But from Chappell Roan to The Little Mermaid, he has had a significant impact on popular culture.
Divine was a unique kind of drag queen. Long before RuPaul’s Drag Race popularized the art form, in the 1970s and 1980s, this provocative singer, actress, and cultural disruptor was forging a path that is still very relevant today. Shoulder to Shoulder: A Queer History of Solidarity, Coalition, and Chaos author Jake Hall adds, “We’ve seen Divine’s work bleed into fashion, music, and film, particularly through the trashy aesthetic he pioneered with director John Waters.
This year, pop sensation Chappell Roan and Rihanna have both made references to Divine’s characteristic drag makeup, which consists of pencil-thin eyebrows drawn in a dangerously high arch. Roan shared pictures of her Divine-inspired ensemble and cited a well-known remark from the actress’s 1972 movie Pink Flamingos: “My politics are filth! “My life is filth.”
Drag culture, which was once largely conservative, was greatly impacted by the trashy splendor of Alamy Divine (Credit: Alamy). Previously very conservative, drag culture was greatly impacted by the trashy glamour of Alamy Divine (Credit: Alamy).
The young director welcomed Divine as a muse when they first met as youngsters in a Baltimore suburb.
