The day John Waters calls me, he has just finished writing the first draft of his next show, Let’s Take Over the World, which he will present at the Englert Theatre on Oct. 9.
The writer and director of films including Pink Flamingos, Hairspray and Cry-Baby and books such as Shock Value and Role Models rewrites his specials — or what he refers to as “a religious rant, like an evangelical rattlesnake church” — once a year.
“Everybody is talking about the state of the world, which is rather alarming, but I wish people were thinking in a new, humorous way,” Waters says. “That’s why my show is called ‘Let’s Take Over the World.’ I’m saying that how we win is through humor and using humor as power and warfare.”
Getting someone to laugh is a more efficient way to change their mind than preaching at them, so Waters prizes an ability to “make the enemy look stupid.”
“I use politics heavily in my show, but at the same time, I don’t try to date a joke. I never put it in the movies because in 20 years it’s lost on people.”
Maybe that’s one reason why Divine’s quote in Pink Flamingos has so stood the test of time. When asked about her political beliefs, she succinctly proclaims, “Kill everyone now! Condone first-degree murder! Advocate cannibalism! Eat shit! Filth is my politics! Filth is my life!”
The prolific artist is no stranger to Iowa City, having visited numerous times for other specials and appearances across the years. Still, Waters looks forward to the crowd here. “I’m excited because it’s such a writer’s place and it always has been. I love that the audience is writers because that’s really what I do; I’m a much better writer than a film director … What I am is a writer.”
But not all of Waters’ visits to the Hawkeye State have gone smoothly. Back in 2018, the “inaugural” NewBo Evolve festival in Cedar Rapids lost over $2 million, leaving many vendors, speakers and performers unpaid — including Waters and his assistant.
By bringing it up, Waters says I’ve riled him up again. “I’m still pissed, and with interest!”
Known to be quite the bibliophile, Waters also shared what he’s reading at the moment. He’s just finished Eve Babitz’s L.A. Woman, saying Babitz is “really funny, and she reminds me of Cookie Mueller.” Mueller was a Dreamlander, the name given to Waters’ frequent film collaborators, inspired by his company Dreamland Productions.
“My favorite thing about [Cookie] is that every night before she went out, she would snort instant coffee.”
The anecdote reminded me of other unconventional ways to ingest coffee, which led to the unique privilege of getting to explain coffee enemas to John Waters, to which he said, “Oh God.”
He is currently reading It Will Come Back to You: Collected Stories by Sigrid Nunez and has three books already in the queue: the latest novels by authors Rachel Cusk and Dave Eggers, as well as Barry Mazor’s Blood Harmony: The Everly Brothers Story.
In keeping with Waters and Iowa City’s bookish sensibilities, audiences who watched the new documentary Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World also saw Waters onscreen, speaking on his longtime friendship with Oliver and her partner, photographer Mary Malone Cook.
“I’m the comic relief that movie needed,” jokes Waters.
Unlike Oliver, Waters is not the biggest fan of the outdoors or animals: “When people say you love nature, I thought, why? It’s trying to kill you from the day you’re born… But Mary and I got along great, but we were so different, and people were always startled that we were friends.”
Waters is frequently regarded for his biting wit and absurd visual gags, but one of his best skills is the way he talks about people. Whether it be someone he has known intimately for decades or bygone figures and inspirations he knows only through their work, Waters has a tremendous ability to reflect on a person’s idiosyncratic charm.
When asked what he feels is the best way to honor someone, Waters said, “To tell good stories about them that make them feel human and, at the same time, show that they have a sense of humor.”
Upcoming event:
The Englert Theatre and Little Village present: John Waters, Friday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m., Englert Theatre, $20-60
This article was originally published in Little Village’s October 2026 issue.
