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Issue 6: Obsession

John Waters Loves Justin Bieber

Hazel got to visit John Waters, you guys. Later this month we’ll have a full interview with the Pope of Trash. In the meantime, here’s a gallery of some of his favorite works of art, books, and places in his super cool Baltimore home. You will want to go to there.

Hazel Cills 02/07/2012
  • Waters: “That’s the electric chair from Female Trouble that Divine gets in at the very end. The Auditions sign—we don’t really do auditions here—is a Mike Kelley sculpture piece that’s supposed to look like, you know, at the Chateau Marmont where one day they’d put it up. But yeah, that’s actually an art piece.”

  • “This is from Guys and Dolls, a prop that Johnny Depp gave me when we finished making Cry Baby.”

  • A collage piece called Chorus 1 by Vincent Fecteau sits on the wall of the staircase.

  • “I have a lot of fake food around the house.” Why do you have so much fake food? “I dunno, I guess so I won’t eat it all?”

  • Fake food sitting in the kitchen next to a Magritte print of Young Girl Eating a Bird.

  • Some CDs from his collection, including a compilation of covers of “I’ll Be Your Mirror,” Benjamin Grosven’s Chopin, Liszt, Ravel, Keren Ann’s 101, Lykke Li’s Wounded Rhymes, Gang Gang Dance’s Eye Contact, PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake, Wye Oak’s The Knot, Yelawolf’s Radiaoctive, and Zola Jesus’s Conatus.

  • “This is my favorite book title of all time.” What’s it about? Have you read it? “No! I just love the title!”

  • “This is my bulletin board where I put things that inspire me. I think it’s just such a good idea and everybody should have one in their house, just a place where you can put images.”

  • Bulletin board

  • Bulletin board

  • “These are two tabloid moments captured by, I don’t know—we ordered them online—but this is Michael Jackson dangling his baby, the moment that caused the scandal, and this is Britney getting out of the limousine showing her private area!”

  • Waters pulling out some of his favorites from his book collection. This one is Dad’s in Prison by Margaret Speed.

  • Single and Pregnant

  • “This is a piece of artwork done by the artist Susan Lowe. She has been in many of my movies.”

  • “Here’s a fake cat. Just make sure people know it’s fake, because I would never have a white cat!”

  • Waters’s bookshelf

  • Why do you love Justin Bieber so much? “Just ’cause he makes me laugh so much.”

  • “This is my desk where I sit down every single day to write my book.”

  • “Now I have to take your picture, because I take a picture of everybody that comes into the house. So you can take a picture of me taking a picture of you!”

  • The Polaroid of me.

  • On a side table in the living room there’s a picture of Liberace, a Jeff Koons plate, a Yoshitomo Nara ashtray, and a photo of Anita Ekberg.

  • Waters’s living room

  • The living room. Bye, John Waters! Thank you for having me over. Love, Hazel.

anita eckberg benjamin grosven books britney spears cats cry baby dad's in prison divine female trouble gang gang dance i am fifteen and i don't want to die jeff koons john waters johnny depp justin bieber keren ann lykke li michael jackson mike kelly pj harvey polaroids rene magritte room decorating single and pregnant tabloids vincent fecteau wye oak yela wolf yoshitomo nara zola jesus
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81 Comments

  • Maddy February 7th, 2012 3:07 PM

    Hmm I’m not actually sure who he is (I should google that…) but he looks kind of evil. I really like his fake food. I would do that. And his fake cat which I hoped was real. Anaheed, are you the webmaster/computer whiz of Rookie?

    • Anaheed February 7th, 2012 3:18 PM

      I am not, but I can fix/change some stuff. Is something not working?

      • Maddy February 7th, 2012 3:43 PM

        Oh no, just wondering. Someone fixed my HTML once, and I like computer science and stuff and not a lot of females do.

      • Anaheed February 7th, 2012 3:47 PM

        That very well could have been me. We can fix stuff in comments when we’re approving them.

    • Anna Fitzpatrick February 7th, 2012 3:20 PM

      You should watch Cry Baby and read Role Models if you need a place to start!!

  • Laia Garcia February 7th, 2012 3:07 PM

    this is SO amazing.
    hazel you are so lucky!

  • rosiesayrelax February 7th, 2012 3:08 PM

    The Blobfather made me giggle. haha.

  • Susann February 7th, 2012 3:08 PM

    Great photos – love his cat collage!

