true crime fans deserve JAIL TIME.

[@nctdreamenjoyer]

My cousin and her six year old were brutally murdered this year, it was entirely crippling to my whole family and it got a lot of attention from the media. True crime podcasts and episodes were never something I paid too much attention to, but then then they got a hold of my cousins case. The things I had to listen to about a woman who was my role model, a woman who fought so hard to give a good life to her child. These online videos made a spectacle out of her, they blamed her for their deaths, they laughed as they spoke about her past and her life. When it’s you and your family, true crime isn’t the fun entertainment you want it to be.

[@NicoleRafiee]

i am so so sorry for what you and your family are being put through ❤️

[@eatmybutthairslittletinyman]

I'm so sorry to hear that, I hope things are beginning to get easier for you and your family

[@lunaraynwolf7036]

I'm so sorry you and your family had to go through this. My deepest condolences and apologies for your loss! Sending lots of love and hugs!

[@erikred8217]

none of that is really the issue. The issue is freedom of thought it's self. the victim's are owed more than to be forgotten. ethics should be a part of it but like it or not it isn't and that isn't something that true crime podcasters did. Crime is no ones excuse to tell you or anyone else what to think, esp when the state is worse. Public knowledge is more important than public ignorance. It's just the real world.

[@bell_pepper01]

@@erikred8217 I still think it’s important to ask the victim’s families

[@trinityredford1415]

I used to be in true crime when I was in middle school and was really into the PsYcHoLoGy Of A kIlLeR. After the Stoneman Douglas shooting my middle school has a session of silence for the victims over the intercom for literally a minute to "pay respects." My history teacher at the time informed us that she would like to sit in silence for a minute per victim (I think it was 17 minutes). And as this whole class of 8th grade students sat in complete silence we looked at each victim's bio on a news articles to empathize and respect their loss. Now a minute can only do so much but it was really powerful for my teacher to go out of her way and read off who the victims were, their ages, what year of school they were in, and some of sports of hobbies they loved to do. It made me realize how much time I invest to remember these infamous killers on these podcasts but NEVER remember the victims names.

[@chameleon25]

More teachers should do this! I hate how much the killers become like celebrities or household names

[@sharyebethancourt3660]

Damn, that’s my HS. 💔😭

[@crypt7cmsp]

when don"t f with cats came out on netflix, i remember everybody i know going CRAZY because he ended up having gone to the same high school we did. so many kids jumped to make tiktoks showing his picture in the year book and constantly talked about the fact he's from our small town, but i could not name a singular person who actually remembered the context of what he did or any information about the victim(s) involved.

[@lovelyfluer]

I was in 8th grade when that shooting happened Aswell and our school also did a 17 minutes of silent outside but the 6th and 7th graders turned it into a protest and it didn’t make any sense to the situation 😅

[@patienceholmes841]

I kinda wish serial killers would all be known by an alias or like number or smthg (not smthg cool) so that they never get the satisfaction or notoriety. Like thats exactly what they want. They don't deserve to have a name when they've taken the names of others.

[@ayadali4634]

That lady in the tiktok with the Dahmer earrings made a "response" to the people calling her out where she basically said "I'm a psych major and i studied him for years so im allowed to stan him." and she showed us her dahmer wallet as if that made it any better.

[@CharlesChristinaWH]

that is extremely frightening ....no wonder our mental health community is so toxic

[@anavi222]

Yikes…. Oh my god.

[@garbagegremlins4707]

Taking abnormal psych in undergrad doesn’t give you the rights to go full hybrisophile mode. Gross

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

I hope her clients see that and leave

[@susiex6669]

I would like to say thats creepy but its really not. The Tiktok lady sounds like a narcissist of high repute thirsting for attention, even if its negative attention, by showing off her Dahmer merch.

[@6randpa69]

my uncle cheated on his wife and his wife murdered his mistress and committed suicide. I brought it up to a friend once and they showed me a makeup true crime asmr about my family.

[@Ratjuicefan]

… holy shit

[@yourfavoritebubbe7444]

I don’t have any words. I’m so sorry. Did you get a new friend? (I hope that joke is okay)

[@tabsg0015]

so….you brought it up for comfort or just to share for entertainment and then was surprised other people already knew about it for their entertainment too?

