Sex Education, John Waters-style

By Todd R. Ramlow, PopMatters. Posted October 7, 2004.

Ever the "controversial" director, John Waters' new film, "A Dirty Shame" is his first in over twenty years to receive an adult restricted (NC-17) rating. Waters isn't one to court controversy merely for its own sake though (as directors like, say, the Farrelly brothers do). As he discussed with PopMatters, Waters is acutely attuned to the cultural zeitgeist and he sees "A Dirty Shame" in relation to recent trends in U.S. cultural life. Not the least of which is the rise of sexual orthodoxy connected to other social, economic and political conservatisms of all sorts.

Todd R. Ramlow: So, first things first. With "A Dirty Shame" was it your intention to make a movie this time that would garner and NC-17 rating from the MPAA?

John Waters: I didn't pick that, are you kidding me? I didn't expect it. My contract said it was an "R," I pitched it as an "R." I think it is an R rated movie. I think that if we had a different administration or it were three years ago it would be an R rated movie. But I don't care that it's NC-17, my fans love the fact; they're like "Yeah!" But we haven't lost any theaters from it or anything. Luckily, New Line was okay with it and it didn't make a big, big difference. It could have meant the movie wouldn't come out. It could have been a real nightmare for me. I even asked what I could cut, because you always do that. [The MPAA] said, "There's a million brushstrokes in the movie [and] you can't cut [enough]." So the only way to cut it would have been to make a totally "neuter" version.

Which would have totally defeated the entire point and satire of the film. While "A Dirty Shame" was certainly conceived, produced and filmed before, I can't help thinking of the film as a response or reaction to Janet's "wardrobe malfunction," Howard Stern's recent travails and all the FCC bullshit since January of this year.

Well, this was all finished before that. The MPAA basically said to me there was no way to cut this and that it was 100 percent from the first vote. No way was it going to get an R. They said, "Our job is to say what most parents would think of it." Well, if you really took every parent, [many] probably would be horrified. Only a small percentage of parents even go to the movies, or know anything about them. But for me, yes, there are many parents who wouldn't take their kids, but there are some. And that's what an R rating is for. But I don't care, really. I'm not gonna get on my high horse about it, or even make it the focus of the campaign. Because then people will come in saying, "Well, they're not all nude, having sex." That's what NC-17 kind of reads to me. You think, these days, what could be so shocking, anal bleaching or something?

I was looking back over the production details of your previous films, and 1981's "Polyester" was the last adult restriction that you've had.

Well, when "Pink Flamingos" (1972) and "Female Trouble" (1974) both came out again they were re-rated NC-17.

Right. I love the MPAA caution, that "Pink Flamingos" is rated NC-17, "For a wide range of perversions in explicit detail."

I think with "A Dirty Shame," they were being nice. They knew we were going to accept the rating, so they just put "For pervasive sexual content." Which I think was them trying to be nice, rather than putting something like, "Because of felching."

In which case the litany of sexual acts depicted that would have to be listed would be larger than the promotional poster.

If you look at the original poster for "Female Trouble," back when being rated X helped my movies, the poster had a huge inset that said "About this X! Due to the extreme nature of this movie ..." But you know ratings trends come and go as well. There's really no G rating anymore. That's what maybe I should do next. It's the only rating that I've never had. And there's no real difference between PG and PG-13. I used to think there was between R and NC-17, then a New York Times article came out saying how "liberal" the ratings board was. If it's about sex there's a difference, but not about violence. And I like violence, too, don't get me wrong. But there are movies that I like and I think, "They got an R and I didn't?" I've been on my best behavior, because I have to go back there the next time. There's no point. You can't win. It's like answering your critics. You just keep going.

Todd R. Ramlow is the PopMatters Associate Film and TV Editor.