‘I Am Dive’ Offers Insightful Portra of Gay In and John Waters’ Me, Now on DVD/VOD – IndieWire

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• A TRIBUTE TO DIVE, HOLLYWOOD’S MOST INFAMO DRAG QUEENQUEER EYEA DOCUMENTARY AT LAST PAYS TRIBUTE TO DIVE, ONE OF THE MOST FLUENTIAL FIGUR DRAG AND GAY CULTURE. BY JIMMY SO.JIMMY SOUPDATED JUL. 11, 2017 6:50PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 27, 2013 5:45AM EDT EVERETT COLLECTNONE OF THE MORE PECULIAR IRONI OF NOTORIETY IS THAT THE MORE A WORK IS HYPED AS NTROVERSIAL, THE LS LIKELY IS THAT YOU HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN THE FILM AND KNOW ENOUGH TO EXTOL OR CRY . PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKG ABOUT PK FLAMGOS EVER SCE NATURALISTS EXPECTG A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT BIRDS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO E OUT OF THE THEATER VOMG. BUT WHAT DO THE 1972 MOVIE ACTUALLY SHOW? POOP, WE’VE HEARD. SPECIFILLY, THE DRAG QUEEN DIVE EATG DOG POO AT THE FILM’S END. IT IS DIRECTOR JOHN WATERS’S “EXERCISE POOR TASTE,” AS WE’VE GATHERED OM THE TAG LE. IT IS A CULT MOVIE, A MP MOVIE, A NTROVERSIAL MOVIE, AND A PERVERSE MOVIE. BUT WHAT DO THAT ALL MEAN? IF YOU WERE TO ACTUALLY S DOWN AND WATCH PK FLAMGOS, YOU’D FD YOURSELF PLUNGED TO A LIBERATE WORLD OF WEIRD, AS TWO FAI PETE TO BE “THE FILTHIT PEOPLE ALIVE,” AND MAKE A N AT THE TLE OF BEG STUPIST AS WELL. THE FIRST THIRD OF A LIST OF THE FILM’S FENSIBLE ACTS WOULD GO SOMETHG LIKE THIS: IMPREGNATG KIDNAPPED WOMEN AND SELLG THE BABI TO LBIAN UPL, PEDDLG HERO NER-CY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, CSHG A LIVE CHICKEN WHILE HAVG SEX, FLEXG ONE’S AN TO THE SONG “SURF’ BIRD.” THE STAGED OFFENS ARE SO NUMERO THAT THEY BEE NUMBG ABUNDANCE.WHAT IS IMMUNE TO THIS LATG BOTTOM-FEEDG, AND WHOUT WHICH PK FLAMGOS WOULD BE DUMB AND DULL, IS THE MAGISM OF THE FILM’S STAR, THE 300-POUND DRAG QUEEN DIVE. IT ISN’T SIMPLY THAT HIS IMAGE IS MORE THAN OVER THE TOP. THAT CERTALY IS—THE CISIVE STEP WAS WHEN SMETICIAN VAN SMH SHAVED BACK DIVE’S HAIRLE ORR TO PUT ON AS MUCH OUTRAGEO EYE MAKP ON THAT LARGE FOREHEAD NVAS AS POSSIBLE. IT IS WHEN DIVE OPENS HIS MOUTH, AND THE PSYCHOTIC ANGER SI HIS VOICE MIX WH THIS MPY ANTI-BETY, THAT YOU UNRSTAND WHAT KD OF SURGENCY YOU ARE WNSG. IT WAS SIMPLY HIGH TIME FOR GAYS TO BE FUR AT THE STATE OF THGS. “PART OUTLAW, PART SERIAL KILLER,” JOSHUA GRANNELL (DRAG PERFORMER PEACH CHRIST) SCRIB THE CHARACTER JEFEY SCHWARZ’S NEW DOCUMENTARY I AM DIVE, WHICH OPENED NEW YORK THIS WEEK. “A CEMATIC TERRORIST,” STG DIRECTOR PAT MORAN REMARKED. SCHWARZ, WHO