Why Do People Love True Crime Shows?
I have written before about my love for watching true crime shows and how I feel people should act concerning the survivors of these horrific acts. But the fact remains that true crime shows, documentaries and podcasts are more popular than ever. But why is that?
Is it a generational thing? Research by true crime producers, podcasters and those in the industry has found that the majority of the audience is female (around 70%) in most cases and between the ages of 25-45. This puts me squarely at the older end of the spectrum but sits within the typical audience for this genre.
While this isn’t exclusively true, and true crime documentaries and podcasts aren’t made with this demographic only in mind, it is telling that women, especially, are attracted to the more gruesome aspects of human behaviour, considering typically they are also more reliable on the ones targeted by the perpetrators they watch on TV.
Why Do I Watch True Crime Shows?
I, for one, have no reasonable explanation of how or why I became so invested in watching true crime shows. I think my first taste was stumbling across Snapped: Women Who Kill, which is now just called Snapped and being intrigued at how people think murder is acceptable and are convinced they will get away with it.
My mind was blown. As someone who would never even contemplate seriously killing someone or performing any of the heinous acts I have seen being carried out within the realms of these documentaries, I put it down to curiosity for something I could never imagine doing and a lack of understanding of how a person gets from A to murder.
It is even more curious when you realise that I am not a horror film fan. A psychological thriller, sure, full of other films like The Exorcist, Poltergeist, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, and so on. It is a big hell-no for me. Falling asleep listening to how a loving family man became a family annihilator, go on then, why not!
Although you could say my gateway to this murky underbelly of society was spurred on by my love of crime shows, CSI Miami, Hawaii 5-O, Criminals Minds et al. Potentially kicked off by my obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer in even earlier years. Was this fascination always there? Or was it my life choices and my state of mind at that point that led me to be more open to exploring these kinds of stories?
The human mind is mysterious, and as much as people like to pinpoint theories as to why a certain type of person will happily watch and consume true crime stories, is there any other reason than pure curiosity and will curiosity kill the cat, so to speak, if I pursue my macabre guilty pleasure?
Why Do Women, in Particular, Love True Crime Shows?
A criminologist at Edinburgh University suggests that women who enjoy crime are more afraid of being the victims of crime, and these shows are a way of exposing them to the world around them and giving them an insight into their fear. Being forewarned is being forearmed, and in a way, delving into the physicality of murders, serial killers, rapists, and exposure to the inner workings and details of their lives removes the secrecy somewhat and makes the fear less scary in a way.
Other experts in the field feel that women tend to have more compassion for what has happened and feel for the victims on a deeper level. After all, there is always a victim of a crime, and sharing these people’s stories allows more people to show compassion for their experiences, whether they survived or not.
Another angle is that solving these crimes is like a puzzle. And seeing how the story unravelled and the crime was solved is somewhat like a mental puzzle they need to figure out, and watching how it developed appeases that part of a woman’s personality. I must admit one of my favourite shows is Faking It, where professionals dissect people’s speech, body language and behaviours for telltale signs they were lying. So I suppose for me, this angle tracks somewhat.
Should I Stop Watching True Crime Shows?
There is a general consensus from people who aren’t fans of this type of story and wouldn’t choose to watch true crime shows or listen to podcasts that there is something inherently wrong with those of us who do enjoy it. But does that mean there is something wrong with me and those like me, and we have a desire deep down somewhere in us to copy what we have seen? I don’t think so. I don’t have any desire to commit murder (hormonal rages aside), and my lazy nature guarantees I simply wouldn’t be bothered to even do anything more than think of how I could throttle someone who is annoying me; I do not for one minute there is a section of society that harbours these thoughts and are using what they have seen as research.
Well, not as huge an audience anyway. I am sure there are people doing exactly as I have just described and will one day feature on their own Netflix special. But for the most part, people are satisfying a curiosity. Much like others would head to the library to find out information or google for things they want to learn, true crime stories are another avenue for us to learn about the world around us and what people are actually capable of.
For now, while I do feel this genre is somewhat saturated and has been well and truly milked, there is an audience and continues to be an audience, as long as people are respectful (internet sleuths and keyboard warriors, I’m looking at you), there shouldn’t be any concern surrounding those who, for want of a better word, enjoy these shows nor should it indicate anything other than a desire to learn more about the world around them.
