Why John Waters performed plastic surgery on Lassie: “Their weird is different from ours”
There are outlandish filmmakers, there are controversial filmmakers, and then there’s John Waters. The cultiest of cult directors, the queer icon has been challenging norms and breaking down societal barriers ever since he burst onto the scene in the early 1970s. Few scenes in cinema history are as shocking yet gripping as Divine eating dog faeces in Pink Flamingos, a testimony to Waters’ ability to push the boat out and wage war on paper-thin ideals of good taste.
From a young age, Waters knew he was different and knew he wanted something outside of the parameters of a ‘normal’ life. Outside of his professional work, Waters’ personal endeavours are just as wild. He took copious amounts of drugs during his youth, including but not limited to LSD, with his only regret seemingly his former cigarette habit. He once advocated for the parole of Manson family member Leslie Van Houten, and then there are his ventures into the art world.
A talented photographer, Waters’ work has been exhibited worldwide. He’s also a collector, favouring pop artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. In 2020, he donated over 350 pieces to the Baltimore Museum of Art on one condition—they name a gender-neutral bathroom after him. Never change, John.
During an interview with The Guardian in 2015, a journalist was invited to view some of Waters’ efforts. The ones that stood out the most were a trifecta of Photoshopped pieces of famous faces following botched plastic surgery. The three victims were Waters himself, Justin Beiber, and canine movie star Lassie.
“Old people and young have work done… What’s the next step? Pets.”
John waters
The poor pup had been completely butchered at the director’s hand; her face stretched to a comically thin length; her eyes shrunk and eyebrows raised and arched; her mouth smothered in what appeared to be a hideous black lipstick. If you have any affection for Lassie – or dogs of any kind, for that matter – then it’s enough to make you feel a little queasy.
When asked why a non-human was subjected to this sort of treatment, the ‘Pope of Trash’ had a very succinct answer. “Old people and young have work done,” he said. “What’s the next step? Pets.” In a description of the piece, entitled ‘Reconstructed Lassie’, for the Marianne Boesky Gallery, Waters added, “There will be facelifts for pets. I’m sure there already are. I keep reading that boys and girls are getting facelifts when they’re 12. So these things happen. All of these things are not that odd.”
As dubious as his claims of underage facelifts may be, Waters makes an interesting point with this piece and its wider collection. His three subjects – an old man, a teenager, and a dog – are not the typical audience for plastic surgery. His grotesque exploitation of their faces is intentionally uncomfortable, designed to encourage self-reflection amongst an adult audience. If we’re not comfortable letting a surgeon go to work on these demographics, ones that might be viewed as ‘vulnerable’ by some, then why are we ok with letting them do it to anyone? As Waters himself puts it, “In Beverly Hills, some people would say that looks good. Their weird is different from ours.”
Considering how confrontational his films are, it isn’t the least bit unusual that Waters’ art is any less abrasive. Long may he continue to confront the things in life that he thinks don’t make sense – one Photoshopped dog at a time.