RURRECTED THE FOTTEN GAY FILM SCHOLAR VO RSO HIS FIRST DOCUMENTARY, VO, PRENTS ANOTHER LOVE LETTER AND SERVED TRIBUTE. WHAT BE EVINT IS THAT DIVE HAD A THRILLG APPEAL THAT WAS MORE THAN SCHLOCK SHOCK—HE HAD THE TALENT TO STILL A SENSE OF ANGER, SIRE, AND HUMOR THE DIENCE, HELPG TO PUT QUEER CULTURE ON THE MAP. HIS TRIUMPH WAS UNLIKELY, BUT HE MANAGED TO OVERE ATTEMPTS TO MARGALIZE QUEER CULTURE TO BEE AN IN OF PUNK AND DIS. IF HE WERE STILL ALIVE, WOULDN’T BE RUPL’S DRAG RACE TODAY. AS SOMEONE SAYS I AM DIVE, DIVE WOULD BE HOSTG THE SHOW.DIVE WAS BORN HARRIS GLENN MILSTEAD 1945 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A “GOOD LTLE BABY, ALWAYS HAD NICE MANNERS,” HIS MOTHER, FRANC, SAID. A PEDIATRICIAN TOLD HER THAT HE WAS MORE “FEM” THAN HE WAS MASCULE. THE CHUBBY GLENN ALSO LOVED TO EAT. WHEN HIGH SCHOOL THE WATERS MOVED DOWN THE STREET, JOHN AND GLENN BEME “TWO ENTWED PIEC OF ENERGY,” AS A IEND SAID. THE BT THG ABOUT SCHWARZ’S FILM IS HOW ENDLSLY QUOTABLE EVERYBODY IS. (DRAG STAR JACKIE BEAT ASKS OF DIVE AT ONE POT, “IS SHE GOG TO SCREW ME OR EAT ME?”) THE FUNNIT OF ALL OF THEM IS THE ALWAYS ARTICULATE WATERS, WHO SAID THAT HE AND GLENN DISVERED POT, AND “THAT’S WHAT CHANGED EVERYBODY … YOU HAD IRONY, ALL OF A SUDN!” THEY EVEN DROPPED LSD AND WATCHED THE INGMAR BERGMAN HORROR MOVIE HOUR OF THE WOLF, ALREADY A SURREAL TRIP S OWN RIGHT THAT YOU MENTALLY ENHANCE AT YOUR OWN PERIL. GLENN STARTED GOG TO DRAG BALLS WASHGTON, BUT STEAD OF BEG PRETTY AND TH, HE ULD ONLY BE OBNOX AND FAT. “THEY WERE SO SER ABOUT BEG SO PETIVE,” HE SAID. “I THOUGHT I WOULD JT HAVE FUN.” BUT HE DISVERED THAT HE RECEIVED SO MUCH MORE ATTENTN WEARG TIGHT CLOTHG— WAS MORE FUN MAKG FUN OF DRAG THAN ACTUALLY TRYG TO BE DRAG. WATERS BEGAN MAKG SHORT FILMS, AND ST GLENN ROMAN CANDL (1966), LLG HIM DIVE—BEE HE WAS JT THAT, A WAY. THE SCREEN NAME STUCK. (IN EAT YOUR MAKP HE EVEN PLAYED JACKIE KENNEDY, FIVE YEARS AFTER JFK WAS SHOT. “PEOPLE REALLY DIDN’T THK WAS FUNNY,” WATERS SAID.) IT WAS MULTIPLE MANIACS (1970) THAT HE FALLY GOT DIALOGUE, AND HIS CEMATIC AGGRSN WAS UNLEASHED. IN THE FILM, A YOUNG SCHOOLGIRL UNIFORM LLS DIVE SICK AND REPULSIVE. “YOU, MY AR, ARE AD!” DIVE REPLI, AND SHOOTS HER. THAT WAS THE SOUND OF OPEN WARFARE.