12/25/2023 0 Comments Divine drag queen![]() In that sense, his ''big broad'' characterization is emotionally cathartic, the result of growing up fat and unpopular in the Baltimore suburb of Lutherville. Divine just happens to be one of those internalized people who lets it all hang out when onstage or in front of a camera. It`s a part I play, and I`ve never confused the two.'' ''They all say, `you`re so nice,` like they`re surprised. ''I don`t know if they (people in general) expect me to walk in on my head and puke,'' the actor says, referring to the contrast between his real and celluloid images. Weighing in at slightly less than 300 pounds, with sallow skin and a husky voice, his puffiness made him look like a cross between a eunuch who had passed his prime and the Uncle Fester character on ''The Munsters.'' But his personality proved to be eons removed from his celluloid persona. About 5 foot 10, balding, with a fringe of white hair, Divine was wearing a striped dress shirt, black pants and lavender socks. Interviewed in his manager`s trendily tasteful apartment (Warhol serigraphs on the wall, soothing color scheme and expensive knickknacks scattered all around) on New York`s Upper West Side, Divine was, except for his zebra-striped slip-on, dressed as conservatively as any overweight stockbroker. The camp element also tends to make Divine`s real appearance something of a shock. The camp element especially is something out of the ordinary, this big man playing a sexy woman.'' She`s her own person, and a lot of people like that. ![]() ''Sometimes she`s too bold, but she has socially redeeming qualities, no matter what she does. ''The character is a real person,'' says Divine. A bizarre combination of sexual perversity, avant-garde sensibility and camp attitudes, Divine became a favorite on the midnight movie scene and a highly sought-after performer in nightclubs. forever.(''Female Trouble,'' ''Polyester'' and others), Divine was just that: loud, raucous and foulmouthed, dressed garishly, with makeup that seemed to owe more to embalming techniques than a department store cosmetics counter. There’s no figure quite as iconic as her, and her makeup and hair will be committed to our memories…. Simply put, Divine set the standard for eras of drag to come. ![]() If you’ve ever seen the original Hairspray (1988), you’ve seen Divine in action too: she played Edna Turnblad, mother of Ricki Lake’s character Tracy Turnblad. Divine’s character lives in a trailer and explicit activities ensue.īeyond working with Waters, Divine would go on to perform at the likes of Andy Warhol’s Factory and Studio 54. Part of what Waters dubbed the “Trash Trilogy,” ( Female Trouble (1974), Desperate Living (1977), the film stars Divine as a criminal named Babs Johnson, who is proud to be “the filthiest person alive”. It’s possible the most famous film from Divine’s career would be Pink Flamingos. With a backdrop of wildly trashy content, Divine’s aesthetic became a must-have in the surreal realm of John Waters. She opted for intrinsically feminine clothing and gave it her own twist. To kick up the wild aesthetic even more, Divine often wore skin tight, body-con dresses and mini skirts. With over-the-top eye makeup that was applied nearly up to the brow by makeup artist Van Smith, Divine’s large frame made her a standout. Together, the two would decide to shave her hairline back, nearly to the middle of her head. Waters also had a hand in creating Divine’s rather unusual look in his films. And he who also called her, “the most beautiful woman in the world, almost.” Her look has been never been replicated, and she’s an unconventional style icon for the ages. ![]() ![]() In fact, it was Waters who gave Divine her now-iconic moniker. The duo were destined to be longterm collaborators. The Baltimore-born queen was born with the birth name of Harris Glenn Milstead in 1945, and met John Waters (also a Baltimore native) as a teenager. Divine: drag queen extraordinaire, John Waters Muse, ultimate queen: call her what you will. ![]()
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