  • SpencerBowie February 7th, 2012 3:12 PM

    AHHH JOHN! I loooovvvvee John Waters!

    I also looovvvee his house! Such camp and splender! Can’t wait for the interview!

    May watch Serial Mom later for kicks y’all!

    …..Maybe i’ll also draw on a pencil moustache…..I’M OBSESSED!

    <3

  • Marie Lodi February 7th, 2012 3:18 PM

    Ahem, POPE OF TRASH! Also, FU HAZEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Anaheed February 7th, 2012 3:21 PM

      God, DUH, Anaheed. Thanks, Marie.

  • Marie Lodi February 7th, 2012 3:19 PM

    I mean that in the most affectionate way of course. ::eyes ablaze with jealousy:::

    • Anaheed February 7th, 2012 3:48 PM

      I am equally jealous.

      • Hazel Cills February 7th, 2012 3:49 PM

        <3 <3 <3

  • Dayzee February 7th, 2012 3:19 PM

    Ohmygod. I love this man! some of the stuff he says!
    “Here’s a fake cat. Just makes sure people know it’s fake, because I would never have a white cat!”
    then why would you have a fake one?

  • Cosmo Beatrix February 7th, 2012 3:28 PM

    He is soooo hilarious and cool, like WHO THE HELL IS LIKE HIM ASWELL?!?! everything is so characteristic and HIS taste, he is plain awesome, i love him !!!

    and THANKYOU John Waters for making johnny depp look the hottest he has ever looked … ever in Cry Baby – fave boys <33

  • sedgwick February 7th, 2012 3:30 PM

    I thought the fake food was the most awesome thing i’d ever seen. but then i saw the fake cat!

  • lilghostie February 7th, 2012 3:46 PM

    i just watched cry baby yesterday for the first time!!! gah so wonderful, my house looks ver similar. oh god i love it!!

  • maureen7 February 7th, 2012 3:49 PM

    whenever i see a picture of him, i feel like growing a moustache.

  • posie.rose February 7th, 2012 3:54 PM

    Haha this is so great! My dad is friends with him and he and my mom go to his Christmas party every year. I’m actually really close to his house right now. XD awesome pictures!

  • MissKnowItAll February 7th, 2012 4:10 PM

    Love the fake cat but who exactly is John Waters? Sorry, I’m just to lazy to wikipedia it:)

    • Anaheed February 7th, 2012 4:15 PM

      He is a GREAT movie director and a wonderful writer and a glorious man and the favorite uncle of the Rookie staff.

  • Lela February 7th, 2012 4:17 PM

    Holy shit! What do I have to do to go hang out with John Waters/work for rookiemag in the hopes of hanging out with him?!

    I am extremely jealous. John Waters is my absolute most favorite person in the entire world. I grew up with his movies, he is the biggest inspiration in my life. So much love for him, and everyone he works with. Alright, I will stop now.

  • puffytoad February 7th, 2012 4:17 PM

    He seems to like subtly making fun of people. I bet he would totes make fun of me.

  • Dylan Tupper Rupert February 7th, 2012 4:26 PM

    THIS is spectacular. A+A+A+A+A+A+ happy. When I first opened this page, the Lion King Circle of Life song filled my mind. Heavenly.

    Props to the Mike Kelley piece in John’s home. Awesome artist who died last week. Rest in peace dude.

  • Molleeeeeee February 7th, 2012 4:37 PM

    Oh I hope I live in a house this full of weird, wonderful things one day. I love the piles of fake cocaine and heroin (labelled of course) amongst the fake food. Hahaha.

  • Sarah M February 7th, 2012 4:41 PM

    Jealousy is oozing out of every pore in my body. SO JELLY. But seriously, John Waters is so cool and I bet he had a blast showing you around! What a neat dude.

  • Moskje February 7th, 2012 4:42 PM

    I want that compilation of I’ll be your mirror covers!

  • Stefania February 7th, 2012 4:43 PM

    What I wouldn’t give to spend an afternoon hanging out with John Waters! That man is a character and a half!

  • superkat February 7th, 2012 4:51 PM

    goodness gracious, someone’s a lucky ducky ..

  • Hunter February 7th, 2012 4:57 PM

    I have no words!!