“HOMOSEXUALS, BY AND LARGE, NSTUTE THE VANGUARD—AND THE MOST ARTICULATE DIENCE—OF CAMP,” SAN SONTAG POTED OUT HER BRILLIANT SAY “NOT ON ‘CAMP.’” CAMP SOUGHT TO PROTT ANY ADOPTN OF STYLE—’50S NVENTN, HIPPIE LOVE, UNTERCULTURAL GLAMOR—AS HIGHLY QUTNABLE. IT MA LIGHT OF STYLE. “OBVLY, S METAPHOR OF LIFE AS THEATER IS PECULIARLY SUED AS A JTIFITN AND PROJECTN OF A CERTA ASPECT OF THE SUATN OF HOMOSEXUALS.” DRAG EPOMIZED THIS PERFORMANCE-ART ASPECT OF GAY CULTURE. BUT DRAG, AS DIVE DISVERED DURG HIS VISS TO THE BALLS, FOUND SELF ADOPTG A STYLE OF S OWN MOCKERY OF, BUT BASED ON, OUTDATED STANDARDS OF BETY—MARILYN MONROE AND JACKIE KENNEDY. WATERS AND DIVE SIMPLY WENT FURTHER, AND TOOK THE PROTT TO AN EXTREME, TO THE REALMS OF ATHETIC TERRORISM AND ZERO-TASTE SHOCK. “OH MY GOD ALMIGHTY,” DIVE EXCLAIMS PK FLAMGOS. “SOMEBODY HAS SENT ME A BOWEL MOVEMENT!” (IN FACT, WAS DIVE’S OWN FEC. “HE SH THE BOX THE NIGHT BEFORE,” HIS STAR RMS . “IT REALLY DID STK.” THANKS FOR THE RMATN.)WATERS ADMTED TO THKG, “WHAT N WE DO THAT ISN’T AGAST THE LAW, YET?” THE ANSWER WAS FOR DIVE TO FOLLOW A DOG AROUND UNTIL FET, AND TO PICK UP THE FEC AND PUT HIS MOUTH, WHOUT CUTTG. IT WASN’T THE FN OF FUN FOR DIVE, BUT WATERS KNEW WOULD GET ATTENTN. “CUT! I DIDN’T MAKE HIM DO TWICE,” WATERS SAID. “I’M NOT A SADIST!” WORDS OF FORT.IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE FN OF FUN FOR CULT MOVIEGOERS, PECIALLY THOSE WHO ENJOY A GOOD CHALLENGE. THE ENDG HAS BEEN SHOWN TO DIENC WHILE THEY ATE CHOLATE. THEATERS GAVE OUT “PK PHLEGMGO” VOM BAGS. WATERS TOLD THE FILM CRIC DENNIS DERMODY THAT VOM WAS LIKE A STANDG OVATN, AND DERMODY, WHO WAS WORKG ONE OF THE THEATERS AT THAT TIME, SAID HE’D HAD TO CLEAN UP ABOUT THREE OVATNS A NIGHT. (THE FLUENCE OF WATERS AND PK FLAMGOS WERE EVEN BETTER FLHED OUT THE STEVE YEAGER DOCUMENTARY DIVE TRASH.)THE MOVIE MA DIVE A MIDNIGHT-MOVIE STAR. BUT HE HAD TROUBLE GETTG WORK, UNTIL HE MOVED TO NEW YORK AND WAS ABLE TO PALIZE ON STAGE, ACTG PLAYS AND PUTTG ON NONTATNAL EDY AND MIL SHOWS. “I GIVE BLOWJOBS TO SERIAL KILLERS!” HE ANNOUNCED ON STAGE. HE ALSO MA DIS-TECHNO MIC AS A “RERD PERFORMER,” HIS PRODUCER MARK BMAN SAID. “YOU N’T LL HIM A SGER.”NEVERTHELS HE WANTED TO PLAY MEN’S PARTS. DIVE WAS HIS PERSONA ONLY—HE NEVER WANTED TO BE A WOMAN. IT WAS A JOB. “THE MUTE HE WAS OFF MERA HE’D TAKE ALL THAT SH OFF,” WATERS SAID. HE WAS ABLE TO GET A FEW MALE ROL AROUND THE TIME HAIRSPRAY (1988) FOUND MASTREAM SUCCS. “IT’S REALLY DIVE’S MOVIE,” PLE KAEL WROTE THE NEW YORKER. “WHEN DIVE’S EDNA TURNBLAD IS ON-SCREEN THE SLEEVELS DRS SHE’S PARTIAL TO, THE MOVIE HAS SOMETHG LIKE THE LUNACY OF A W. C. FIELDS DRAG.” DIVE LOVED THE REVIEW.ALAS, AT HIS PEAK FAME AND SUCCS HE DIED OF AN ENLARGED HEART, JT THREE WEEKS AFTER HAIRSPRAY WAS RELEASED. DIVE HAD MIXED FEELGS ABOUT PK FLAMGOS— MA HIM FAMO YET NOTOR, AND DIFFICULT TO GET WORK AS A REAL ACTOR. EVEN WATERS HAS BEEN KNOWN TO DISMISS PK FLAMGOS AS “A KRGARTEN MOVIE.” BUT, AS I AM DIVE REMDS , THERE’S SO MUCH MORE TO SHOCK, PECIALLY WHEN YOU SHOCK FOR A REASON. A UNTRY THAT N’T EMBRACE A 300-POUND MAN WH PATED ANTENNAE AS EYEBROWS AND AN ELECTRIC-RED FISHTAIL DRS ISN’T A WORTHY ONE. ACCEPT DIVERSY OR PERISH, CELEBRATE DIFFERENC OR DIE—OR WORSE, LIVE A WORLD WHERE THERE’S ONLY GOOD TASTE. THANKFULLY, TRASH IS ALIVE AND WELL, AND WE HAVE DIVE TO THANK FOR . JIMMY SO
