Back in December, alleged assassin Luigi Mangione went viral not just for being the person of interest in a high-profile murder case, but for becoming the internet’s latest crush. (Rumors of his bisexuality only fanned those thirsty flames.)
But despite the gays’ apparent overwhelming attraction, one famous filmmaker isn’t on the same page: John Waters, who sounded off on the internet’s Mangione obsession in a new interview with PAPER Magazine.
“I mean, he’s not that cute. He’s alright,” Waters said of Mangione. “I did say in one of my early books, ‘Everybody looks better under arrest.’ I think that has something to do with it. But yeah, it is a phenomenon. Another phenomenon.”
Indeed, while some folks on the internet took offense to Water’s disdain for their favorite heartthrob (or celebrated him for sharing their own unpopular opinion), others made the connection to his 1974 film Female Trouble, which followed drag legend Divine entering a life of crime.
Culture, unfiltered
Our newsletter will bring you the pulse of queer culture, from the tastemakers to the groundbreakers.
Related
Remember Jonathan Bailey’s “Cock” era? We promise, it’s not as filthy as it sounds.
“I’m throwing myself at his feet,” she added. “I’ll do anything to get the part. And I mean anything.”
all I know is that’s he’s cuter than him— pic.twitter.com/5fV18jWZNt
— cuntyLISA⸆⸉💚 (@cuntylisaaa) January 7, 2025
Given that Waters has explored the public fascination with criminals before, might he have a cinematic take on Mangione up his sleeve? The interviewer told Waters that the internet has fancasted James Franco in the part and suspect that Ryan Murphy will be the one to bring Mangione’s story to the screen.
“I mean, I love James Franco. I understand why people were talking about Ryan Murphy,” Waters said. “There were all sorts of comments on the John Waters websites, everybody using lines from all my movies about him, which were kind of clever. ‘Crime is beauty,’ and all those lines from Female Trouble.”
But Waters isn’t interested in tackling Magione’s story himself. “I covered that. I made Serial Mom as a parody of that decades ago. So I’ve already done that,” he said.
Sign up for the INTO newsletter and get your twice-weekly dose of stories that shape the queer experience, culture, and lifestyle.
