Our True Crime Fixation: Morbid Fascination or Exploitation?
Examining the Ethics of Turning Real Tragedies into Bingeable Entertainment
From Netflix hits like Making a Murderer to viral TikTok sleuths dissecting mysteries, our culture can’t seem to get enough true crime. Of course we all want justice served for victims and their families.
But unpacking the darker reasons for society’s obsession with gruesome crimes raises some tough questions.
At what point does consuming true crime, as entertaining content veer into exploitation? Why are unsolved murders, chilling cold cases, and high-profile trials ripe for turning into movies, podcasts, and armchair detective forums? We have to ask ourselves if some “entertainment” profits off real people’s immense trauma.
Look, I’ll admit I’ve listened to my fair share of True Crime podcasts. A well-told mystery definitely sucks you in. It’s fascinating to puzzle over puzzling circumstances and weigh suspicious clues. I totally get the appeal.
But we also have to consider the victims at the heart of these sensationalized stories — their family and friends who now have to cope with painful personal loss becoming fodder for public consumption.
Should the desire for gory details supersede compassion for those actually impacted?
An especially dangerous subset of true crime obsession is amateur online detectives who try “solving” active cases themselves. While likely well-intentioned, these wannabe sleuths often spread misinformation and cause real harm by interfering with investigations. They treat victims like characters, not real people, in their quest for the next captivating whodunit.
Want to learn how to invest? Here is my quick and easy to digest guide article here :)
Okay… let’s continue
On a societal level, many experts argue our collective obsession with true crime reflects darker human impulses like rubbernecking violent accidents.
It’s the same psychology behind why gruesome stories dominate news headlines — they grab attention by playing to morbid curiosity and fears.
That said, true crime content also holds value when done respectfully and with purpose. Sharing stories of victims denied justice keeps attention on unresolved cases.
Done conscientiously, true crime provides closure andavan raise issues like systemic inequality. The genre gives a platform to marginalized victims who authorities ignored.
As consumers, we have a responsibility to consider how true crime media affects and portrays real people, not just thrills us. Seeking permission and avoiding sensationalism remain crucial. There are absolutely ways to examine crime insightfully, moving culture forward. But we have to interrogate why we engage with true crime that profits off exploitation.
Where exactly is the line between morbid fascination and disrespectful treatment of trauma?
I don’t claim to have all the answers. But encouraging this discourse around responsible true crime storytelling is a vital first step.
If you learned something don’t hesitate to hit those claps a couple times or even hook me up with a follow, it would be much appreciated ;)