[@PygmyGoat3]

@@tabsg0015 ??? reflect on this comment, do you think it was kind or necessary

[@theneedle6785]

That's grotesque. I'm so sorry 😞

[@jessicabrewer1720]

One of my childhood friends and her siblings were murdered by a stranger 15 years ago when we were in high school. I remember her parents divorce, her bother being born, her favorite color, her birthday, helping her put out a smore she caught on fire at girl scout camp, etc. She was a person and so were her sister and brother. If I ever saw a channel covering her case I'd be extreme bothered. It literally scarred me for life and gave me PTSD. The media attention it received, the reporters at my school, the details that were very public and gave me recurring nightmares, the lack of remorse from the killer, etc when I was only 13. Like retelling the terrible things that happened to her doesn't do anything to "raise awareness" or "keep her memory alive." It's a sick form of entertainment. My therapist thinks I like true crime content because it makes me feel less alone in a weird way and my attempt to desensitize myself from the horrors in my real life but I don't pretend it's right or harmless. I make a conscious effort to seek out positive content now because it definitely had a negative impact on my mental state when i consume too much of it even today as an adult. You never get over something like this and true crime youtubers are just picking at open wounds. Sorry this became an essay lmao.

[@xlown8561]

Hope they’re all in a good place 😢

[@origamipein18]

No, no, you don't have to apologize.

[@piperrigsby4899]

i'm so sorry

[@evelynwright329]

I realized that consuming a lot of true crime content made my mental health awful. I filled my void for “unsettling” entertainment and only listen to fictional horror. I remember just listening to a Bailey Sarian video and it just clicked that this… is not how I’d like my memory to be carried on. I don’t want someone putting on their makeup describing the details of my death to strangers like it’s brunch gossip. I just felt the ick from then on, and discovered that cutting that stuff out of my entertainment…. My anxiety is a lot better, I’m sleeping better, and the idea of meeting new people doesn’t make my stomach turn over. I tried to excuse it for other people as “well, different interests” but… when your interests are? The actual gory details of someone’s murder is just a gross hobby. That was a person. it makes me think of the people who watch murder and death videos online for fun. Now that I see how parasitic it is to get some kind of gratification from hearing about someone dying I can’t unsee it.

[@jessicabrewer1720]

@evelynwright329 for me I take comfort in knowing what happened to my friend was real. It's easy for it to feel like I dreamed it all because it's been 15 years. Everyone's moved on and I feel like I'm stuck there staring at the now empty field where the crime occured. A lot of the discourse around true crime doesn't account for the people who have to live with the fall out for the rest of their lives and videos about the crime are just salt in the wounds. Your loved ones death being treated like gossip is unbearably painful, especially when you're not at peace with it yet. I've lost grandparents, aunts, uncles, other friends, etc and her loss is still the greatest pain I've ever known. Thankfully I'm an adult now with my own children and it's much more distant but there's still difficult days.

[@jenniferhenriquez4368]

Literally the shock I felt in 2014 when a Tumblr page I followed went from Disney animation to Columbine killer fan page OVERNIGHT

[@verronniica]

BESTIE YES LEGITIMATELY WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING ON W TUMBLR AND THE COLUMBINERS I REMEMBER IT V I V I D L Y

[@DawnsHuntress]

that was wild. I will never forget the shock I felt when I discovered that fan fictions were written about them too

[@BubbleBunnyy]

@@verronniicaa girl I knew in school who was like that is still obsessed with them in her 20s. It’s creepy af, first of all why are you obsessed with killers, second of all they are high schoolers and you’re an adult.

[@verronniica]

@@BubbleBunnyy oh my god I didn't even think abt it until I read the end but what the fuck one of them was literally 17 and the other one had only been 18 for 11 days.. this is actually creepy as hell whaa

[@Unbreakable245]

I'd be like "Was this acc hacked?"

