How Would Your 'Hairspray Live!' Character Combat Trump?

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How Would Your Hairspray Live! Character Combat Trump?
The popular musical is back again for Hairspray Live! and the issues addressed are all too relevant in today's America.
 Julia Williamson
          
          Dec 07, 2016
          
        
Julia Williamson
 See Full Bio 
John Waters's Hairspray addresses racial segregation, self-esteem, and bullying without ever being less than joyful. After a movie, a Broadway musical, a movie version of the musical, and now a live TV version (airing Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC), the numbers feel as topical as ever.
 
We asked the cast of Hairspray Live! how their characters would fight back in Donald Trump's America.
 

        
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How Would Your Hairspray Live! Character Combat Trump?

The popular musical is back again for Hairspray Live! and the issues addressed are all too relevant in today's America.

The Latest

TN Republican demands official probe after calling Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show 'gay pornography'

“Depicting gay pornography on prime time has no place in our culture,” Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles bizarrely said, after seeing two men dancing and Ricky Martin singing.

Mamdani, Schumer & NYC Council demand National Park Service return Pride flag to Stonewall National Monument

“New York is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and no act of erasure will ever change, or silence, that history,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

I fell for an AI—and then it rejected me

What started as curiosity and flirtation turned into something far more unsettling when Randell Smith’s digital companion suddenly decided he’d crossed a line.

Newly elected N.Y. State Sen. Erik Bottcher: state must be a bulwark against Trump

Bottcher, a gay Democrat, easily won the state Senate seat last week.

Ian McKellen recites Shakespeare to slam 'mountainous inhumanity' in U.S.

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Most Popular

Gay Days Orlando canceled, citing sponsor losses and mounting pressures on LGBTQ+ gatherings

It was supposed to be the event's 35th anniversary in June.

I watched the Kid Rock Turning Point USA halftime show so you don't have to

Opinion: "I have no problem with lip syncing, but you'd think the side that hates drag queens so much would have a little more shame about it," writes Ryan Adamczeski.

Turning Point USA's halftime lineup: All the musicians taking the stage

Turning Point USA is organizing a show headlined by Kid Rock for right-wingers upset with Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Scott Bessent struggles under questioning by New York Rep. Ritchie Torres during explosive House hearing

A Capitol Hill staffer called the exchange "gay on gay violence."

Bad Bunny spread love, making Trump look selfish, stupid, and stale

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How Would Your Hairspray Live! Character Combat Trump?

The popular musical is back again for Hairspray Live! and the issues addressed are all too relevant in today's America.

FROM OUR SPONSORS

The Latest

“Depicting gay pornography on prime time has no place in our culture,” Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles bizarrely said, after seeing two men dancing and Ricky Martin singing.

“New York is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and no act of erasure will ever change, or silence, that history,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

What started as curiosity and flirtation turned into something far more unsettling when Randell Smith’s digital companion suddenly decided he’d crossed a line.

Bottcher, a gay Democrat, easily won the state Senate seat last week.

More For You

Most Popular

It was supposed to be the event's 35th anniversary in June.

Opinion: "I have no problem with lip syncing, but you'd think the side that hates drag queens so much would have a little more shame about it," writes Ryan Adamczeski.

Turning Point USA is organizing a show headlined by Kid Rock for right-wingers upset with Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show.

Pascal Kaiser was attacked by three men outside his house just days after his public proposal.

A Capitol Hill staffer called the exchange "gay on gay violence."

Opinion: Bad Bunny proved through color, dance, and inclusion that love is more powerful than hate, writes John Casey.