John Waters on AI, LA’s pros and cons, and why he thinks laughter can bring the country together<br /> by [[Monica Bushman]] in LAist<br /> accessed on 2026-04-17T10:32:00
16 Matching Annotations
- Apr 2026
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laist.com laist.com
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But I want AI to cure cancer. I want AI to cure AIDS. I want AI to cure COVID. I want AI for science, and I'm all for it, if that works.
John Waters is interested in AI for use in science.
This seems to track with Harari's perspective that self-correcting systems have more value.
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What’s more intriguing to me, is to go to that edge where you can't walk and have both sides laugh with you, and at themself first, and then that's change. That's the only way we're gonna solve this. That's the only way we're gonna bring the country together. And maybe we should have sex with each other. Maybe every Proud Boy should have sex with antifa.
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“I go to heavy metal concerts. I'm always going to things to spy on young people,” Waters said. “I'm always watching. All writers watch all the time.”
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- Jul 2024
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www.npr.org www.npr.org
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John Waters: Manson Family Member Should Be Free by [[NPR]] on [[All Things Considered]]
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- Jun 2024
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docdrop.org docdrop.org
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Middlebrow Culture
this nudges me to ask the question: what sort of culture was John Waters creating in the early 1970s onward?
He was juxtaposing queer culture with that of the prurient, the comedic and the ideas of "trash" and counter-culture to subtly shift the cultural milieu in which he was living and participating. His satire and subversiveness made his content more palatable for the masses which also allowed him to make more mainstream material which still pressed the boundaries while allowing him greater access to audience.
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- Apr 2024
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www.anothermag.com www.anothermag.com
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John Waters' Youth Manifesto by [[Cath Clark]], [[Tish Wrigley]] in AnOther Magazine
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“I have youth spies, people that report to me and I give them poppers for good information. But mostly I’m still interested in life. I don’t think it was better when I was young. I think the kids that are 15 and getting into trouble are having as much fun as I did. So I’m still curious. I don’t have fear of flying. I have fear of not flying. Always thinking that tomorrow is going to be better than yesterday.”
It may require having something like "youth spies" to keep up with the more interesting parts of contemporary culture, and these can be used for expanding one's combinatorial creativity horizon.
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austinkleon.substack.com austinkleon.substack.com
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An interview with Mary Ruefle by [[Austin Kleon]]
Kleon's wife Meg, with a master's in architecture, has aphantasia.
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- Oct 2023
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news.artnet.com news.artnet.com
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a montage of his many cameo appearances in TV and film (what Waters calls “fame maintenance”) capture his status as icon
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at the unveiling of his much-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, filmmaker John Waters declared, “God, here I am, closer to the gutter than ever.”
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See Inside the First Museum Retrospective Dedicated to John Waters’s Unparalleled Contributions to Cinema—and Bad Taste<br /> "Pope of Trash" at the Academy Museum documents the director's films, obsessions, and creative processes.<br /> by Min Chen, October 14, 2023<br /> https://news.artnet.com/art-world/john-waters-pope-of-trash-academy-museum-2366964
May have to crash this to claim my spot....
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- May 2023
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atomicbooks.com atomicbooks.com
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https://atomicbooks.com/pages/john-waters-fan-mail
John Waters receives fan mail via Atomic Books in Baltimore, MD.
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- Jun 2022
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www.goodreads.com www.goodreads.com
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“Collect books, even if you don't plan on reading them right away. Nothing is more important than an unread library.” ― John Waters
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“Being rich is not about how much money you have or how many homes you own; it's the freedom to buy any book you want without looking at the price and wondering if you can afford it.” ― John Waters, Role Models
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“If you go home with somebody, and they don't have books, don't fuck 'em!” ― John Waters
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