What true crime crosses the line with victims the way that Abby Honold’s thread describes? We don’t mean properties like Surviving R. Kelly or Leaving Neverland that, while difficult for viewers to watch, at least let us serve as witnesses to survivors’ testimony or shine a light into a grimy corner. I mean docs or shows where you get the distinct sense an interviewee is uncomfortable or got bait-and-switched; or is being shown crime-scene materials for the first time, and their reaction filmed in a way that feels more intrusive than helpful.
Pointless visits to murder sites to get audio about the spot’s “vibe,” tasteless re-enactments that add nothing…the list goes on (the number of paperback covers I’ve seen in the last 18 months at Exhibit B. where I’m like, what motherless jackass signed off on this?), and many of the things on it we can or may try to rationalize in the way Honold describes above. But can you think of any examples that brought you up short, all “‘centering’ and ‘using’ aren’t synonyms”?
And is it possible that we should be shunning “most of the true crime content,” for this reason? — SDB
It's one of those issues that is really hard to avoid. While I try to be ethical, mostly by listening to Best evidence and Crime Writers On before going into something, I'm not sure that it always works.
I have a friend who had a case with her older brother featured and she ends up getting people who are trying to solve the case of his disappearance. Who literally insert themselves into her life. It's made me pause and I haven't really dived back in to modern day things.
I think this is an important conversation. I'm just not sure where the line is.
I was really appalled by the way Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel initially framed Elisa Lam's death as a possible murder rather than front-loading the actual (tragic but not nearly as dramatic as the theories) explanation of what happened. They get to the truth at the end, but you can make it more than halfway through that series without an inkling that her death was a tragic accident.
It's one of those issues that is really hard to avoid. While I try to be ethical, mostly by listening to Best evidence and Crime Writers On before going into something, I'm not sure that it always works.
I have a friend who had a case with her older brother featured and she ends up getting people who are trying to solve the case of his disappearance. Who literally insert themselves into her life. It's made me pause and I haven't really dived back in to modern day things.
I think this is an important conversation. I'm just not sure where the line is.
I was really appalled by the way Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel initially framed Elisa Lam's death as a possible murder rather than front-loading the actual (tragic but not nearly as dramatic as the theories) explanation of what happened. They get to the truth at the end, but you can make it more than halfway through that series without an inkling that her death was a tragic accident.