• WATCH: DIVE, GAY SENRS, BATHHOE, TRANS MALE PORN STAR HIGHLIGHT SXSW
• ‘I AM DIVE’ OFFERS INSIGHTFUL PORTRA OF GAY IN AND JOHN WATERS’ ME, NOW ON DVD/VOD

A TRIBUTE TO DIVE, HOLLYWOOD’S MOST INFAMO DRAG QUEENQUEER EYEA DOCUMENTARY AT LAST PAYS TRIBUTE TO DIVE, ONE OF THE MOST FLUENTIAL FIGUR DRAG AND GAY CULTURE. BY JIMMY SO.JIMMY SOUPDATED JUL. 11, 2017 6:50PM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 27, 2013 5:45AM EDT EVERETT COLLECTNONE OF THE MORE PECULIAR IRONI OF NOTORIETY IS THAT THE MORE A WORK IS HYPED AS NTROVERSIAL, THE LS LIKELY IS THAT YOU HAVE ACTUALLY SEEN THE FILM AND KNOW ENOUGH TO EXTOL OR CRY . PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TALKG ABOUT PK FLAMGOS EVER SCE NATURALISTS EXPECTG A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT BIRDS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO E OUT OF THE THEATER VOMG. BUT WHAT DO THE 1972 MOVIE ACTUALLY SHOW? POOP, WE’VE HEARD. SPECIFILLY, THE DRAG QUEEN DIVE EATG DOG POO AT THE FILM’S END. IT IS DIRECTOR JOHN WATERS’S “EXERCISE POOR TASTE,” AS WE’VE GATHERED OM THE TAG LE. IT IS A CULT MOVIE, A MP MOVIE, A NTROVERSIAL MOVIE, AND A PERVERSE MOVIE. BUT WHAT DO THAT ALL MEAN? IF YOU WERE TO ACTUALLY S DOWN AND WATCH PK FLAMGOS, YOU’D FD YOURSELF PLUNGED TO A LIBERATE WORLD OF WEIRD, AS TWO FAI PETE TO BE “THE FILTHIT PEOPLE ALIVE,” AND MAKE A N AT THE TLE OF BEG STUPIST AS WELL. THE FIRST THIRD OF A LIST OF THE FILM’S FENSIBLE ACTS WOULD GO SOMETHG LIKE THIS: IMPREGNATG KIDNAPPED WOMEN AND SELLG THE BABI TO LBIAN UPL, PEDDLG HERO NER-CY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, CSHG A LIVE CHICKEN WHILE HAVG SEX, FLEXG ONE’S AN TO THE SONG “SURF’ BIRD.” THE STAGED OFFENS ARE SO NUMERO THAT THEY BEE NUMBG ABUNDANCE.WHAT IS IMMUNE TO THIS LATG BOTTOM-FEEDG, AND WHOUT WHICH PK FLAMGOS WOULD BE DUMB AND DULL, IS THE MAGISM OF THE FILM’S STAR, THE 300-POUND DRAG QUEEN DIVE. IT ISN’T SIMPLY THAT HIS IMAGE IS MORE THAN OVER THE TOP. THAT CERTALY IS—THE CISIVE STEP WAS WHEN SMETICIAN VAN SMH SHAVED BACK DIVE’S HAIRLE ORR TO PUT ON AS MUCH OUTRAGEO EYE MAKP ON THAT LARGE FOREHEAD NVAS AS POSSIBLE. IT IS WHEN DIVE OPENS HIS MOUTH, AND THE PSYCHOTIC ANGER SI HIS VOICE MIX WH THIS MPY ANTI-BETY, THAT YOU UNRSTAND WHAT KD OF SURGENCY