Where ‘filth’ and ‘trash’ are compliments: Welcome to Camp John Waters

Illustration of John Waters
Courtesy of Camp John Waters

"I'd love to sell out completely. It's just that nobody has been willing to buy." John Waters Well, it looks like the legendary filmmaker and trash connoisseur found his buyers. The fourth annual Camp John Waters took place Sept. 10-13 in the southern Berkshires at Club Getaway in Kent, Conn.. The club even got its very own Bravo reality show following the antics of the staff last year. The mind behind camp (get it?) classics like "Pink Flamingos," "Hairspray," and "Cry Baby" served as head counselor alongside three longstanding and famous in their own right collaborators. Author and actor Patricia Hearst (yes, that one), actor Kathleen Turner and actor Mink Stole. Admission ranged from $514 to $576, all-inclusive (yes, including wine with dinner, though there was an additional cost for beverages outside of that, with different packages available). The accommodations were "rustic chic country cabins" featuring lake views and twin beds with memory foam mattresses (!), and the camp's website promised that the "breakfast buffet is like none you have ever seen" and described lunch as "an activity within itself." Overall thoughts from my first Camp John Waters:1) there is something strangely inspiring/encouraging to how Waters continues to be shocking...

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