The Kenneth V. Santagata Memorial Lecture presents: "Devil's Advocate - John Waters"

John Waters. Is he a cautionary contrarian, a reactionary radical, or a true devil’s advocate? In this all-new, fast-moving, part-confessional, part-inquisitional comic spoken word show, the filth elder known for his “transgressive” films and his “subversive” books salutes the new gender-guerilla generation of today for doing the impossible – actually making him nervous. Together, he demands, we must form a new rainbow of rancid colors and seize back the sexual revolution from the self-righteousness of the left and the intolerance of the right. A new middle-of-the-road madness that uses humor as terrorism, wit as ammunition.  John Waters – he’s the Devil’s Advocate and his questions must be answered.

John Waters has written and directed sixteen movies, including Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Polyester, Hairspray, Cry Baby, Serial Mom, and A Dirty Shame, all set in Baltimore. He is the author of ten books, including Shock Value, Crackpot, Pink Flamingos and Other Trash, Make Trouble, Mr. Know-It-All, and his first novel, Liarmouth: A Feel Bad Romance. He has lectured and performed at colleges, museums, film festivals, and comedy clubs around the world.

In 2014 the Film Society of Lincoln Center honored Waters with “Fifty Years of John Waters: How Much Can You Take?” and, in 2023, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opened John Waters: Pope of Trash, the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to John Waters’ contributions to cinema. American Cinema Editors selected Waters to receive the ACE Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award in 2024.

A member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science and awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, he has appeared in many motion pictures and television shows and was one of the faces of a Nike campaign in 2019 and the Saint Laurent fall/winter 2020 menswear campaign in 2020, and featured with Mink Stole in the 2022 Calvin Klein Pride campaign.

Open to the public free of charge, but tickets are required. Tickets are available by clicking here.

For questions, please contact Jenn Berube at jberube@bowdoin.edu or 207-725-3928.

Sponsored by the Kenneth V. Santagata Memorial Fund.

Co-hosted by the Departments of Cinema Studies and Theater and Dance.

Photo credit: Greg Gorman