YOU ARE WNSG. IT WAS SIMPLY HIGH TIME FOR GAYS TO BE FUR AT THE STATE OF THGS. “PART OUTLAW, PART SERIAL KILLER,” JOSHUA GRANNELL (DRAG PERFORMER PEACH CHRIST) SCRIB THE CHARACTER JEFEY SCHWARZ’S NEW DOCUMENTARY I AM DIVE, WHICH OPENED NEW YORK THIS WEEK. “A CEMATIC TERRORIST,” STG DIRECTOR PAT MORAN REMARKED. SCHWARZ, WHO RURRECTED THE FOTTEN GAY FILM SCHOLAR VO RSO HIS FIRST DOCUMENTARY, VO, PRENTS ANOTHER LOVE LETTER AND SERVED TRIBUTE. WHAT BE EVINT IS THAT DIVE HAD A THRILLG APPEAL THAT WAS MORE THAN SCHLOCK SHOCK—HE HAD THE TALENT TO STILL A SENSE OF ANGER, SIRE, AND HUMOR THE DIENCE, HELPG TO PUT QUEER CULTURE ON THE MAP. HIS TRIUMPH WAS UNLIKELY, BUT HE MANAGED TO OVERE ATTEMPTS TO MARGALIZE QUEER CULTURE TO BEE AN IN OF PUNK AND DIS. IF HE WERE STILL ALIVE, WOULDN’T BE RUPL’S DRAG RACE TODAY. AS SOMEONE SAYS I AM DIVE, DIVE WOULD BE HOSTG THE SHOW.DIVE WAS BORN HARRIS GLENN MILSTEAD 1945 BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, A “GOOD LTLE BABY, ALWAYS HAD NICE MANNERS,” HIS MOTHER, FRANC, SAID. A PEDIATRICIAN TOLD HER THAT HE WAS MORE “FEM” THAN HE WAS MASCULE. THE CHUBBY GLENN ALSO LOVED TO EAT. WHEN HIGH SCHOOL THE WATERS MOVED DOWN THE STREET, JOHN AND GLENN BEME “TWO ENTWED PIEC OF ENERGY,” AS A IEND SAID. THE BT THG ABOUT SCHWARZ’S FILM IS HOW ENDLSLY QUOTABLE EVERYBODY IS. (DRAG STAR JACKIE BEAT ASKS OF DIVE AT ONE POT, “IS SHE GOG TO SCREW ME OR EAT ME?”) THE FUNNIT OF ALL OF THEM IS THE ALWAYS ARTICULATE WATERS, WHO SAID THAT HE AND GLENN DISVERED POT, AND “THAT’S WHAT CHANGED EVERYBODY … YOU HAD IRONY, ALL OF A SUDN!” THEY EVEN DROPPED LSD AND WATCHED THE INGMAR BERGMAN HORROR MOVIE HOUR OF THE WOLF, ALREADY A SURREAL TRIP S OWN RIGHT THAT YOU MENTALLY ENHANCE AT YOUR OWN PERIL. GLENN STARTED GOG TO DRAG BALLS WASHGTON, BUT STEAD OF BEG PRETTY AND TH, HE ULD ONLY BE OBNOX AND FAT. “THEY WERE SO SER ABOUT BEG SO PETIVE,” HE SAID. “I THOUGHT I WOULD JT HAVE FUN.” BUT HE DISVERED THAT HE RECEIVED SO MUCH MORE ATTENTN WEARG TIGHT CLOTHG— WAS MORE FUN MAKG FUN OF DRAG THAN ACTUALLY TRYG TO BE DRAG. WATERS BEGAN MAKG SHORT FILMS, AND ST GLENN ROMAN CANDL (1966), LLG HIM DIVE—BEE HE WAS JT THAT, A WAY. THE SCREEN NAME STUCK. (IN EAT YOUR MAKP HE EVEN PLAYED JACKIE KENNEDY, FIVE YEARS AFTER JFK WAS SHOT. “PEOPLE REALLY DIDN’T THK WAS FUNNY,” WATERS SAID.) IT WAS MULTIPLE MANIACS (1970) THAT HE FALLY GOT DIALOGUE, AND HIS CEMATIC AGGRSN WAS UNLEASHED. IN THE FILM, A YOUNG SCHOOLGIRL UNIFORM LLS DIVE SICK AND REPULSIVE. “YOU, MY AR, ARE AD!” DIVE REPLI, AND SHOOTS HER. THAT WAS THE SOUND OF OPEN WARFARE.