  • garconniere February 7th, 2012 5:03 PM

    WOW I AM SO INCREDIBLY JEALOUS. he seems like such an awesome person…

    for some reason i am beyond amused that someone as crass and vulgar as john waters seems so well-behaved, and refers to britney spears’ vulva as her “private area!”

    !!!

  • emilyeo February 7th, 2012 5:30 PM

    This post will go down in history.

  • smillan February 7th, 2012 5:41 PM

    Endlessly jealous that you got to visit John Waters. And at his house, no less! Thank you for all the great photos :] I quite like the one of him holding that polaroid of you. Lucky, lucky haha looking forward to the interview!

  • Arabelle Sicardi February 7th, 2012 5:46 PM

    HAZELLLLLL SO JEALOUSDSSDFFFSF

  • Madeline February 7th, 2012 6:04 PM

    This is literally the best thing I have ever seen.

  • darksideoftherainbow February 7th, 2012 6:05 PM

    i’ve always found john waters super interesting but man OH MAN. that fake cat freaked me the fuck out. idk why, but even the sight of it made me gag OD. i feel like if i saw it in person i’d FLIP OUT.

    • darksideoftherainbow February 7th, 2012 6:12 PM

      oh i forgot to add that i have milton as my phone background saying, “i’m a teenager. i want to live.” LOVE.

  • Alexis February 7th, 2012 6:15 PM

    The first 2 pictures aren’t showing up. :(

  • Alexis February 7th, 2012 6:16 PM

    …now they are…

  • Cassidy February 7th, 2012 6:20 PM

    Dear Rookie,

    You are the best website ever.

    Love,
    Cassidy, aka huge John Waters fan

  • preachypreach February 7th, 2012 6:34 PM

    THIS RULES

  • deuxiemesexe February 7th, 2012 6:53 PM

    I see a beautiful photo of a very young Pedro Almodóvar in the bulletin board…

  • Ginny February 7th, 2012 6:57 PM

    When I was like 8 my dad tried to explain Polyester to me (not the plot. the “odorama” thing!)

  • cherrycola27 February 7th, 2012 7:04 PM

    John Waters! This is so great, I can’t even say. Super jealous of Hazel.
    I want that living room!

  • norienoire February 7th, 2012 7:09 PM

    I love John Waters too, too much.

  • February 7th, 2012 7:14 PM

    I know this is kind of obvious, but I love how very ‘John Waters’ all of the photos are! :-) He just has such a strong kind of visual language, and language language! I mean on the visual side, the fake food and the tabloid moments. And with words, those book titles are really funny (especially when you are kind of reading them through John Water’s mind).

    I would love to have a white cat! There’s a really nice one in Collette’s ‘Claudine’ series…her name is Fanchette. I’ve wanted a white cat ever since reading these, but have had to make do with a ceramic one (and even that has taken a long time to get!).

    Wonderful! What a great insight into a very funny and creative person – thanks, Hazel.

  • Eleanor Hardwick February 7th, 2012 7:23 PM

    LITERALLY *THE* BEST THING EVER.

    • prettyontheinside February 9th, 2012 2:38 AM

      I don’t know if you wrote this with Chris from Parks and Rec. in mind but that’s totally how I read it.

  • Morgan February 7th, 2012 7:25 PM

    Love the sultan of sleeze, cannot wait to read the interview.

  • teevee February 7th, 2012 7:37 PM

    All hail John Waters! I’m actually reading Role Models right now… He needs to ease up on the rhetoric but otherwise, really charming and awesome prose-wise.

    – I love fake food. And his book collection. And his decor! Everything!
    – Also, I spy Matthew Gubler!

  • ThePuNkR0ckeR February 7th, 2012 7:38 PM

    why would he never have a white cat?

  • Audrey February 7th, 2012 7:54 PM

    his living room=twin peaks black lodge!

  • Emilie February 7th, 2012 8:08 PM

    he. is. the. coolest. person. What can I say I love people with funky quirks and from what I can tell he’s got a million! I LOVE IT

  • queserasera February 7th, 2012 8:14 PM

    i love his twisted sense of humor, esp #11 with the celebrity figures! best thing ever!

  • missblack February 7th, 2012 8:15 PM

    I love the BE EVIL on his bulletin board.

    I’m going to put a sign that says that in my bedroom. NOW.

  • weetzie February 7th, 2012 8:47 PM

    his living room is very twin peaks-esque…red room, anyone? this is one of my favorite things ever on rookie (and that’s saying a lot). john waters is a personal idol of mine.

