening/reading a book about it. Maybe I'll dye a purple streak in my hair when I go all gray. That pales in comparison to his lifetime of "trash" but hey, he's led me to embrace my inner flair so I'm going with it. And he would approve because he's not judgemental at all.
So many parts of this book made me laugh out loud (my favorite line was probably: "I'm disgusted hearing about this. I'm digusted that I have to tell you this!") and made me cringe with repulsion. And I identified with so much of it too. It might have taken him 60 years and countless therapy sessions but it's so incredibly refreshing to hear someone embrace their own weirdness and make no apologies. And then to hear what THEY get weirded out about!!
Driving around with John Waters was like driving around with your best, weirdest friend. You can tell them anything, they can tell you anything, you worry about their safety, you love hearing their stories, and you'll always be there for them. But you kind of pray for them extra hard just because you know they need an extra dose of guardian angel :)
neilsarver's review against another edition
5.0
I love "Shock Value" like I love the Ramones first album. But while the Ramones would continue to produce great work, they never had an equally perfect version of the grown-up version of the same quirks and angst. Waters does, however, and the older version of me was thrilled to read it.
daena_johnson's review against another edition
dark
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Fascinating, insightful, and definitely not for the faint of heart or those not already a fan of John Waters' work filth. 🦩
brakywaki's review against another edition
5.0
Waters remains our greatest storyteller. He’s my primary role model, so everyone described in this books is my role model by default.