It’s a pretty major “no shit” that the Thanksgiving holidays are different this year, what with how gathering with Grandma might kill her. (And you! I mean, who knows where Grandma’s been?) That means many of us are staying home, alone. Others are heading out to fraught gatherings, with certain family members passively-aggressively talking about those who chose not to attend, perhaps…or saying more pointed things about who supported what political candidate, who may or may not have truly won a recent election.
Of course, this isn’t the first year we’ve had to deal with a politically loaded holiday, just the weirdest one. One way to diffuse the tension, as we’ve all learned, is to turn on something politically neutral (if there is such a thing) that you all can enjoy together.
That’s where true crime comes in. In a lot of cases, even the most divided group can agree that certain on-screen suspects are good, and others are bad. Now, with kids underfoot, this means that you and your MAGA-capped uncle can’t bond over Ted Bundy, but there’s still a lot of room within the genre to consider. What are some true-crime properties that are great for the whole family (or, at least, of low trauma levels for the little ones)? Which shows or movies should be avoided at all costs? Share your ideas below — they just might save someone’s holiday.
One (technically, two) option that occurred to me after I wrote this was the Fyre Fest documentaries! It seems like regardless of red or blue, the nation comes together to laugh at that event, its attendees, and Billy. And I don't think (help me out here, people) there's anything in it that would be bad for a kid to see? — EB
My aunt and Godmother is a Rush Limbaugh devotee who has a lot of disturbing opinions, but we are both true crime obsessives, and always give each other tips for what to read or watch. We watched The Staircase together, and although I suppose my politics are far more similar to Michael Peterson than hers are, we seem to hate him with equal fervor. We also had a lot of fun discussing Abducted in Plain Sight.
Scams seem like a fairly child-safe topic. They may not understand the finer points of what Theranos devices were intended to do, but they won't get nightmares from the implications. And even conservative elders can probably agree that defrauding Medicare is bad, and incorrect blood tests can seriously injure and/or kill patients. I can't imagine even a MAGA-capped uncle would side with Elizabeth Holmes unless he plays golf with George Shultz or James Mattis.
Well, I would say "Dirty Money," one of your busy boy Alex Gibney's series on Netflix, as long as you avoid the Con Man (about guess who) and the Slumlord episodes (Guess Who's son-in-law). I'd be interested if any one's family makes it through the Pay Day episode (season one) with their family and what the conclusion of non-liked minded relations is after seeing it.
One (technically, two) option that occurred to me after I wrote this was the Fyre Fest documentaries! It seems like regardless of red or blue, the nation comes together to laugh at that event, its attendees, and Billy. And I don't think (help me out here, people) there's anything in it that would be bad for a kid to see? — EB
My aunt and Godmother is a Rush Limbaugh devotee who has a lot of disturbing opinions, but we are both true crime obsessives, and always give each other tips for what to read or watch. We watched The Staircase together, and although I suppose my politics are far more similar to Michael Peterson than hers are, we seem to hate him with equal fervor. We also had a lot of fun discussing Abducted in Plain Sight.
American Greed episodes on con jobs -- which is all that's airing lately -- is probably a good pick. -- SDB
Scams seem like a fairly child-safe topic. They may not understand the finer points of what Theranos devices were intended to do, but they won't get nightmares from the implications. And even conservative elders can probably agree that defrauding Medicare is bad, and incorrect blood tests can seriously injure and/or kill patients. I can't imagine even a MAGA-capped uncle would side with Elizabeth Holmes unless he plays golf with George Shultz or James Mattis.
Similar to anything Holmes-related: Enron: Smartest guys in the room
Well, I would say "Dirty Money," one of your busy boy Alex Gibney's series on Netflix, as long as you avoid the Con Man (about guess who) and the Slumlord episodes (Guess Who's son-in-law). I'd be interested if any one's family makes it through the Pay Day episode (season one) with their family and what the conclusion of non-liked minded relations is after seeing it.