John Waters on the red carpet

Things We Saw Today: John Waters Beautifully Cancels J.K. Rowling

John Waters is the kind of creator who’s not exactly known for worrying what people think. He pushes boundaries and makes sure he’s forcing audiences to see a new perspective with his work, and now, in a new profile with The New York Times, he broke down “cancel culture” and the one person he would still cancel: J.K. Rowling.

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“It’s a good thing we are not going retroactive here because practically every artist would be canceled, Waters said. “I have a thing about who I would cancel: J.K. Rowling. Give her some Preparation H for that transphobia. What’s the matter with her? There are people I would like to cancel, but at the same time I’m saying it humorously.”

But what’s interesting about the entire New York Time profile is that Waters is talking about using what would be deemed “cancelable” as a way of fighting back against opposing political views, but he also isn’t shaming anyone for finding some things harmful. He’s being very pragmatic about it, but I do appreciate that Waters, who has made a career out of pushing boundaries for the LGBTQ+ community, isn’t afraid to call out someone actively harming the trans community by weaponizing her platform.

(image: Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images for RFF)

Here are some other things we saw out there today:

  • Sandra Bullock is still embarrassed about Speed 2. (via People)
  • “President Vladimir Putin’s coat and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s t-shirts can be considered political statements.” (via NPR)
  • Tron 3 might still happen. (via /Film)

Anything we missed out there today, Mary Suevians? Let us know what you saw in the comments below!


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Rachel Leishman
Rachel Leishman (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at the Mary Sue. She's been a writer professionally since 2016 but was always obsessed with movies and television and writing about them growing up. A lover of Spider-Man and Wanda Maximoff's biggest defender, she has interests in all things nerdy and a cat named Benjamin Wyatt the cat. If you want to talk classic rock music or all things Harrison Ford, she's your girl but her interests span far and wide. Yes, she knows she looks like Florence Pugh. She has multiple podcasts, normally has opinions on any bit of pop culture, and can tell you can actors entire filmography off the top of her head. Her current obsession is Glen Powell's dog, Brisket. Her work at the Mary Sue often includes Star Wars, Marvel, DC, movie reviews, and interviews.