Is an obsession with true crime a bad thing? Does true crime exploit tragedies for profit and entertainment purposes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stories about true crime are everywhere\u2014from television series to documentaries to podcasts. But the consumption of tragedy as entertainment might be crossing some ethical boundaries and affecting audiences psychologically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s look at how true crime is presented in entertainment and social media, and discover the issues that may arise from society\u2019s true crime obsession<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n True crime obsession has manifested into the art of entertainment and social media, especially as streaming services such as Netflix continue to profit off the horrors of victims\u2019 realities. Another social media platform<\/a> that fueled the true crime obsession is TikTok, where some accounts are dedicated to sharing crime cases<\/a> in the hopes of getting millions of views and likes. Is it really such a good thing that we\u2019re looking to the dramatization of crime as an entertainment outlet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps the root of true crime obsession began with fictional stories. Television series such as Breaking Bad<\/em>, Ozark<\/em>, The Sopranos, <\/em>and Dexter<\/em> put audiences in the heads of criminals, often making them root for the bad guys in their respective series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, long-running crime procedural dramas such as Criminal Minds<\/em> and the Law & Order<\/em> franchise\u2014in which each episode relies on the whodunit mystery<\/a> narrative\u2014give a peek into the working strategies of the professionals who are solving the cases. Likewise, True Detective<\/em> proved to be one of HBO\u2019s biggest successes in its first season, with Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson giving riveting performances as detectives solving a decades-long cult cold case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the past, the genre of crime shows was never something problematic, especially when the stories were purely fictional. But an issue has become transparent: audiences and entertainment industry creatives are looking to crime as a means for profitable projects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With podcasts gaining more listeners and marketers<\/a>, the audio platform has become a gateway for true crime-obsessed fans to educate listeners on crime cases, while also making a dollar or two (or thousands). The growing trend of true crime podcasts has formed a fanbase where listeners can theorize about cases, either cold or happening in real time\u2014like Gabby Petito\u2019s tragic case<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In regards to television, it\u2019s obvious that for the past few years, \u201cbased on true life\u201d stories make up<\/a> the bulk of new releases. This isn\u2019t anything new, as biopic movies and series have been around for years and are generally well received at distinguished award shows such as the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. However, the majority of these shows nowadays focus on crimes that fascinated and\/or horrified people back when they were first reported, which Netflix has particularly found success with alongside documentaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s look at the different forms true crime obsession has dangerously taken in the entertainment industry, from television miniseries and Netflix documentaries to the gripping podcasts people can\u2019t stop listening to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Miniseries are all the rage these days, and it\u2019s because they\u2019re the right balance everyone needs. It\u2019s less investment than a multi-season television show, but also provides a longer story than a two-hour film could ever give. For a story about a crime, it\u2019s the perfect length since you only have so much material you can work with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Below we\u2019ll look at three new miniseries of 2022 that are adding to the true crime obsession, but also causing issues within the real cases. These series\u2014The Staircase<\/em>, Under the Banner of Heaven<\/em>, and The Dropout<\/em>\u2014are all based on true stories of murder, religious violence<\/a>, and fraud that have captivated audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n HBO Max\u2019s newest miniseries based on a true story is The Staircase<\/em><\/a>, starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette as husband and wife duo Michael and Kathleen Peterson. Michael, a crime novelist, is accused of murdering Kathleen after she\u2019s found dead at the bottom of their staircase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The story of Kathleen\u2019s death and Michael\u2019s trial was initially highlighted in the Peabody-award-winning documentary series of the same name back in 2004, which intimately followed Michael\u2019s strategy meetings inside his home during the trial. The filming of the documentary series acts as a secondary plot line in the HBO Max series, but the director behind the original documentary, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, says he feels betrayed by the creatives<\/a> behind the dramatized series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Episode 5 of the HBO Max series, \u201cThe Beating Heart,\u201d depicts the documentary\u2019s editor, Sophie Brunet, as having a romantic relationship with Michael while she edited the documentary. In real life, they did have a relationship, but it wasn\u2019t until after she left the documentary to edit another project. De Lestrade has criticized Antonio Campos, creator of the HBO Max series, for including the small change that ultimately implied that the documentary intended to sway legal decisions about the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This brings up a complication within the realm of true crime entertainment. De Lestrade worries the audience will get the wrong idea that he allowed a romantic relationship between his editor and the accused (who also happened to be his subject) to happen whilst filming. It changes people\u2019s