[@bobocrob1514]

people forget that these stories are real with REAL people and victims- and making a drama adaptation of these stories is incredibly harmful for that reason

[@sydnimac37]

This!! I was an AHS fan all throughout my teens, and it’s wild thinking back on how that franchise capitalized on real stories and pain, and imo normalized this obsession in social media leading to the point where we are today. Yuck yuck yuck

[@MA-xd9zl]

For me these type of content is more to get awake about how some people are crazy. I don’t get how can anyone see it in any other way. But I don’t think it’s harmful if seen it as it it’s, a crime…

[@MA-xd9zl]

And I mean documentaries and stuff… the videos of people doing make up/etc I think it’s just unnecessary

[@Amandasbarros]

@@MA-xd9zl they already have a documentary with the serial killer it self if people want to watch it. Making a show with an actor that I loved for so many people doesn't seem like a good idea...

[@MA-xd9zl]

@@Amandasbarros yeah, that I completely agree

[@blissthompson2818]

Aaniin! (hello in Ojibwe) As an Indigenous viewer I just want to say a big thank you! Your donation to these causes made me tear up because I feel these issues are left on the back burner for many people who are not of colour. So much love and respect for you!

[@vannanasun3639]

Agree! I’m Ojibwe as well, and it’s so nice to see our ppl being talked about a little more these days.

[@HyacinthSkies]

how do you pronounce it in English ojibwe is such a beautiful looking word

[@h.b2774]

@@HyacinthSkies oh-jib-way

[@faefaefaefaeeeeee]

This is such a beautiful and kind response to this video, I'm going to try to learn hello in ojibwe now! :)

[@ilyTakami]

i'm not indigenous but i am a black person and i felt so cared for seeing her use her money and her platform in general to bring light to these issues that we go through.

[@DankrumStar]

“Watching someone do their cut crease while discussing incest and the abuse of children” ^ This right here summed the whole thing up so damn well. That is why it’s so distasteful

[@boop-zj6uf]

A 16 year old girl from my school named Susana Morales got kidnapped and murdered by a police officer and there was this tiktoker that was doing those tarot psychic videos and it made SO fucking angry

[@z6ppa325]

its so disgusting seeing my 16 year old friends THIRST over the character of Jeffrey Dahmer in the new show

[@NicoleRafiee]

oh hell no

[@Cutthecamerasdeadass1899]

idk why bc he's not even into females

[@amayasimpson9920]

breakup with them babe...

[@juicypoet]

@@amayasimpson9920 cut that bih off

[@achillesreyskens2774]

@@Cutthecamerasdeadass1899 Connor?

[@patienceholmes841]

I straight up don't understand murderer fangirls. I remember in 2019 I took an ancient history burial rites class and one day we went to the labs to look at skeletons to see how they identify between sex. While we were waiting outside we were all kinda nervous (this was an arts degree so none of us were lab people and they were real human skeletons we were about to literally touch) and this one girl started to talk about how she took the class because she loves Jeffrey dahmer and then proceeded to pull her laptop out of her bag and I shit you not she had a pop art sticker of his face. We all just stared at this girl and she saw nothing wrong with it. This was second year uni so she was like at least 19/20 like a grown ass human.

[@theMyRadiowasTaken]

i mean thats fucked up and not defending her because. what the fuck. but also a 19/20 year old is only a legal adult, def not fully grown.

[@SH4RK-SUPR3M4CY]

@@theMyRadiowasTaken yeah likw kist because they suddenly turn 18 means they have fully matured. that happens when ur 25, 18-20 are still kinda like teenagers mentally

[@avamolinaro5559]

@@SH4RK-SUPR3M4CYi understand that but those type of excuses always make me incredibly angry as an 18 year old. We have functioning brains and should be held accountable for hurting others.

[@kunpunko]

@@SH4RK-SUPR3M4CYyou’re right and all but 18 year olds aren’t stupid… they know better than this

[@GabrielleTollerson]

these same women wpuld complain about catcalling like that's worse than fangirling for a fuckin serial killer

[@jelenaoyervides]

I’m so glad you made a video about this, its such a weird thing to see people obsess over serial killers.

[@moyazhao4676]

I sort of had a true crime phase when I wasn’t like obsessed with the cases, but I would watch 3 hour videos in the background while I did homework 😳 that’s when I realized: “shit bro, I’m hearing tragic things that happened to real people; and I’m so unaffected that I’m still focusing on trigonometry.” It REALLY does something to your head, its NOT good to be desensitized to horrible crimes.