“HOMOSEXUALS, BY AND LARGE, NSTUTE THE VANGUARD—AND THE MOST ARTICULATE DIENCE—OF CAMP,” SAN SONTAG POTED OUT HER BRILLIANT SAY “NOT ON ‘CAMP.’” CAMP SOUGHT TO PROTT ANY ADOPTN OF STYLE—’50S NVENTN, HIPPIE LOVE, UNTERCULTURAL GLAMOR—AS HIGHLY QUTNABLE. IT MA LIGHT OF STYLE. “OBVLY, S METAPHOR OF LIFE AS THEATER IS PECULIARLY SUED AS A JTIFITN AND PROJECTN OF A CERTA ASPECT OF THE SUATN OF HOMOSEXUALS.” DRAG EPOMIZED THIS PERFORMANCE-ART ASPECT OF GAY CULTURE. BUT DRAG, AS DIVE DISVERED DURG HIS VISS TO THE BALLS, FOUND SELF ADOPTG A STYLE OF S OWN MOCKERY OF, BUT BASED ON, OUTDATED STANDARDS OF BETY—MARILYN MONROE AND JACKIE KENNEDY. WATERS AND DIVE SIMPLY WENT FURTHER, AND TOOK THE PROTT TO AN EXTREME, TO THE REALMS OF ATHETIC TERRORISM AND ZERO-TASTE SHOCK. “OH MY GOD ALMIGHTY,” DIVE EXCLAIMS PK FLAMGOS. “SOMEBODY HAS SENT ME A BOWEL MOVEMENT!” (IN FACT, WAS DIVE’S OWN FEC. “HE SH THE BOX THE NIGHT BEFORE,” HIS STAR RMS . “IT REALLY DID STK.” THANKS FOR THE RMATN.)WATERS ADMTED TO THKG, “WHAT N WE DO THAT ISN’T AGAST THE LAW, YET?” THE ANSWER WAS FOR DIVE TO FOLLOW A DOG AROUND UNTIL FET, AND TO PICK UP THE FEC AND PUT HIS MOUTH, WHOUT CUTTG. IT WASN’T THE FN OF FUN FOR DIVE, BUT WATERS KNEW WOULD GET ATTENTN. “CUT! I DIDN’T MAKE HIM DO TWICE,” WATERS SAID. “I’M NOT A SADIST!” WORDS OF FORT.IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE FN OF FUN FOR CULT MOVIEGOERS, PECIALLY THOSE WHO ENJOY A GOOD CHALLENGE. THE ENDG HAS BEEN SHOWN TO DIENC WHILE THEY ATE CHOLATE. THEATERS GAVE OUT “PK PHLEGMGO” VOM BAGS. WATERS TOLD THE FILM CRIC DENNIS DERMODY THAT VOM WAS LIKE A STANDG OVATN, AND DERMODY, WHO WAS WORKG ONE OF THE THEATERS AT THAT TIME, SAID HE’D HAD TO CLEAN UP ABOUT THREE OVATNS A NIGHT. (THE FLUENCE OF WATERS AND PK FLAMGOS WERE EVEN BETTER FLHED OUT THE STEVE YEAGER DOCUMENTARY DIVE TRASH.)THE MOVIE MA DIVE A MIDNIGHT-MOVIE STAR. BUT HE HAD TROUBLE GETTG WORK, UNTIL HE MOVED TO NEW YORK AND WAS ABLE TO PALIZE ON STAGE, ACTG PLAYS AND PUTTG ON NONTATNAL EDY AND MIL SHOWS. “I GIVE BLOWJOBS TO SERIAL KILLERS!” HE ANNOUNCED ON STAGE. HE ALSO MA DIS-TECHNO MIC AS A “RERD PERFORMER,” HIS PRODUCER MARK BMAN SAID. “YOU N’T LL HIM A SGER.”NEVERTHELS HE WANTED TO PLAY MEN’S PARTS. DIVE WAS HIS PERSONA ONLY—HE NEVER WANTED TO BE A WOMAN. IT WAS A JOB. “THE MUTE HE WAS OFF MERA HE’D TAKE ALL THAT SH OFF,” WATERS SAID. HE WAS ABLE TO GET A FEW MALE ROL AROUND THE TIME HAIRSPRAY (1988) FOUND MASTREAM SUCCS. “IT’S REALLY DIVE’S MOVIE,” PLE KAEL WROTE THE NEW YORKER. “WHEN DIVE’S EDNA TURNBLAD IS ON-SCREEN THE SLEEVELS DRS SHE’S PARTIAL TO, THE MOVIE HAS SOMETHG LIKE THE LUNACY OF A W. C. FIELDS DRAG.” DIVE LOVED THE REVIEW.ALAS, AT