In every crisis an opportunity, it is said. This one affords several: at the global level, maybe it will help kick off anthropocentric animal husbandry, realize that, if we really want to, there's a lot we can do to mitigate the climate emergency, implement and widen long-term telecommuting and transition to a post-growth economy. At the personal level, the impression of living in a real-life Black Mirror episode, commuting to work just half of the time, not wearing a tie (although I just realized I'm the only one doing this…) and maybe, just maybe, writing more assiduous MacMahonian reviews. No promises here, just good intentions, and to hell with regressive moaners who obtusely insist they pave the road there. So here goes Hairspray, courtesy of a recent double feature session at my beloved Cinemateca (closed because of COIV-19, btw, so it's not all smooth sailing…)
Hairspray was the 5th feature film directed by John Waters, prominent figure of last century's Baltimore underground and trash/camp film supremo who half-crossed over to the mainstream with his previous (to Hairspray) feature Polyester in1981. Hairspray was Waters' second film to achieve wide circulation and the first to cash noticeable box office: over 8 MUSD, quite robust for an independent production back in the day.
Hairspray is a comedy of racial segregation and interracial love set in early 60s Baltimore, story told mostly as an afterthought to a serious of radio dance routines and kitchen sink period pieces that effortlessly succeed each other on the screen for our viewing and, if early 60s Rock and Roll and R&B are your thing (they are mine), listening pleasure.
Hairspray is a lo budget masterpiece: I can't recall a film which, by the looks of it, got more bang for the buck since the beginning of the talkies. That, a “who cares” scriptwriting attitude and cameos by Debbie Harry (as soccer mom avant la letter) and Pia Zadora and Rick Ocasek (as cartoon beatnicks) provide for viewing both entertaining and educational the likes of which I suspect Bertolt Brecht wouldn't have disapproved of.
Re educational, an eloquent if depressing note: early 60s racism as depicted in late 80s comedy, as portrayed, for instance, in the hilarious scene of a suburban middle-aged woman stranded in a black neighbourhood hysterically terrified as if she was in Zombieland, to the uproarious amusement of the resident population, bears striking resemblance with the worst type of early 2020s racism. Now as then, it springs less of bigotry than of ignorance.