  • Adrienne February 7th, 2012 8:49 PM

    Hahahah! This is awesome! I love the part where he took a pic of you lol. The Britney and Michael Jackson figurines are great!

  • Torrie February 7th, 2012 10:09 PM

    I know someone who has that same fake cat…

    (love this)

  • anisarose February 7th, 2012 11:13 PM

    a very….uh… interesting taste in art. i don’t think i would ever put a fake electric chair/food/cat in my house. but hey, to each his own.

    anisarose.blogspot.com

  • Lela February 8th, 2012 12:35 AM

    To everyone that doesn’t understand why he wouldn’t own a *white* cat, watch Serial Mom.

  • Sonja Ahlers February 8th, 2012 2:11 AM

    this is so, so moving. HIS HOME. HIS STUFF. that fake cat. faux food. his tunes. all poetry.

  • Ruby Aitken February 8th, 2012 3:35 AM

    The greatest!!! Not going to lie….gone through the pictures a fair few times now

  • ivoire February 8th, 2012 3:43 AM

    this is so good so good. everything is so satirical. omg i wish i lived there.

  • Minnah February 8th, 2012 6:00 AM

    ahhh, bulletin board jealousy! I love how all the various bits come together to make an overall waters-y vibe. I spy a one matthew gray gubler, too.

  • definitelynotjessica February 8th, 2012 6:48 AM

    There’s PATTY HEARST in a photo on the bulletin board! She’s sandwiched between John Waters and a muscly shirtless man because sometimes the universe is right and good.

    Thanks, Rookie, this made my day.

  • preachypreach February 8th, 2012 7:57 AM

    i can’t stop looking at these.

  • novels February 8th, 2012 12:53 PM

    I’d die. I’d be rotting. A corpse.

    Thanks for this great look inside the haunt of one of the coolest people on the planet Earth.

  • Sapphi February 8th, 2012 3:29 PM

    I am BEYOND jealous – John Waters is one of my FAVE people! Met him once & shook his hand – wish I was YOU, though! His art has an insightful social and politcal commentary while remaining 110% hilarious and delightfully raunchy – BRAVO!

  • db February 8th, 2012 5:11 PM

    JESUS CHRIST THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER

  • sydneyeliz February 8th, 2012 7:14 PM

    Ahhh, it is a good day in my hometown of Baltimore when I see john waters walking down the avenue with a bag of groceries and bright red pants, slick moustache glittering in the morning winter light. It is also a good day when I find out john waters listens to wye oak. Two baltimore entities in harmony, i love this place.

  • actingpjs February 9th, 2012 12:55 PM

    Where does he get his polaroid film? Does he have a stash of it or something?

    • Tyknos93 February 9th, 2012 9:31 PM

      You can buy it online from the impossible project.

  • coolschmool February 9th, 2012 1:01 PM

    SO BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT I MIGHT DIE

  • Tyknos93 February 9th, 2012 9:29 PM

    John Waters is a mythical being. O_O

  • zety February 10th, 2012 7:24 AM

    John Waters <3
    His home is so wicked!!! And omigod I have that book hahha

  • geriballmeow February 10th, 2012 8:50 AM

    that’s amazing. i’m speechless.

  • afkoyunu February 10th, 2012 9:24 AM

    This was AWESOME!!!

  • Sporter73 February 10th, 2012 9:38 AM

    I’m in the middle of rehearsal for Crybaby (the musical!) and have been breathing John Waters for the past month. I almost threw up when I saw this! It’s absolutely Killer!

  • Ellie February 11th, 2012 1:55 AM

    #20 was so weird because I realized I feel like I know all the writers so well, but I don’t even know what you all look like.
    This is such a cool post.

  • tove February 12th, 2012 1:51 PM

    wow, I’ve never actually seen any of his movies (though I know few titles), but this man seems to be like one of these creepy (in the best of possible ways), therefore fascinating characters from some creepy, therefore fascinating book or movie that I’ve always wanted to know, like, personally.

Rookie is no longer publishing new content, but we hope you'll continue to enjoy the archives, or books, and the community you've helped to create. Thank you for seven very special years! ✴

About Rookie

Rookie is an online magazine and book series for teenagers. Each month, a different editorial theme drives the writing, photography, and artwork that we publish. Learn more about us here, and find out how to submit your work here!

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