John Waters in Die Zeit

John Waters talks German with Die Zeit.

I really like his take on the word “Trash” and the definition of “good bad taste” and “bad bad taste”. Thanks h. aus f. for the link.

“Das Wort »Trash« mochte ich nie. Es klingt, als ob sich zwei alte Schwule in einem Antiquitätenladen über Rita Hayworth unterhalten.”

“Guter schlechter Geschmack blickt zu seinem Objekt auf und macht sich nicht darüber lustig. Er hängt nicht von Geld oder Bildung ab. Ein älteres Ehepaar, das vor seinem Wohnwagen sitzt und auf rosa Blechflamingos blickt, ist einfach schön. Das ist guter schlechter Geschmack. Der Yuppie, der diese Figuren in seinem Garten aufstellt, macht sich hingegen über die Menschen lustig, denen sie gefallen. Der beste schlechte Geschmack besteht darin, sich völlig ohne Ironie schlecht anzuziehen. Diese Leute wissen oft gar nicht, wie großartig sie aussehen. Und der schlechteste schlechte Geschmack besteht darin, sich verbissen für geschmackvoll zu halten. Schauen Sie sich Victoria Beckham an. Sie sieht immer aus, als hätte sie gerade etwas Schlechtes gerochen.”

Fancy Lezzies

Wendy & Lisa gave a candid interview to out.com. They’re talking about their relationship, recording with Grace Jones, their time with Prince in The Revolution and recording an album with Trevor Horn in the 90ties which did not get released, partly because of his homophobic remarks.
I love how they describe Prince as a “fancy lesbian” and getting more upset phone calls from him everytime they share some purple memories.

The ladies new album White Flags of Winter Chimneys is available from Wendy & Lisa”™s web site.

Did you first think Prince was gay?
Lisa: He was little and kinda prissy and everything. But he”™s so not gay.
Wendy: He”™s a girl, for sure, but he”™s not gay. He looked at me like a gay woman would look at another woman.
Lisa: Totally. He”™s like a fancy lesbian.
Wendy: I remember being at that “œSexuality” video shoot and him on stage with that little black jacket and that tie thing around his neck and his black pants with white buttons on the side. And we looked at each other for the first time and I thought, “œOh, I could so fall in love with that girl easy.” It doesn”™t matter what sexuality, gender you are. You”™re in the room with him and he gives you that look and you”™re like, “œOkay, I”™m done. It”™s over.” He”™s Casanova. He”™s Valentino.

Wendy: We had an amazing month with [Jones] in our home writing “œWilliams”™ Blood,” becoming friends, and being bizarre divas. We had to pick her up when she woke up in the morning, and the morning to her was like 6 PM.
Lisa: She gets in the back seat of the car and of course we have to stop to buy bottles of champagne. She wanted to play the bass. She kind of couldn”™t, but she could groove like nobody”™s business on one note. She started to sing and I wish I could”™ve seen my own face. I was like —
Wendy and Lisa in near unison: Oh my God, it”™s Nightclubbing! [Jones”™s classic 1981 disco-punk album with the hit “œPull Up to the Bumper”]

Read the full interview on out.com

New Interview with Helmut Berger

There is a new interview with Helmut Berger at faz.net. Below is just the beginning of the very entertaining conversation. After the first two or three questions, the Visconti actor asks the journalist if he knows dingleberries, using the Austrian slang wintercherries. And it just gets better from there.

Mr. Berger acts in a soon to be released low budget film, Blutsfreundschaft.

Sie haben ein aufregendes Leben hinter sich . . .
HB: Jetzt beginnt die Gehirnoperation.

Ruhm, Rausch, Ekstase . . .
HB: Ecstasy.

Über Ihren Drogenkonsum haben Sie in Ihrer Autobiographie ausführlich berichtet.
HB: Jetzt fang mal an!

Der Ruhm ist verblasst, dem Rausch folgte Ernüchterung. Worüber können Sie sich heute noch freuen?
HB: Ich finde, dass jeder Tag eine Freude bringen kann. Man weiß es nicht vorher. Wenn ich jetzt sage, ich freue mich auf Kirschen, kann es sein, dass ich morgen, wenn ich Kirschen sehe, lieber Pfirsiche mag.
Kennen Sie Winterkirschen?

