“Don’t Dream It, Be It” - Queerness, Camp, and Community
- Robert Nagby
- Sep 28
- 1 min read
One of the reasons The Rocky Horror Show endures is its unapologetic embrace of queerness. In 1973, Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s declaration of being a “sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania” was radical. Today, it still resonates as a celebration of fluid identity and self-expression.
The show also embodies camp, a performance style that exaggerates, parodies, and revels in excess. As Susan Sontag famously wrote in Notes on Camp (1964), camp is about “failed seriousness.” Rocky Horror thrives in that space, where sincerity and parody collide.
Filmmaker John Waters, often called the “Pope of Trash,” captured the essence of camp when he wrote:
“To understand bad taste one must have very good taste.”
This paradox is at the heart of Rocky Horror. Its outrageousness works precisely because it’s crafted with intelligence, wit, and a deep love of the genres it spoofs.
And then there’s the audience. Midnight screenings of the film turned Rocky Horror into a participatory ritual: fans shouting callbacks, dressing in costume, and dancing the “Time Warp” together. This tradition transforms spectators into co-creators, blurring the line between stage and audience.
At Inspiration’s Edge, we invite our community to join in that tradition. Come in costume, sing along, and claim your place in the lineage of Rocky Horror audiences worldwide.
References:
Susan Sontag, Notes on Camp (1964)
John Waters, Shock Value: A Tasteful Book About Bad Taste (1981)