[@gaeig]

I don't get how someone can be obsessed with true crime... You are so guilty of being obsessed with true crime... And on the other hand I feel so guilty of only selectively watching videos which don't involve any sort of homicide to the point I deliberately ignore what's going on in gaza bcoz it is so emotionally scarring

[@undercoversummer1232]

What about what's going on in israel? The women r*** children murdered?

[@undercoversummer1232]

What about what's going on in israel? The women r*** children murdered?

[@RiRi-ku6xz]

@@gaeig as a Palestinian in West Bank It rlly is…I’m so tired I tried keeping up with Gaza for months bcuz it’s my duty but the last month I couldn’t it’s so draining every morning I open my phone all my feed is about Gaza in all apps Even if a want a day rest I can’t unless I don’t open any devices cuz as soon as I see the name Gaza I dissociate or start vomiting I just want to rip my face apart That last part about desensitization rlly reminded me of brats who say “eh it’s just a war that’s what happens in war why y’all surprised ” & move on like they’re telling us y’all just weak I watched all these true crime videos nothing faze me anymore When those brats live in the safest countries away from war ever happening there My cousin who lives in states is one of those..since the war she hasn’t stopped posting thirst trap like usual Am I insane for linking this to her attitude towards true crimes When we shared that we both like true crime content, but we couldn’t enjoy our conversations we couldn’t find common ground While I was immersed in thinking about the victims feeling of sadness angry wanna destroy the world & cursing the criminal The only thing she was interested in how the crime was done how genius & innovated the way & how the criminal thinks his psychology And I was like why are talking about this like it’s fiction level like a fascinating fact I can’t stand the wanna know the psychology of criminals ppl..how unproductive ..you can never know or understand unless you were them.. they are just sick ppl Idk these ppl are just fake

[@gaeig]

@@RiRi-ku6xz First of all, I hope u r doing well and r safe! I thought there have been attacks in the West Bank aswell. As for why people love true crime, these ppl surely exist everywhere not just in online spaces. You can go back in history and ask, why people loved detective stories, why people loved and still love Aurthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and so on. Infact, you can go to ancient times and ask why so many Greek mythological stories of gods and goddesses had disturbing themes of violence and why there are so many stories of brutal curses in the testaments, koran, torah etc etc People have loved brutal stuff just because it's out of the ordinary and religions have brutal stories to warn people because they instill so much fear but also wonder and awe In the West, brutality is much more out of the ordinary than in places like the Middle East, Sub Saharan Africa and most parts of Asia so there is a much larger audience of people who love these out-of-ordinary crime stories than people in the places where people actually relatively much more frequently witness all forms of violence, if not becoming a victim of it. So for them, these stories are the equivalent of usual gossip stuff of cheating husbands and neighbors denigrating their friends' character and manners behind their backs in our countries. In their countries meanwhile, cheating is acceptable enough to not be something gossip-worthy and society, atleast in the States is devoid of class divisions to the point denigrating a friends' upbringing is seen as arrogant and hateful. ☮☮

[@Mandarinen]

Thank you! I'm so sick of the "fangirling" over criminals, not just murderers. I'm Swedish and there has recently been a documentary made that portrays the man who stalked Agneta Fältskog of ABBA for years as a superhero and the media's reaction was like: "How come Agneta isn't in it?"

[@sarascarpati887]

???

[@myckeli]

detta har jag helt missat!!

[@sabrinareyes8756]

This is why I support Kendall Rae's newer content. She posts a lot about new cases of actively missing people, cold cases, etc. WITH the families and friends telling the majority of the story. All video proceeds go to them. Most of the cases are also people of color as well. She's also always donated 100% of merch funds to organizations that help the families of these horrific crimes. I'm not excusing her past content and she's not perfect but she's one of the only ones doing content like this.

[@shreyaraman.]

yess..so true and she's so respectful to the victims

[@aimannabilahrahmadita3162]

Yeess!!!

[@CharlotteNinjaBunny]

Yes, agree :)

[@arielkmusic]

So, how is she making money?

[@TheRachelID]

LOVE kendall

[@dazeyconfused4669]

"i used to be a true crime girlie before i came to my senses" LMAO, the true crime enjoyer to true crime hater pipeline is real

[@quavers275]

This is too true

[@j.alice.gale.]

