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'Hairspray' maybe did change people's minds, and that's how you get your political enemies to change their minds - by making them laugh and making them look at something in a way they haven't seen it. Not by preaching and cutting them off and being a separatist.
John Waters
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that humor and creativity can alter people's perspectives more effectively than confrontation.

In this quote, John Waters emphasizes the power of humor and art, such as the film 'Hairspray', in influencing political views and bridging divides. Instead of resorting to conflict or separation to change minds, he advocates for a more inclusive approach that encourages laughter and new perspectives, highlighting that humor can be a tool for understanding and acceptance.

Themes

HumorChangePoliticsPerspectiveArt

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about social change, I might say, 'As John Waters said, humor can help shift political viewpoints.'

More from John Waters

My idea of rich is that you can buy every book you ever want without looking at the price and you're never around assholes. That's the two things to really fight for in life.
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Irony ruined everything Even the best exploitation movies were never meant to be `so bad they were good`. They were not made for the intelligentsia. They were made to be violent for real, or to be sexy for real. But now everybody has irony. Even horror films now are ironic. Everybody's in on the joke now. Everybody's hip. Nobody takes anything at face value anymore.
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I don't like rules of any kind. And I seek people who break rules with happiness - and not bringing pain to themselves.
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I believe if you come out of a movie and the first thing you say is, 'The cinematography was beautiful,' it's a bad movie.
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To understand bad taste one must have very good taste.
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To me, bad taste is what entertainment is all about. If someone vomits while watching one of my films, it's like getting a standing ovation. But one must remember that there is such a thing as good bad taste and bad bad taste.
John WatersRead

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