entire perception of the case by wondering if de Lestrange manipulated the entire trial just by filming and editing his documentary to appeal to Michael\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how much power entertainment has with true crime. The Michael Peterson trial, which hasn\u2019t been of public interest for years, is making headlines once again because of the dramatized series\u2019s controversy. But it also brings up the question\u2014how far can we bend the truth to appeal to the true crime audience? Changes will always be made to dramatized retellings, but they could be damaging if people aren\u2019t willing to research what\u2019s true and what\u2019s not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n FX\u2019s adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s book, Under the Banner of Heaven<\/em><\/a>, is relatively fresh in the television world, but it exemplifies all the traits true crime fans are looking for to satisfy their cravings. As Kathryn VanArendonk of Vulture<\/em><\/a> puts it, it has four qualities that most crime shows are aiming to fulfill (these aren\u2019t written-in-stone standards, but VanArendonk points out that there is an eerie familiarity between every new crime series):<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a problem with the fact that we\u2019re noticing a pattern that needs to be checklisted with every one of these shows. For Brenda Lafferty and her 15-month-old child who were murdered in a Mormon community in 1984, they\u2019re now painted as dramatic characters and decorated instruments for entertainment. Yet, there\u2019s rarely any criticism for the fact that these two victims are being used as pawns in a game of \u201cwhich detective are we going to make viewers sympathize with next?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s a recurring case that crime shows have \u2014the victim is only a \u201csupporting character,\u201d (in Under the Banner of Heaven<\/em>\u2019s case: Daisy Edgar-Jones, who has third billing in the show\u2019s credits) who\u2019s pushed to the background for the agonizing and deeply troubled man (Andrew Garfield, who has top billing) trying to solve the case and her murderers (portrayed by Sam Worthington and Wyatt Russell). It may not be the conventional structure all of these shows follow, but it\u2019s certainly a popular one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Under the Banner of Heaven<\/em>\u2019s defense, however, both the book<\/a> and the television show go to immense efforts to bring awareness of the violence that\u2019s been pushed aside in the Mormon community for years. In an interview with The New York Times<\/em><\/a>, both Krakauer and the show\u2019s creator, Dustin Lance Black, wanted to understand why Lafferty\u2019s murderers were compelled to do what they did. Black, who grew up closeted in the Mormon community, said reading Krakauer’s book\u2014which researches both the violent and non-violent history of Mormonism\u2014felt \u201cformative to him.\u201d In this case, Black fueling the true crime obsession may have done some good for people who feel personally affected by Lafferty and her daughter\u2019s murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos\u2019s downfall is an odd story to tell for a dramatized miniseries, especially given her story isn\u2019t over yet. The Dropout<\/em><\/a> depicts Holmes\u2019s rise as one of the leading billionaire CEOs in the world, and how she lied to everyone along the way. Holmes is scheduled to be sentenced in September 2022, but at this point, there\u2019s no denying that she did horrible things within her company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The miniseries is based on the podcast of the same name, and the story has been the subject of John Carreyrou\u2019s Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup<\/em> and an HBO documentary film, The Inventor<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike The Staircase<\/em>, The Dropout<\/em> didn\u2019t receive much controversy and Variety<\/em><\/a> even praised the show for its genuine portrait of Elizabeth Holmes. The show humanizes Holmes as a woman constantly looked down upon in the healthcare industry, but also shows how disgraceful she is for being unapologetic about manipulating real patients\u2019 blood samples<\/a>, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Dropout <\/em>doesn\u2019t represent any real issue within the true crime obsession trend, but it\u2019s also \u201ctamer\u201d than other true crime stories. Holmes\u2019s story doesn\u2019t involve murder or kidnapping\u2014it\u2019s non-violent fraud. Still, it doesn\u2019t change the fact that the show is a little premature, considering Holmes has yet to receive a sentence. It just proves that creative executives take no time to find a hot case to dramatize on the screen, even if it\u2019s still too fresh to break down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The above series are all distributed by HBO Max, FX, and Hulu, but the real money-maker when it comes to true crime is Netflix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The book No Rules Rules<\/em><\/a> details the immense growth of Netflix\u2019s popularity over the years. When Netflix launched in 1997, the company was essentially a mail-order version of Blockbuster, the video rental store that dominated the home entertainment industry at the time. Today, Netflix produces award-winning content, has more than 200 million subscribers across 190 countries, and experienced a boom at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that gained more than 36 million subscribers in 2020 as a result of lockdowns around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The COVID-19 pandemic only added to the fire of the true crime obsession, especially seeing how the documentary series Tiger King<\/em> became a sensation in the early months of the pandemic. Let\u2019s look at more documentaries that made Netflix the go-to streaming service for true crime entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tiger King<\/em><\/strong>: As mentioned before, Tiger King<\/em> garnered the attention it got because of its release timing. However, the main appeal to the show was its quirky subjects, whose long-standing feud