Something I don't understand is there was a movie 'My friend Dahmer' (2017) with Ross Lynch in it & now we have Dahmer - Monster (2022). Like did we seriously need to bring up this awful serial killer again?

[@CharlesChristinaWH]

Right and for some ODD reason the media can't comprehend why black people think they don't care about them

[@8luvbug]

We also had Dahmer with Jeremy Renner that came out in the early 2000s. There's already do many books and documentaries on this guy stop bringing him up.

[@lavenderbabyck]

yes

[@bellamay3741]

right!! let the victims rest in piece and not plaster him everywhere, where, no doubt, the families have seen.

[@carolyns4519]

At least the Ross Lynch oe was based on a memoir by a guy who went to high school with Dahmer and the author had to wrestle his feelings firsthand, so it was a little more respectful than most. Netflix had no such excuse.

[@NearsightedNarhwal]

I think there’s a big difference between people that spend time doing research and bringing light to cases, and then there are the videos of people saying what happened like they’re telling someone about their favorite horror movie

[@RiRi-ku6xz]

Yeah like almost gossiping

[@sideshowmob]

They're still profiting from trauma

[@emitorresbun]

​@@sideshowmob Those stories deserve to be told. There is a respectful way to do it

[@handler65]

literally bailey serian can’t stand her

[@LoLo7919]

@@emitorresbunI do listen to true crime podcasts and probably won’t stop, cause of various reasons. There are podcasts out there that are respectful towards families and victims, BUT there is no way that these stories ‚deserve‘ to be told. The only argument that it needs is the one of what if this has happened to someone I love. It just gives me such an uncomfortable feeling, and as long it’s not an unclosed case or the earnings go to victims families there is just no other positive effect for the victim.

[@ahmednamisaalam8424]

There was a tiktok where a girl asked "am I insane to feel sorry for dahmar" I took that personally. I watched the series JUST to answer her question because the question was weird but I thought maybe I'm too judgemental. I watched it. I was disturbed. Idk how many times I threw up and cried for the victims. Yes. To the girl who asked. Yes. Get help.

[@Anna-fs6bz]

which is why i never watched the series when it came out and im happy to say i never watched it

[@harvestcheddar0]

I got emotionally invested in the Kristin Smart case because of Kendall Rae’s video on it. It always stayed with me. Then the Your Own Back Yard podcast came out and Chris Lambert got the parents permission to do it, found leads, found witnesses who hadn’t talked in 26 years and it’s in large part because of him that Kristin’s murderer was finally brought to trial and convicted for 1st degree murder this week. It took 26 years for the police to get their shit together, and a random guy doing their jobs for them, for her to get justice. Her murderer also had tapes of him with unconscious women and a bunch of CP, which they found because of the podcast. It brought public attention to it, which pushed police. People who have never met Kristin came to care for her and her family. If done respectfully, there are good things that can come from keeping victim’s stories alive. There is power in bringing light to stories long kept in the dark. People need to remember these are real people. And the grief their friends and families are going through is not a trivial matter. There are ethical ways to do things, and there are insensitive and dangerous ways to do things.

[@katieeb1049]

yep! ive been listening to in your own back yard pod for the past 4 years and hearing how much he actually has done and the case coming to a close this year makes me so happy.

[@caseybrandon1298]

Sarah Turney is another who works a lot with families who have missing loved ones and shes advocating for victims. She's always very respectful. I feel like it's in part because her sister went missing and she understands how difficult it is to listen to this type of content when it isn't done with respect.

[@tiale1994]

In Brazil, a journalist made a podcast, which later became a book and documentary, about the unsolved case of the murder of a boy in the 90s, and this helped the 7 people unjustly arrested to be released. In addition, he also helped with another case involving a murdered boy, who had been found but had been misidentified as a girl for years.

