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John Waters Went to a Nine Inch Nails Concert Just to Look at the Audience
Filmmaker John Waters recently discussed attending a Nine Inch Nails concert in Anaheim, revealing that his primary interest lay in watching and appreciating the audience rather than the band itself. Speaking on the podcast La Culturistas, Waters expressed admiration for the energy, appearance, and enjoyment displayed by younger concertgoers at the show.
At 80 years old, Waters reflected on being frequently the oldest attendee at such events and pushed back against generational gatekeeping. He rejected the common refrain from peers claiming that their era had superior entertainment, characterising such complaints as stemming from a lack of engagement with contemporary culture rather than objective reality.
In short
- Filmmaker John Waters attended a Nine Inch Nails concert in Anaheim to observe the audience rather than focus on the band's performance
- The 80-year-old praised the youthful energy and appearance of concertgoers, noting he's often the oldest person at such events
- Waters criticised generational peers for dismissing contemporary culture, arguing they simply lack understanding rather than having experienced better entertainment
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those who share Waters' perspective argue that complaints about contemporary entertainment's quality chiefly reflect generational disengagement rather than objective decline. By genuinely engaging with modern culture and observing younger audiences' authentic enthusiasm, one often discovers real artistic value in the present. The assumption that entertainment was superior in one's youth typically indicates reluctance to invest effort in understanding contemporary culture rather than any demonstrable superiority of past eras.
The case against
The opposing view contends that observing genuine changes in entertainment production, musicianship, or cultural significance need not constitute gatekeeping or nostalgia—it can reflect considered aesthetic judgment about real differences between eras. One can celebrate contemporary culture and younger people's genuine enjoyment of it whilst acknowledging that different periods represent different trade-offs in artistic creation and consumption, not simply linear progress or decline.
Explained simply
John Waters is an 80-year-old filmmaker known for his provocative films exploring transgression and outsider culture. Throughout his decades-long career, he has maintained engagement with countercultural and unconventional artistic movements. He recently attended a Nine Inch Nails concert, an industrial rock band, in Anaheim and later discussed the experience on the podcast La Culturistas.
Waters has explained that his primary interest at the concert was observing the audience rather than watching the performers. He expressed appreciation for the energy and enthusiasm of the younger concertgoers attending the show. He reflected on frequently being the oldest person present at such events.
The filmmaker used the concert visit to comment on generational attitudes towards contemporary culture. Waters rejected the common claim from his contemporaries that entertainment from their era was superior to what exists today. He suggested that such complaints often reflect a lack of engagement with modern culture rather than any genuine decline in artistic quality.