has turned into memes that make light of the crimes committed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The documentary series focuses on Joe Exotic, who was convicted of hiring two men to murder his rival, Carole Baskin, along with charges of animal abuse. In addition to the documentary, Peacock released a Joe vs. Carole<\/em> scripted series<\/a> but has been criticized for painting a \u201csympathetic portrait of someone who does some very bad things,\u201d by Vanity Fair<\/em><\/a> and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Making a Murderer<\/em><\/strong>: This Netflix documentary explores the wrongful conviction of Steven Avery, who served 18 years for a rape he didn\u2019t commit. Avery was later arrested for the murder of a local photographer, Teresa Halbach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While the documentary can\u2019t solely be recognized as the responsible party for crossing true crime into mainstream territory, it did catapult the trend of true crime into the world of accessible streaming. Chitra Ramaswamy of The Guardian<\/em><\/a> even says Making a Murderer<\/em> contributed to the obsession of true crime in the 21st century as Truman Capote\u2019s In Cold Blood<\/em> did in the 1960s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Amanda Knox<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (film)<\/strong>: A year after Making a Murderer<\/em> was released, Netflix continued their true crime bandwagon with a documentary about Amanda Knox, who was imprisoned and later acquitted of murder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Amanda Knox<\/em> actually sparked a meaningful conversation about slut-shaming, feminism, and how harmful presuppositions affected Knox\u2019s sentence. Even Malcolm Gladwell, author of Talking to Strangers<\/em><\/a>, spoke in his book about how Amanda\u2019s odd behavior after the crime made her immediately guilty in the police\u2019s eyes, even though there was no physical evidence that proved it. If anything, the Amanda Knox<\/em> documentary is one of the rare substantial examples of true crime as \u201centertainment\u201d\u2014it gave Knox a platform she was denied, and was able to spread awareness about both her innocence and the abuse she faced following the crime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most popular genres in the podcast community is true crime, but should it be taken seriously?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer is no, but that doesn\u2019t mean we should discredit the people behind the podcasts who are putting themselves out there. Podcast hosts have free rein to do whatever they want and say whatever they want, so the podcasts are mostly coming from the perspective of outsiders and people without legal experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Professor Marilyn McMahon<\/a>, Deputy Dean of Deakin Law School at Deakin University, cautions against mistaking crime podcasts as cold, hard evidence: \u201cIn true crime podcasts, people often repeat things they\u2019ve been told, that they didn\u2019t actually witness themselves, which may fall under restrictions in relation to hearsay evidence and not be admissible at trial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, Dr. McMahon emphasizes that true crime podcasts often have a certain bias to them that disregards the \u201cinnocent until proven guilty\u201d principle, mostly because they want to create an interesting narrative to attract more listeners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2022, there\u2019s no denying that social media has a large impact on news stories. By using social media, you can get breaking news in a matter of seconds and share with others your thoughts on certain topics. For true crime fans, it\u2019s an outlet for their hobby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most recent and disturbing cases that showcases the downside of social media\u2019s obsession with true crime is the Gabby Petito case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabby Petito was an American woman who went missing on a trip with her fianc\u00e9, Brian Laundrie. Her case became a phenomenon on social media<\/a>, with many people making TikToks, tweeting about the case, and using other forms of social media to theorize what happened to her. For months, people suspected Laundrie murdered her, which turned out to be true. However, the constant theorizing and posting about her case feels more like a trend people hopped on to gain more views than to actually spread awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The true-crime podcast, Crime Junkie<\/em><\/a>, rushed to release a special episode on Petito\u2019s case. The hosts even stated that it wasn\u2019t on the schedule, but this episode would be their first ever \u201cbreaking story.\u201d Fans of Crime Junkie<\/em> were sending messages to the hosts, asking if they could report on the story. For true crime fans, the Petito case was their chance to be amateur detectives and gain followers because of how hot the story was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To make matters worse, Lifetime<\/a> is developing a movie about Petito\u2019s case, which is far too soon. Much like The Dropout<\/em>, the Petito case isn\u2019t wrapped up and is still fresh on everyone\u2019s minds. The main motivation seems to be exploiting Petito\u2019s death to make a profit, going to show that creatives in the entertainment industry will use anybody\u2019s tragedy to become rich. But the fact of the matter is, many people will still watch it because of how popular her story became when it first broke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other than the ethical issues behind true crime consumption, there\u2019s also evidence that it can affect you psychologically. Below we\u2019ll look at ways that consuming crime is impacting your mental health and desensitizing you to crime. We\u2019ll also look at the positive side of the trend from a woman\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A concerning effect of true crime consumption is the toll it can take on your mental health. Psychologist Chivonna Childs says while it\u2019s normal to be curious about true crime, there are psychological effects<\/a> that you can exhibit