[@bellap2544]

Specifically with the Dahmer show, people treat those of us who had to stop or take it slow “weaker” because it “wasn’t THAT gory”. Like no babes, I’m gagging because that’s a real person. That’s a real person, who’s family is likely still alive and struggling with their loss. It’s not the horrific acts themselves (which are in their own right gut retching and horrific), but the hurricane of affects it had/has on real people with real emotions. Amazing video, it needed to be said 🫡

[@catsrus1409]

That’s why I also can’t stand the people that brag about how much gore they watch. It’s a real person losing their life and they see it as entertaining. Disgusting

[@danielflanard8274]

More so the buzz around it than the show itself is what made me take a step back for awhile. You have people making memes about him, comparing any dude with an even vaguely similar pair of glasses and light hair to him. In GTA Online, players are cosplaying as him. Much like when he was caught, there will doubt be quite a few Dahmer costumes this Halloween. It is easier to digest that subject matter when under the belief that everyone is having the same solemn experience viewing it.

[@sparklethefarkle]

Exactly! I've stomached a lot of really fucked up and gory FICTIONAL movies, but won't watch dahmer because knowing that happened to someone and consuming it for entertainment would make me feel disgusting.

[@ellendaniels8715]

I could be wrong, but I swear I saw one of the victims' close family members that told social media outlets how this has reopened a wound once again and how there are scenes in the show re-enacting moments from the trial that portray black women as hysterical and irrational when they're speaking to the man who did unspeakable things to their loved one. I think it's important for people to not only remember these victims' names, but the fact they're black men/boys. Jeffrey knew black people wouldn't be of utter importance to find for the police, and exploited that fact. Some people say he had a "race fetish", I just think he was racist. I hope he's rotting in hell.

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

They lack any form of empathy. And brag about it.

[@dokiepkosa]

I think it’s good to remember that public executions were once public events for fun. Bring the kids for a picnic! True crime kinda feels like a modern equivalent of that

[@dokiepkosa]

@@rainbowconnection7601 that exactly! Really easy to condemn people of the past and live in cognitive dissonance. I try to think of what’s gonna look SUPER messed up to future generations, and I think true crime and the prison industrial complex will be up there

[@vvotchme1576]

talk about the picnic...

[@orangeblossoms88]

and it really wasnt even that long ago

[@burnteffigy87]

Same with America and it's Southern Lynching Picnics

[@fandomfan2800]

lol no one cares

[@dalkay]

I had a friend go missing in high school and for years we had no idea what happened. Apparently some true crime people had found the story and the attention they drummed up led to the channel adventures with purpose coming to our town and finding him, so I’m grateful at least for those people. It gave me closure to something horrible that if it weren’t for the attention it garnered would have gone unsolved forever. I think true crime as a tool for awareness is good but treating it as disposable shallow entertainment is horrible. Anyway just my two cents. Hope you have a lovely day whoever reads this and tell your friends you love them.

[@peachesandcream22]

I'm Russian. In Russia, there were a tragedy in 11 May of 2021 when in Kazan city in gymnasium №175 came 19 years old Ilnaz Gayaliev, its ex-student, and started mass shouting, which resulted in deaths of 9 people and 32 injured people, most of them were children and teachers. Ilnaz tried to commit suicide but was stopped by commandos who came to the terract. When the videos and photos of court came out, many teenage girls in Internet started romanticizing Ilnaz, making typical Tumblr pages of him, writing messages to the court begging to release him, and the worse, these fan girls hardly blamed victims of the terract for "creating the bad enviroment in gymnasium for Gayaliev" when 2 years passed after graduation and many of victims were primary classes students which means these children didn't even know who Ilnaz was. Many people were so pissed off of these true crimers.

[@tamila4445]

Ужас...😢

[@RhoadesLessTraveled]

Wow. This brought back a memory of my half sister getting a tattoo of Jeffrey Dahmer's apartment number on her chest. This was almost 2 decades ago at this point. People have always been obsessed with murderers in the most disturbing ways. Thank you for highlighting that its just getting worse in more recent years with the use of KZbin and the internet.

[@strwbrrydevi]

It’s different if someone liked crime info and had genuine interest in that field and felt for victims . But this is a case of fangirls thinking real life killers are “cute”… it’s a toxic way of thinking . Sadly I’ve seen a lot of these kinds of fans on twitter post about Dahmer or Bundy. It’s unsettling

[@Gucciblackberry]

I’m so sorry your half*sis is big cringe omg🥺🫡

[@8luvbug]

She needs to get help

[@elenastaph4168]

i like how you talk about things that you used to follow or subscribe to and realizing they are kind of bad or toxic, and then educating people who still follow those things about how bad they can be. your honesty is a reason why i am a fan of yours

[@NicoleRafiee]

this means so much, thank you!!

