Have we lost camp forever to the Trump administration and the Republicans? I know what you’re thinking, surely that can’t be! Camp is ours– the outsiders, the marginalized, the queers, the weirdoes, the outcasts! That’s our aesthetic and they can’t have it! Well, I’ve got some bad news. There was no way to witness the … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Camp
The Hysterical Agony And The Ecstasy Of “Supermarket Sweep”: A (Mostly) Photo Essay
Is there anything more beautiful than the dual glee and panic of a boxy silhouette of tapered jeans and blinding billowing Technicolor sweaters hurtling down a supermarket aisle as if shot from a cannon in search of a specially marked bottle of Tide? Is there anything more inspiring than a blur of Dep shellacked and … Continue reading
“Stonewall” Is A Putrid Pride Stinker That Should Never Be Forgotten
A brick appears in his hand as if by magic. This corn-fed white cis straight-passing Ken doll in a torn Gap T-shirt fresh off the bus from Indiana looks down, realizing that history has its eyes on him–not the gender-nonconforming street kids of color he just met and whose brick he just swiped. No, this … Continue reading
Madonna’s Disturbing Quarantine Instagram Presence Is The Most Transgressive Thing She’s Done Since “Erotica”
A long needle, syringes, gauze and other medical equipment lie strewn on a blood-splattered table. An X-ray of a hip joint. A photograph of an unidentifiable piece of flesh covered in bruises and needle pricks. These were the disturbing images that flickered by after I cautiously committed to watching Madonna’s Instagram stories earlier this week. … Continue reading
Filthy Dreams’ Mary Me Valentine’s Day Music Playlist
Happy Valentine’s Day! Feeling the need to drop to a knee at the first person who makes eye contact with you? Feeling into your pockets to ensure that your emergency engagement ring is still there? Tempted to slip a roofie into a punch bowl with fingers crossed? Stealing Valentines from others, only to argue that … Continue reading
The 2020 State Of The Union Was A Trashy Daytime Talk Show
Donald Trump isn’t a reality television show president. Or I guess I should say, he isn’t only a reality show president. Reality television is an unforgettable part of his rise, climbing to power through Apprentice boardroom meetings with weathered has-beens like Vince Neil, Gary Busey and Meatloaf, not to mention tacky tchotchkes and branded opportunities … Continue reading
‘Cats’ Is My Favorite Cinematic Failure Of All Time
There’s something spectacular about failure. Of course, it’s no surprise that I think that. As most of you faithful Filthy Dreams readers know, I have a soft spot for failure, from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ atrocious album Nocturama, David Bowie’s unbearable pirate song “Red Sails” to Tennessee Williams’ putrid paintings. Even our blessed … Continue reading
Aren’t We Special?: Filthy Dreams’s 10 Most-Read Essays Of 2019
Why hello there, faithful Filthy Dreams denizens! The beautiful people who keep our humble tribute to trash alive! The fuel that keeps our fanatical fires burning! Yes, that’s right–where and what would we be without YOU?! You should really give yourself a round of applause, treat yourself to some terribly ill-advised shot of well liquor … Continue reading
Filthy Dreams’s 2019 Psychotic Break Shopping Spree Holiday Gift Guide
Ho Ho HooooooooWHOAA! Hello there, cheeriest Filthy Dreams Christmas cookies! What’s that? What am I doing? Well, I’m just making a list and checking it twice. No, not my shopping list! Planning is for fools! And who wants to plot too far in advance about the gifts you’re giving to OTHER people this holiday season?! … Continue reading
Kill Yr Idols: What The Fuck Happened To Our Preeminent Filth Elder John Waters?
Are our idols destined to inevitably disappoint us? Are our role models preordained to fall short of our astronomical expectations? While some of our role models are known for their, at times, offensive outbursts (and we love them all the more for it), others have been so formative to our pathological world view that when … Continue reading