The End of Flamingos Explained: The Tyranny of Normalcy

The magic of John Waters’ 1972 cult classic “Pink Flamingos” is that even after decades, it still possesses the power to disgust and repel audiences. Carrying an Nc-17 rating – it deserves nothing less – “Pink Flamingos” features copious nudity, cannibalism, assault, vomiting, unsimulated sex, torture, real animal death and true coprophagia. The characters constantly scream how much they hate the world and how wallowing in dirt is the only thing that brings them true happiness. Indeed, breaking the rules, destroying property, shoplifting, publicly exposing yourself to sex, and eating poop are happy and ostensibly evil acts of defiance against a world that demands normalcy. “Pink Flamingos” is a big, queer, nude, punk rock middle finger for the pearl-clinging bourgeoisie.

Waters’ films from the 1970s — “Mondo Trasho,” “Multiple Maniacs,” “Pink Flamingos,” “Female Trouble,” and “Desperate Living” — are all essentially supervillain movies. Waters once said in an interview with yours truly (an interview which is unfortunately now