HIS PEAK FAME AND SUCCS HE DIED OF AN ENLARGED HEART, JT THREE WEEKS AFTER HAIRSPRAY WAS RELEASED. DIVE HAD MIXED FEELGS ABOUT PK FLAMGOS— MA HIM FAMO YET NOTOR, AND DIFFICULT TO GET WORK AS A REAL ACTOR. EVEN WATERS HAS BEEN KNOWN TO DISMISS PK FLAMGOS AS “A KRGARTEN MOVIE.” BUT, AS I AM DIVE REMDS , THERE’S SO MUCH MORE TO SHOCK, PECIALLY WHEN YOU SHOCK FOR A REASON. A UNTRY THAT N’T EMBRACE A 300-POUND MAN WH PATED ANTENNAE AS EYEBROWS AND AN ELECTRIC-RED FISHTAIL DRS ISN’T A WORTHY ONE. ACCEPT DIVERSY OR PERISH, CELEBRATE DIFFERENC OR DIE—OR WORSE, LIVE A WORLD WHERE THERE’S ONLY GOOD TASTE. THANKFULLY, TRASH IS ALIVE AND WELL, AND WE HAVE DIVE TO THANK FOR . JIMMY SO

The first terpretatn of the Ganyme tale is born om the homosexual relatns that were acknowledged some ancient Greek stat. The relatnships were not what we would today ll homosexual.

Even as they emphasised the Christian msage of this scene, homosexual artists of the Renaissance were not bld to the more obv meang of the Ganyme myth. Some patrons may have requted a versn of the Ganyme myth as an exprsn of their homosexual sir. In poetry, plays, and even mon parlance, Ganyme me to stand for both paedophilic and homosexual tast.

WATCH: DIVE, GAY SENRS, BATHHOE, TRANS MALE PORN STAR HIGHLIGHT SXSW

Homosexualy the morn sense was only named and acknowledged the late neteenth century.

While many homosexual men had to rema gey about their love, there were some outspoken artists who were relatively open about their sir. Today his works, cludg a patg of Ganyme before he is rried off, are some of the few ma by a homosexual artist that explore the psychology of gay men. Dpe the ubiquy of Ganyme wtern art, his populary fell away the late neteenth century favour of another symbol for homosexual love.

It may be that openly displayg a work of Ganyme, wh all of s illic homosexual unrton, would too openly 'out' a llector as a Ganyme himself. For homosexual Grand Tourists, Anto proved irristible.

‘I AM DIVE’ OFFERS INSIGHTFUL PORTRA OF GAY IN AND JOHN WATERS’ ME, NOW ON DVD/VOD

In one of the most famo portras of Wckelmann, the great art historian and homosexual n be seen proudly examg an engravg of a statue of Anto. By the late neteenth century, Anto had e to replace Ganyme as the in of choice for gay art llectors. Yet the stori of the two gay ins ntued to speak to gay men.

It is no wonr the stori of Anto and Ganyme spoke strongly to gay men tim when their love was illegal. In the 'Gay Corner' of the Congrsnal Cemetery Washgton, you will fd the name of Anto scribed on an obelisk unr the shady branch of a cherry tree.