John Waters
In Episode 7 (“A Town Without Pity”) of the documentary podcast series Finding Fire Island, legendary filmmaker John Waters brings his trademark sharp, affectionate humor to the history of the famed queer enclave.
While Fire Island – particularly The Pines – is often defined by its sleek “Muscle Mary” party culture, Waters reminisces about a much more radical, eccentric era. Reflecting on his own outsider identity, he quips:
“Even at the height of when I looked the best, I never was a ‘Muscle Mary’… To me, the hippie gay thing, the Cockettes and all that, was more radical and to my liking than, say, clones.”
Recalling early trips to the island with his iconic muse Divine, Waters fondly remembers taking $25 seaplane flights where you’d “land in the water and wade ashore with your luggage,”describing the chaotic entrance as “very glamorous… like being in a Tarzan movie.” He celebrates Fire Island as a haven for artists, lunatics, and subversives, comparing its timeless, isolated charm to his long-held haven, Provincetown:
“I love weird little communities that almost no one can understand if you don’t go there.”
Beyond the nostalgia, Waters offers candid commentary on how the HIV/AIDS crisis fundamentally shaped older generations of LGBTQ+ people, observing:
“That’s the main thing: If you’re older, you remember that, and you can never convey what that was like to young people.”
He ultimately speaks out against gay separatism, arguing that the best cultural evolution happens when different generations and subcultures mix rather than isolate.
Created and hosted by Jess Rothschild in partnership with the Fire Island Pines Historical Society, Finding Fire Island is available to stream on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.