[@CharlesChristinaWH]

@@NicoleRafiee my brother was shot and killed and the last thing I want to see is some KZbinr eating or doing makeup while they speak on his murder ...thank you for for this video and acknowledging the victims

[@marydarko3380]

my sister and i literally talked about this, we talked about how people try to justify the crimes of a killer when we really shouldn’t. i saw this one tiktok of this woman crying UNDERSTANDABLY cause someone did a video on her sisters death, i can’t even imagine.

[@liisaa287]

That’s awful. I can’t imagine how painful that must be especially if they didn’t bother to reach out to the family

[@sin3358]

That is disgusting. If I had a family member who got murdered I'd be devastated to know some mf is making money off of their horrible death. I get doing old stories where the people are no longer alive, but sheesh

[@katewatson44]

Kendall Rae is actually a pretty good true crime youtuber who does family collabs, fundraisers or gets sponsorships to help the victims families or for them to get help . She is the only youtuber right now that doesn’t feel disconnected to emotions

[@serenabaney997]

Yup. She also covers cases on missing POC/LGBTQIA victims that have gone under investigated or received little to no attention. She also will have petitions for authorities to investigate these cases again to continue to pursue them. She also raises money for victim’s families.

[@thelanktheist2626]

@@serenabaney997She also allows the victim’s families to speak up (if so willing) and tell their own stories.

[@quinn4330]

The only true crime KZbinr that I truly respect.

[@fox_6174]

I've seen a few people say they wanted the videos she did on their family taken down but didn't see proof until reddit, I'd definitely recommend looking into her a bit more.

[@EK-dt4cp]

She seems to have very lazy research..sometimes it’s completely wrong. I respect that she donates to charities (hopefully she doesn’t donate to Ashton “I trust Danny Masterson with my child” Kutcher’s charity anymore)..but her videos are bare minimum research at best and many have inaccuracies. Emma Kenny is incredible though, and has worked in the mental health field for decades..super respectful and has met many of the families of the British victims she covers. She definitely deserves more viewers (imo). :)

[@nikkint8050]

just finished the video. I went to school with gabby petito. Knew her for ten years and she was so so sweet. I feel so bad for her family, I can’t imagine how they feel. Especially with the lifetime movie made without their consent. It breaks my heart to drive through my hometown and see turquoise/teal ribbons on every pole

[@Ry_Fy]

The Gabby Petito case always makes me feel sick. They lived in my home town or close enough. And when Brian Laundrie was back home, my own family drove to his house hoping to catch a glimpse of him. We went biking at the trail he was found at, just days before they located him (now I know my family took us biking there in hopes of spotting him) And I will be the first to admit that I enjoy true crime podcasts or episodes, but entirely passively. But something about how people flocked to their house hoping to see him always made me feel sick, it’s a real person who died, a real family affected, why would you try to directly interrupt or interact with that??

[@silly-goofy-little-goose]

this is one of the first times I'm hearing of Gabby Petito, what to the teal ribbons mean? /genq

[@alysedraws5478]

I personally love Mr.Ballen’s true crime channel. He tells it in a story format and encourages donations to true crime organizations and charities. He’s even made his own charity for victims of true crime and has a deep respect for the victims and their families. He seems to do it for the informative aspects and to actually help those that have been affected.

[@JRedrum]

Agreed, most of these content creators do something charitable for families of victims. This video is such a shit take.

[@JRedrum]

Not to mention the fact that it brings awareness and attention from the public, and inspires community based involvement in solving/preventing crime.

[@l4ne_boy_-]

so does Kendall rae! people find tik tokers tryna create "true crime" just for the hype and assume every creator is like that :(

[@O_Ciel_Phant0mhive]

True true. I know a couple of true crime KZbinrs like that too. People need to do more research I swear

[@crypticoolkid]

@@l4ne_boy_- kendall rae is a great true crime youtuber. i do watch it in moderation ofc, but when i do watch its always shown correctly and respectfully

[@nocturnalnewsie]

Listening to an obscene amount of classmates discussing the dahmer show like its some fictional horror show has made me feel insane. Like even going as far as making fun of eachother for not being able to watch certain parts which the reverse of that implies that they DO enjoy watching the horrifying scenes which is just an extremely odd thing to be so self important about?