from taking in true crime content:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you start to show any of these signs that are disrupting your daily life, it\u2019s probably time to cut back on the true crime content. Furthermore, the mental health repercussions of society\u2019s true crime intake shows that it isn\u2019t just a healthy hobby. When your heart rate is incredibly fast or you\u2019re constantly looking over your shoulder because of a show you watched, you\u2019ve become more fearful than curious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Society\u2019s fascination with true crime can be rather startling at times. When stories break out about murders, kidnappings, or cults, people gossip about them as if it’s high school drama. In one particular case, Laura Bogart from The Week<\/em><\/a> <\/em>shared a time when her co-workers would casually talk about how the BTK Killer strangled his victims at their workplace. Shockingly, one co-worker sounded disappointed when the story ended with the BTK Killer getting tired of waiting for another victim and leaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is most definitely a recurring, and troublesome, issue that should make us wonder if we\u2019ve become desensitized to crime nowadays. A great example is the Lifetime movie about Gabby Petito, which feels like a cheap cash-grab instead of a thoughtful story about Petito because of how quickly it was greenlit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These swift turnaround films highlight what some people think when they hear of tragedy: this would make for great entertainment. <\/em>The craving for a dramatized retelling lacks empathy for victims of these horrid events, who people see as characters in a story. Of course, not everyone who is a fan of true crime thinks of it in that way, but there are certainly people out there who don\u2019t blink twice at imagining a crime as a TV show or movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are a lot of negative cases against the fascination with true crime, but there are positive takeaways. The most important takeaway is that some women feel safer because<\/em> of their true crime obsession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Social psychologist and professor Amanda Vicary<\/a> at Illinois Wesleyan University says that women are statistically<\/a> more attracted to \u201cthe psychological content of true crime stories,\u201d and that women are more likely to absorb crime stories if a woman is the victim. She reached the conclusion that women (whether subconsciously or intently) want to learn how to survive if they were in a similar situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some ways, this means that true crime can be educational. Seeing how the victim survives in these situations can teach useful survival strategies to women. Still, it\u2019s one of the only positive aspects of true crime entertainment and doesn\u2019t really outweigh the negatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, is the true crime obsession doing more harm than good? Right now, there\u2019s no definite answer. On one hand, the growing trend of true crime shows, documentaries, and podcasts are creating a problematic nature in which some people are starting to see entertaining and profitable \u201copportunities\u201d for crimes that are still fresh and reeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, there\u2019s something educational about these stories. Rarely do people have the time of day to do their own extensive research on murders, kidnappings, etc., and documentaries\/shows\/podcasts do the research for them. So if true crime consumers were put in a dangerous situation, they may be better equipped to handle it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But true crime entertainment treads a very fine line. The stories are oftentimes fictionalized to appeal to networks and streaming services that are looking for money and high view counts\u2014and a good story is how they get that, even if it means bending the truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is an obsession with true crime a bad thing? Does true crime exploit tragedies for profit and entertainment purposes? Stories about true crime are everywhere\u2014from television series to documentaries to podcasts. But the consumption of tragedy as entertainment might be crossing some ethical boundaries and affecting audiences psychologically. Let\u2019s look at how true crime is presented in entertainment and social media, and discover the issues that may arise from society\u2019s true crime obsession.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":24732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[586,20,24],"tags":[452],"class_list":["post-75194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","category-ethics","category-society","tag-guides","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"\nThe True Crime Obsession Phenomenon<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
True Crime Obsession in Entertainment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Television Miniseries<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
HBO Max\u2019s <\/strong>The Staircase<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
FX\u2019s <\/strong>Under the Banner of Heaven<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Hulu\u2019s <\/strong>The Dropout<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Netflix\u2019s True Crime Obsession<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
True Crime Documentaries<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
True Crime Podcasts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Social Media\u2019s Power With True Crime<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Gabby Petito Case<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Are We Doing More Harm Than Good?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Impact on Your Mental Health<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re Desensitized to Crime Nowadays<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Women Feel Safer With Their True Crime Obsession<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Should We Be Worried?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n