Host John Waters on his ‘spouse murder’ series Love You To Death

On Love You To Death

“The show Love You to Death is based on true stories, where a bride and a groom eventually murder each other. Each episode opens with a wedding, and I’m the Groom Reaper, the one person who knows how it’s going to happen. Also, people’s lives are boring. They crave melodrama in their own lives but they’re afraid to have it, so they watch that of others.”

On the show’s dark theme

“I think this show saves lives, because I’m sure that maybe if one per cent of the audience was going to kill each other they’d watch the show and think, 'Let’s just get divorced’. Murder is okay to joke about. Spousal abuse is not okay. I don’t think this show will make anybody want to kill their wife or husband, because everybody gets caught.”

On his role as the Groom Reaper

“Basically, my image as this ghoul who hangs around people that kill their spouses isn’t that much of a stretch.  I like my dialogue; the show’s funny. The character of the Groom Reaper is delighted in a perverse way that this (wedding) is happening, and a little skeptical about the love they’re professing for each other.”

On marriage

“I’m not going against the institution of marriage. I’m against the business of it. I’ve never had fun at wedding in my entire life.”

On retribution and punishment

“If you’ve done something very terrible when you’re young, can you ever be forgiven? That’s what interests me about the subject. If someone in your family gets murdered you want the worst punishment but if your child does a murder, you get very liberal about it. There’s no fair answer.”