My Podcast and Netflix queues give my husband the heebie jeebies. I have tons of friends who share my love true crime but if that weren’t enough reassurance that I’m not alone, all the podcast hosts constantly remind me too. I’m a proud Weirdo, Murderino, Crime Junkie, and Team Wine member. These groups are predominantly but by no means exclusively female and I have heard many people, usually but not always male, ask, “What is it with you girls and true crime?” Or as my husband puts it, “Why are you so obsessed with murder??” Well, strangers and my dearly betrothed, it’s not murder I’m obsessed with, but there are plenty of factors.
These are just my reasons (in no particular order) and is intended to reach someone who just doesn’t get it, or if you are a true crime fan, let me know if these resonates with you!
1. Pure entertainment value
Simply put, it’s interesting. As a child my early favorite was Scooby-Doo, but I quickly outgrew the cartoon and moved onto Law and Order: SVU. Zoinks, talk about escalation.
But even my skeptical husband eventually enjoyed cult favorites like Making a Murderer, An American Murder, Serial, Dr. Death. Every crime is a story: it has a beginning and a middle, though not every case has an end. Admittedly I don’t prefer cold cases because I have closure issues and the not knowing drives me nuts. But this brings us to the next point.
2. It’s like a puzzle
Every crime is fundamentally a mystery to be solved, a puzzle or riddle. When you learn the answer to a riddle, you think, “Well of course! It was in front of me all along! The pieces all make sense now!” But when you are in the middle of trying to figure it all out, it may seem impossible and nonsensical. Then there is the satisfaction of a correct guess, an “I knew it!” moment, the click of a clue key finding purchase in the lock of an answer.
3. It is a testament to human psychology
I have long been interested in the human mind – the way we think and behave. I even self studied for the AP Psychology test in high school without taking the class, though I can no longer recall if I actually took the test because I block out most of that period of time. Each killed and victim and survivor is a case study – I am amazed by each person’s resolve, reactions under stress, survival instinct or lack thereof, ability to heal and cope.
4. But is also a testament to sociology and anthropology
On a related but separate note, it also shines a light on how society deals with tragedy. How did the Bystander Effect impact the outcome of this case? Why did this random passerby choose to endanger his own life by involving himself in an ongoing situation? How did this community heal or become divided following this incident? How do different cultures or geographic locations react to these things?
5. It makes you mentally prepare for the worst
This I think plays into theories of why this genre is so popular among women. We are raised to believe that we are the weaker sex and at constant risk to be taken advantage of – kidnapping, rape, assault, murder. We walk through parking garages and darkened streets with a hurried pace, glancing over our shoulders and keys tucked between whitened knuckles. I guess in this case, stories we hear can be counterproductive, broadening the list of things to be afraid of. I know the primary reason I dislike parking garages is because of a childhood favorite, Monk where the main character’s wife was killed in a parking garage car bomb. “Better safe than sorry,” we tell ourselves.
6. It can be (or feel) educational
I feel a tinge of pride when I identify elements of the Macdonald triad in someone’s kid (don’t worry it’s probably an urban legend) or understand convoluted justice system jargon. I tend to believe that if I am going to spend my most precious resource, time, on watching something, I want to learn something from it to make it worthwhile. This is why I love documentaries but it has also “justified” binging countless hours of Netflix.
7. Irreverent humor
You may be surprised at which chart is intermittently dominated by true crime podcasts: comedy. At the time of writing, Crime Junkie by audiochuck is ranked number one of all global podcasts on Chartable. While it’s straightforward and good albeit scripted-sounding storytelling, and obviously highly popular, my favorite shows are saturated in witty humor. It’s hard to even articulate what’s so funny but for some reason hearing pairs of relatable ladies banter about creeps makes me giggle. I get the biggest laughs from episodes where the hosts read stories written and submitted by listeners. Here are my top three favorite true crime shows in the comedy category:
- Morbid: A True Crime Podcast – Hosted by Autopsy Tech Alaina and hairstylist Ash, have such good synergy that they were asked to host another podcast, Crime Countdown (also good). They have the least unrelated banter and always include photos on their Instagram to fill in the blanks in listeners’ dark imaginations.
- And That’s Why We Drink (ATTWD) – I randomly tuned in one day because the name speaks to my soul. They are second in my book only because I’m not as interested in the paranormal as I am in true crime (the format is normally Em shares a paranormal tale, then Christine discusses a crime case), but they are definitely number one for podcast cover art. I would love to be friends with all four of these leading ladies however. And their dogs.
- My Favorite Murder – Karen and Georgia are the O.G.s of this category. Maybe because of age and different life paths I relate to the other hosts more but I still tune in regularly (even if I fast forward through some of the banter, sorry…) All three of these shows, but this one especially, works to reduce the stigma of mental health care and basic human rights.
8. The Stories are like Snowflakes
No two are alike, which keeps things interesting. Unfortunately this is a tragic fact – the limitless capacity that pain can be inflicted and the uniquely human quality to try to get away with it. In the genre of Rom-Com, even the plot twists tend to be predictable or trite. Look at true crime…Law and Order: SVU is on its 22nd season for crying out loud. (Time to wrap it up though, give Olivia Benson her retirement already).
9. Downright Morbid Curiosity
As in, the same reason we rubberneck at car wrecks, wondering if there is a foot poking out beneath a white sheet or even just metal that is so badly mangled you couldn’t imagine anyone surviving. You don’t want anyone to be hurt, you don’t really want to see a gory aftermath, but for some reason you can’t look away.
10. It reminds us of our own mortality
Aside from making us question our morality – “What would I have done?” – it reminds us of our mortality. These stories tell us that life is short and unpredictable, they reinforce why we shouldn’t go to bed mad, why we should call our loved ones often, why we should squeeze extra hard and kiss extra deep when our partner leaves the house. It’s an extra reminder to not take anyone or anything for granted. And most importantly…
Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered, Keep It WEIRD, be rude, and that’s…why…we…DRINK!