Over the summer, I found myself becoming obsessed with the mystery and comedy fusion series, Only Murders in the Building, starring my childhood idol, Selena Gomez. Being a dedicated Wizards of Waverly Place fan, I was excited to see what Gomez was doing nowadays, apart from being the most followed woman on Instagram. I was pleasantly surprised that Only Murders in the Building was truly excellent, following the lives of Charles (Steve Martin), Oliver (Martin Short), and Mabel (Selena Gomez), who, after there is a murder in their New York apartment building, decide to create a true crime podcast, namely titled ‘Only Murders in the Building’.
This concept of creating a true crime podcast really struck me, because I myself, am one of those true crime enthusiasts, and if I had a microphone, I would perhaps start my own podcast. I find myself becoming fascinated with these stories, wanting to solve the whodunnit myself and occasionally indulging in ātrue crime tokā (please forgive me.) But, often, whilst becoming entranced in these stories, I have to stop and think, these are real-life people, surely this sensationalism isnāt healthy, and is rather disrespectful.
When I think about the world of true crime media, I think back to a play I watched in my teens by renowned writer Lucy Kirkwood, named Maryland. Inspired as a call to arms following the unjust murder of Sarah Everard, this piece had a very distinct piece of dialogue, suggesting women indulge in true crime media as a method of protecting themselves from any risk of violence. True crime as a method of self-preservation never occurred to me until this point, but it somewhat made sense. There is perhaps a sense of calm and reassurance in listening to criminals getting caught on podcasts and documentaries which help women face often very real fears. This to me must have been subconscious as I often fall asleep listening to my favourite true crime podcast, so I must be relaxed, instead of scared or unnerved.
Iām not trying to say that true crime media should inspire a generation of vigilantism, but perhaps a sense of psychological vigilantism, as we can deal with, process and understand what goes on in the world, and prepare ourselves all from the comfort of our home. However, with this in mind, there is a need to be respectful of the true aspect of true crime, and the fact these stories are real, which many media outlets get wrong.
The glamorization of true crime is commonplace in the world of Hollywood, and inherently dangerous, especially when discussing serial killers. Not only does it romanticise the presence of such gruesome and horrific acts of violence in society, but also disrespects the victims with cheap, and often misleading entertainment. Does anyone remember the release of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the 2019 movie following the life and crimes of Ted Bundy? Well, I doubt you would remember the title, but you would absolutely remember it starred Zac Efron, a Hollywood heartthrob and High School Musical graduate, as Bundy himself. Whilst Bundy was renowned as a charming individual, this element of his personality led Bundy to manipulate and murder women, all whilst having hoards of female fans. Surely a Sexiest Man Alive nominee should not be playing such a vicious and terrifying killer, thus preventing all the issues this could entail.Ā
Even recently, theĀ Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story got into trouble because of the casting, with Dahmer being portrayed by Evan Peters, another Hollywood heartthrob. Whilst Peters secured an Emmy for his performance (which I canāt fault him on he is a brilliant actor), it seemed rather peculiar that Peters would play a real-life serial killer, after being concerningly romanticised when starring in series one of American Horror Story as the Tumblr-idolised serial killer, Tate Langdon – why was that a thing? I fear these links are a rather bad idea, especially as I remember a girl in class at school having an āI love Tate Langdonā phone case and presenting him as an attractive, misunderstood character. I often find that these series or movies feel exploitative and deeply disrespectful, especially for the victims’ families, as the true horror of the story in question is marred by some popular, attractive actor playing the perpetrator.Ā
It is hard to know if the future of the true-crime obsession will last, and whether the often-present sensationalism and goriness will have lifelong effects on its consumers. However, whether true crime media is making us hyper-aware, or even personal detectives, the consumption of true crime will realistically remain popularā¦ but can Hollywood please stop casting heartthrobs as the perpetrators!