Nein.

HB: Die kann man nicht essen. Man kann auch kein Kompott daraus machen. (“Winterkirschen” laut Österreichischem Wörterbuch: “Kotstücke an den Arschhaaren”) Aber darüber wollen wir nicht reden. Mach weiter!

(Thanks Gregor)

London Interviews

# Interview recorded with Viktor & Rolf during the final week of their exhibition at London’s Barbican Gallery: Inside the House of Viktor & Rolf

# Interviews with Head of Press and In-house Architect of Maison Martin Margiela at the opening of the new London boutique. There was a strict “no face photography” policy at the event.

Interview with Jean-Paul Lespagnard for Mode Depesche

The new issue of Mode Depesche has just been released. The cover of the fashion magazine features model and actress Marisa Berenson (granddaughter of famous fashion designer Elisa Schiaparelli). You may remember Marisa from her roles in Barry Lydon or Visconti’s Death in Venice. Of course there are many photos of her. I only want to point you to the cover of Vogue (July 1970), together with Helmut Berger.
Also, there is an interview with Peter Berlin done by Claus.

Anyway, at the beginning of July I did a short trip to Brussels to meet up with designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard to talk about his latest collections, French fries, obsessions and Madonna’s death.

Pictures of his work and the interview after the jump.

Continue reading “Interview with Jean-Paul Lespagnard for Mode Depesche”

John

John Waters by Nan Goldin
John Waters by Nan Goldin
From a New York feature & interview
(The letters are a gift from Paul Reubens aka Pee-wee Herman)

At present he is juggling work on an upcoming art show for his dealer, Marianne Boesky, with getting financing for Fruitcake and writing a book. “œIt”™s called Role Models, and it”™s a self-portrait where I write profiles of other people and how much I love them and how much they changed my life and influenced me””famous people, criminals, people you”™ve never heard of.”

Just Fine

Dear Readers, In recent weeks I felt a bit dull, especially when it came to blogging. I wasn’t feeling it, nothing excited me. Now, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel. I’m talking about an inspiring interview, which I’ve read today.

Mary J. Blige talks to MTV about her new album, Growing Pains (due Dec 18), and the first single, Just Fine (couldn’t resist highlighting):

“So many people are like, ‘I’m perfect.’ I’m so imperfect, that’s why I’m able to let everything out and let people see everything. ‘Cause I’m just a mess like every other person that’s a mess out there. (…) So as long as I’m a human being and I’m not perfect, I’m able to say I’m having some growing pains. Because in order to sustain where you are once you made such a breakthrough that everyone is looking at you, now everyone is like, ‘Ooh, is she gonna make a mistake?’ Yes, I’m going to make a mistake. Yes, I’m still gonna do things. And that’s what Growing Pains is about, it’s about finally not whining about the pain, Mary J. Blige, and accepting the pain that comes with growing.

makin waves

“‘Just Fine’ was written based on me having a good day,” Blige explained. “You know, I can have 30 or 40 [bad days]. I can have as many bad days as anyone. But I choose to say, ‘I’m just fine.’ Right now. You know those days when your hair looks good, you’re not sitting in traffic, your man’s not acting like an idiot. You’re just fine. So it’s OK to have those days. So instead of coming with something ungrateful to the universe, how about I come with something first that’s says, ‘You know what? It’s OK. Enjoy this day if you’re having a great day.’ ”

boy drag

“Feel Like a Woman” (…) she said, is based on the idea that it’s OK for women to receive gifts from men and that they shouldn’t be called gold diggers for it. “Sometimes you got to enjoy him splurging on you,” she said.

Just Fine Fine Fine Fine Fine, was produced by the The Dream and Tricky Stewart, the team responsible for Umbrella Ella Ella. Makes Sense? It doesn’t stop here, the videos to both songs are directed by Chris Applebaum. The video to Just Fine had its premiere today.

just dancin'

Imagine Peace Tower

For the inauguration of the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland, democracynow.org has an hour long interview with Yoko Ono. Dedicated to John Lennon, the tower shoots light into the sky and bears the inscription “œImagine Peace.” It will light up every year between October 9th, the day of Lennon’s birth, and December 8th, the day of his death.

Watch the interview here.
Thanks Alex.

Imagine

Peace

Tower

IMAGINE PEACE