Stephen King Watched A Cult Classic Comedy For The First Time, And He Has Thoughts

When it first came out in 1988, John Waters’ Hairspray marked a huge change in direction for the filmmaker – a PG movie made in the wake of notorious titles like Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, and Polyester. The movie stars Ricki Lake as Tracy Turnblad, a peppy, plus-sized teenager who finds herself with the opportunity to promote integration when she successfully auditions to be a dancer on a TV show. While not exactly a box office smash hit, like many of Waters’ films it wound up gaining a massive cult following, and in 2002 it was adapted as a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.