Crime For Consumption: Exploitative or Just Entertainment?
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Finding true crime content doesn’t seem to be that difficult nowadays; long gone are the days when it was regarded as a niche, morbid interest. Its marketing towards young women is particularly controversial, with true crime stories told through many forms of media. What does this say about the society we live in, and how seriously do we need to take it?
“Hey crime junkies!”: this is how Ashley Flowers, host of the “Crime Junkie” podcast, greets her audience. Similarly, the header on her website asks “can’t get enough true crime?”.
Finding true crime content doesn’t seem to be that difficult nowadays; it is all over the internet, and often combined with other types of entertainment.
Perhaps you’re into make-up as well? “Hi friends, how are you today? Today is Monday, which means it’s Murder, Mystery and Makeup Monday!”; this is how YouTuber Bailey Sarian, whose subscription count is over six million, greets her subscribers before she delves into a profile of American serial killer Anjette Lyles. Her look for this occasion is a dramatic smokey eye.
Fancy a mukbang? “This is the new Burger King ChicKing. Do you get it?”, another YouTuber, Stephanie Soo, asks before she delves into the murder case of a 17-year-old. The sponsor of the video is a VPN company.
From YouTube videos and talk shows, to books and TV series, true crime as a genre seems to have captured the public’s attention. As many have noticed, both the content creators and the audiences are predominantly female; according to research, women make up around 73% of true crime podcast listeners. On social media, women often joke about listening to details of gruesome murders while making dinner, or right before going to bed, as a form of relaxation. Crime, and most prominently, murder, has become ‘girl talk’.
Several people have delved into why exactly the genre is so popular with women, especially considering the explicit, and often misogyny-driven, violence discussed. Many talk of a sense of “female rage”, and a feeling of compassion or solidarity for the victims. Some say that it’s a coping mechanism, or a way of understanding the mind of a criminal, in order to avoid being the next casualty. In this sense, true crime is thought to be empowering for many women.
The assumption that whatever media women resonate with must be feminist in nature has overshadowed concerns about how sensationalising crime might be insensitive, or even inspire copycats. Despite all the reasons women are attracted to true crime content, the disparity between the interest in serial killers, and less sensationalised law-breaking, such as white collar crime, is stark. Perhaps it is human nature to be intrigued by the morbid; we all enjoy some horror from time to time. Maybe it’s just harmless curiosity?
The success of the recent Netflix show Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story might rectify this opinion. It is a biographical piece telling the story of the infamous serial killer, whose list of crimes included necrophilia, cannibalism, and preserving the bodies of his victims. He targeted boys and men, mostly from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The show became number one on the platform in just a week, and was widely praised for its cinematography and acting. However, it has not avoided controversy. Family members of the victims have come forward, claiming the story is not something to be used for entertainment purposes. “I don’t see how they can use our names and put stuff like that out there,” said mother of victim Tony Hughes in a conversation with the Guardian.
Despite the harm caused to the families of the victims, the show remained a popular topic on social media, especially on TikTok. A trend emerged called the “Jeffrey Dahmer challenge.” Users filmed their reactions to the crime scene polaroids, deeming their contents unimpressive, with some commenting on how disappointing the ‘lack’ of explicit content was. This insensitivity seems to debunk the theory that true crime fans are drawn to it from a sense of compassion or justice.
Yet there may be hope for the genre. Many believe that true crime media should shift the focus from the perpetrators, and instead focus on honouring the victims, preferably with the family’s consent. One example of this is Hallie Rubenhold’s book The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, which seeks to give a voice to the women who have previously been overshadowed by their infamous murderer. The question is, can empathetic and sensitive storytelling ever compete with the click-baity and voyeuristic dramatisation that dominates the genre?