John Waters on holidays, shock value & politics

John Waters turned 69 in April, but he vividly recalls his first musical epiphany as a teenager.

“When I first heard ‘I Ain’t Got No Home’ by Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry, and heard him sing like a girl, I realized he was gay. And then when he started singing like a frog, it really confused me, because I thought he was a tri-sexual!” said the mustachioed movie director, laughing with delight at the memory.

Waters first made an impact in the 1970s with such cult favorites as “Pink Flamingos” and “Female Trouble,” which championed outrageously bad taste in almost unspeakable ways. He crossed over to the mainstream in the 1980s with the infectious “Hairspray,” which later became a hit Broadway musical.

“This is, in a way, the final era in my life, now that I am mainstream,” he said, speaking by phone from New York. “I don’t want to be an outsider. And you can’t be anarchist with three homes.”

The Baltimore native brings his annual John Waters Christmas Tour to town for a Monday show at SanDiego’s Observatory North Park. Here are excerpts from our recent interview.

Q: What seasonal holiday would you like to establish that doesn’t currently exist?

A: Dominating Mother’s Day, or Absent Father’s Day.

Q: What holiday would you like to abolish?

A: All the ones that are on Mondays that are fake holidays. The holidays when my assistants say they want to take off work, yet I have to work, like Veteran’s Day and Columbus Day. Not that I’m against veterans, (but) they should be half-a-day holidays.

Q: Had anyone told you 40 years ago, or even 20 years ago, that you’d be doing an annual Christmas tour, how would you have reacted?

A: It wouldn’t have surprised me. I think I wrote about Christmas 29 years ago in my book ‘Crackpot.’ I’ve had a Christmas party for 40 years. So it really wouldn’t have surprised me. I did spoken word from the very beginning, since I went to college.

Q: How much do you vary the Christmas shows from year to year?

A: Well, I keep adding new material. In fact, I’ve written new material and was rehearsing it this morning.

Q: Let’s throw caution to the wind and assume Bernie Sanders is elected president. He asks you to select the music for his inauguration. What do you choose, and why?

A: He won’t get elected… Oh what would be the most socialistic music? I don’t know. I’d have to come up with something everybody would like, which would be almost impossible. Has Bernie ever seen my movies? Hmm. I think Bill Clinton has. Hillary has not. I don’t know about Bernie.

Q: Let’s say Bernie Sanders becomes president and decides to make you one of his cabinet members. Which position would you choose, and what would be your first order of business?

A: Well, I’d be president and get rid of him! I would have ‘Hairspray’ stamps and let the government pay for (making) movies. No, I wouldn’t want to be president, really. The only reason to be president is to jack up your speaking fees after you get out of office. I don’t dislike Bernie, but of all the candidates this year, I’m voting for Hillary. Because, as I’ve written, I want Bill Clinton to be the First Lady, like Mamie Eisenhower or Lady Bird Johnson, baking pies. I do fear Chris Christie could team up with Barbara Bush, and say: ‘To hell with Michele Obama! We’re putting soft drinks back in public schools.’

Q: You were ahead of the transgender curve by four decades, movie-wise.

A: Thank you. I was, with ‘Pink Flamingos.’

Q: Is it harder to shock people today, and does it matter either way?

A: Well, if you’re trying to just shock people, it’s old hat and it’s usually not funny. If you’re using shock as a tool to get people’s attention, and do it with wit, it’s good. When I started, there were so many rules to break. Now, there are hardly any.

Q: Have you ever been surprised at some unlikely fans of your work?

A: When “Hairspray” was on Broadway, and George Bush Sr. and Barbara Bush came one night, and they were twisting (in the audience), I didn’t know how to respond to that.

A John Waters Christmas

When: 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30

Where: Observatory North Park, University Ave., North Park

Tickets: $45 (general admission); $100 (Gold Circle); must be 21 or older to attend

Online: observatorysd.com