Does Divine actually eat real dog shit in ‘Pink Flamingos’?
American director John Waters has always been a subversive figure in the film industry, garnering a cult following through his often shocking and always camp movies. Beginning with his 1964 short film, Hag in a Black Leather Jacket, which features an interracial couple married by a Ku Klux Klan member, Waters established early on that he’s not afraid to be controversial.
The director frequently collaborated with a set of actors that became known as his Dreamlanders, such as Mink Stole, Cookie Mueller, Mary Vivian Pearce and Bob Skidmore. However, Divine became Waters’ most iconic collaborator, known for his outrageous drag queen persona, indulging in all things trashy and offensive. Born Harris Glenn Milstead, the pair met through mutual friends, with Waters’ giving the drag queen the name Divine, inspired by the character from Jean Genet’s Our Lady of the Flowers.
Divine starred in Waters’ second film, Roman Candles, playing a smoking nun. The actor continued to work with Waters over the coming years, starring in The Diane Linkletter Story, Mondo Trash and Multiple Maniacs. Each film was controversial in its own way, with the latter featuring a scene that involved Divine masturbating with a rosary while sitting in a church. Waters’ goal of shocking conservative American society was certainly achieved through his work, although, due to the avant-garde nature of his films, they never received a widespread release. Instead, Waters and Divine became underground icons and figures of American counterculture.
However, the pair attracted greater attention upon releasing Pink Flamingos, which remains one of the most controversial films in cinema history. The film featured the tagline “an exercise in poor taste”, which was quite an understatement. Waters crammed as many provocative and stomach-turning moments into the script as possible, even producing a ‘Pink Phlegm-ingo Barf Bag’ that was used during certain screenings.
Divine stars as a criminal, working under the name Babs Johnson, living in a trailer with her mother, son and friend, Cotton. Labelled “the filthiest person alive”, Divine faces competition from Connie and Raymond Marble, who are desperate to earn the title for themselves. Throughout the film, the characters engage in countless disgusting and explicit behaviours, from rape to murder and incest.
Pink Flamingos is notable for depicting an unsimulated blowjob – one of the earliest examples of real sex on screen. However, Waters ensured audiences were thoroughly shocked by what they saw by having Divine perform the act on her on-screen son, Crackers. Yet, that was just one of many startling moments in the movie. Pink Flamingos is also well-known for its shit-eating scene, in which Divine appears to consume real dog dirt to maintain the title of “filthiest person alive”.
The question has plagued viewers for years – did Divine really eat authentic dog shit? Waters explained to Rolling Stone: “I guess it’s one of the most famous scenes I ever shot. Certainly, no one ever tried to do it again. It was a first, a last and pointless! Infantile! No special effects – it was real. And it frightens people to this day. [Divine] would try to explain it. I didn’t eat it. It made it worse! I mean, he brushed his teeth immediately. It wasn’t like he walked around.”
Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Waters said: “It was a publicity stunt, basically, and one that would frighten hippies. Divine liked the idea of causing trouble. We were all potheads, so the idea made us laugh.” He also stated that “the dog came to the premiere.”
Divine was so dedicated to the role that he was willing to do the unspeakable, resulting in a disgustingly iconic scene that has gone down as one of the grossest in cinema history.
