Best Evidence celebrated its second birthday yesterday. Jokes about cake in our hair and toilet-training aside, I loved going back to our inaugural edition and looking at what’s changed (we lived in a world before When They See Us!) and what’s the same (Elizabeth Holmes, still…out here, Elizabeth Holmesing).
A lot of water has flowed under the bridge in two years. COVID. The murder of George Floyd. Weinstein behind bars. Buntsy planning window displays featuring Anna Anderson. In that time, I’ve gotten a lot less tolerant of same-old-same-old obsessing over serial killers; copaganda; Dan Abrams product; and drone shots of small towns that railroaded children. And I’ve gotten MORE interested in what makes different true-crime narrative styles and media “go”; carceral memoirs; and making Bart Layton make stuff using the power of prayer.
What’s changed for you true-crime-wise since we all showed up to borrow some trouble two years ago? Are you reading more? Watching less? Bailing on B-minus Netflix joints earlier? Prioritizing different voices?
My true crime podcast lineup has changed. With the exception of the one-off Dateline series podcasts (Killer Role being a recent one) I haven't been listening to much in the way of multi-episode or serial true crime pods. (Huh, I also seem to have gotten over my aversion to using "pod" to mean "podcast," since the goddamned pod it referred to was an iPod and it made no sense to call the cast the pod... oh well, language changes, c'est la vie!)
I'm still willing to engage with lowbrow true crime paperbacks. Still not very interested in organized crime or terrorism; still overly interested in domestic violence and family annihilators. Still can't spell annihilator without looking it up first.
I listen to far fewer multi-episode podcasts now, which is probably down to 2020 brain fog: pods are just for background company most of the time. I still live for scammer content and hope that the 90s heyday of the court procedural movie will make a comeback.
I’m much more into scams than I was when this all started. I’ve also found some really great comedic true crime podcasts. My favorites are Lie Cheat & Steal (all scams, very little violence/triggers) and Behind the Bastards (terrible people in history, can be triggering). I’m also so far down the NXIVM rabbit hole that I can’t see daylight. I didn’t even find out about them until shorty before The Vow aired. That was 2020, right? Gawd.
HBD Best Evidence! I think I'm more discerning these days about the true crime I watch and listen to. I almost never dive into anything without hearing what trusted voices (Crime Writers On, Best Evidence, Blotter Presents-RIP!) have to say about it. I'd like to think I'm more intentionally seeking out different voices and thinking more critically about the traditional cop/investigation narrative that drives so much true crime. In general, I feel like I read a lot more con and cult stuff (NXIVM, I blame you) and detailed investigative journalism rather than murder/serial killer stuff. I'll still read true crime paperbacks, but I'm much more interested if they are vintage/out of print/on more obscure cases.
Changes-- with COVID I probably consumed a LOT more TV/movies/documentaries/etc. Fewer podcasts recently just because I've always listened in the car and doing less driving this past year. More willing to watch out of boredom (watched all of the Cecil Hotel thing even though it was awful). I don't care at all about spy/political/terrorism/mafia stuff, but have moved away some from serial killers. Have watched a lot on cults recently, and various scams. Watching more on the criminal process and miscarriages of justice.
Happy birthday, Best Evidence!
My true crime podcast lineup has changed. With the exception of the one-off Dateline series podcasts (Killer Role being a recent one) I haven't been listening to much in the way of multi-episode or serial true crime pods. (Huh, I also seem to have gotten over my aversion to using "pod" to mean "podcast," since the goddamned pod it referred to was an iPod and it made no sense to call the cast the pod... oh well, language changes, c'est la vie!)
I'm still willing to engage with lowbrow true crime paperbacks. Still not very interested in organized crime or terrorism; still overly interested in domestic violence and family annihilators. Still can't spell annihilator without looking it up first.
I listen to far fewer multi-episode podcasts now, which is probably down to 2020 brain fog: pods are just for background company most of the time. I still live for scammer content and hope that the 90s heyday of the court procedural movie will make a comeback.
I’m much more into scams than I was when this all started. I’ve also found some really great comedic true crime podcasts. My favorites are Lie Cheat & Steal (all scams, very little violence/triggers) and Behind the Bastards (terrible people in history, can be triggering). I’m also so far down the NXIVM rabbit hole that I can’t see daylight. I didn’t even find out about them until shorty before The Vow aired. That was 2020, right? Gawd.
HBD Best Evidence! I think I'm more discerning these days about the true crime I watch and listen to. I almost never dive into anything without hearing what trusted voices (Crime Writers On, Best Evidence, Blotter Presents-RIP!) have to say about it. I'd like to think I'm more intentionally seeking out different voices and thinking more critically about the traditional cop/investigation narrative that drives so much true crime. In general, I feel like I read a lot more con and cult stuff (NXIVM, I blame you) and detailed investigative journalism rather than murder/serial killer stuff. I'll still read true crime paperbacks, but I'm much more interested if they are vintage/out of print/on more obscure cases.
Changes-- with COVID I probably consumed a LOT more TV/movies/documentaries/etc. Fewer podcasts recently just because I've always listened in the car and doing less driving this past year. More willing to watch out of boredom (watched all of the Cecil Hotel thing even though it was awful). I don't care at all about spy/political/terrorism/mafia stuff, but have moved away some from serial killers. Have watched a lot on cults recently, and various scams. Watching more on the criminal process and miscarriages of justice.