The existence of gay male "bears" was news to one of Waters' agents, who was baffled upon reading the screenplay.
Reports the filmmaker, "He said, 'What is this bear thing? Is there such a thing?' I said, 'You're right by your computer. Type in the word "bear." I hear ckk-ckk-ckk, and thenI heard him go, 'Oh my god.' There are a million bear websites, there's The Bear Handbook and other books; even 'bear' porn magazines celebrating the heavy and hairy males in sexual pinups."
Nice to think there's one degree of separation between this blog and John Waters, via