[@silasoconnell6413]

I work at a haunted house, and guests ask me, the giant clown looming over them, if I've seen the jeffrey dahmer show ALL THE TIME. :(

[@danielflanard8274]

Movies and shows are just not the appropriate medium for the subject matter. We're used to seeing gratuitous violence on screen, people watch slasher movies for fun. Books are most effective tool for making the reality of those events sink in.

[@lenaboyer6981]

Ugh I don’t keep up with a lot of pop culture unfortunately so until now I literally thought the Netflix Dahmer thing was a DOCUMENTARY. It’s a TV drama??? That feels SUPER icky to me.

[@sin3358]

In all due fairness, I don't entirely blame them. I haven't watched the show but know the story, but when you turn a true story into a show for television, which looks pretty and shit like that, it's easy to take away the reality. When you read the story online it gives chills, when you see it in a movie, it's really considered a horror show. This is why that show should have never been made. It stripped away the humanity if the victims, making them seem as nothing but actors

[@jaejaja.]

Can’t we just appreciate the editing style of her? it’s so unique edit : holy moly i’ve never gotten more than 10 likes y’all are so nice

[@NicoleRafiee]

thank you!!!!

[@ferninthehouse]

no offense but wdym

[@jaejaja.]

OMG NICOLE HII

[@jaejaja.]

@@ferninthehouse just that her editing style is really good and I don't see it often

[@Thislesbiannevermisses]

@@ferninthehouse all type of people enjoy all type of details about their environment, it's very nice watching others find things that they like tbh

[@leannataylor4651]

Thank you for contributing to an indigenous organization. As a part indigenous women (I’m white passing but grew up around my moms native family and culture) you just don’t hear enough people talk about the absolute horrors our people still go through. As a white passing native, I have never and will never have the same life experiences as my native presenting darker toned family/friends. I think it’s important I say that, but I have seen racism and hurt firsthand growing up. From the bottom of my heart thank you for contributing.

[@tessamurphy1148]

I just came across this and as someone who used to watch true crime and get uncomfortable every time they “ laughed while explaining the murder” this opened my brain. Thank you

[@hollyro4665]

There is only one case it’s acceptable to laugh at. And it’s a case where the victims were reported to have laughed at the murderer’s, let’s call it, inability to perform. Because if the scared victims of a horrific crime could find humour in that I think it’s ok for us to.

[@shan5278]

stephanie soo actually switched her content months ago and now covers fictional or fan stories with her mukbangs or non murder related cases. she has a separate segment for true crime only and for her podcast where she is respectful and well researched - i think she made the switch after receiving criticism which imo was a great change

[@leafbending]

yeah it seems like she never saw a stephanie video? she looked at her thumbnails once and decided yeah that's good enough to backup my points

[@patienceholmes841]

@@leafbending I think she might've watched on of her older videos - maybe one that was super popular or popped up when she searched smthg specific and then just didn't realise she'd switched. I guess since her thumbnails are mostly still mukbangs and a lot of her titles are vague it could seem like she's still doing that?

[@reahsahpagel3354]

I agree with this!

[@sparklight0964]

@@leafbending Exactly like I think she was using people like her for clickbait like putting Bailey Serían in the thumbnail smh she does more than true crime

[@yumi-zd6vq]

@@leafbending yea, a thumbnail included in this video wasn't even true crime, it was a retelling of a thriller book i think.

[@terribletito11]

I used to delve lightly into true crime mostly cause I like educational stuff. But I started feeling gross after a while when I would hear “before I tell you about the brutal torture of a young child let me talk about today’s sponsor” or something especially after becoming an uncle. I’ve stopped consuming true crime content and I truly feel better for it.

[@shannadawng4309]

I think Bailey might be slowly trying to step back from murder videos honestly. She used to post them every Monday, then every other Monday and now just one a month. But back when it was every week, if she missed one upload, fans would send her hate messages cause they needed her to talk about someone dying. So even though she’s taken multiple breaks, slowed down that content, focused on some really old cases, and started Dark History, I think she obviously feels the need to please the crowd that brings in the 2+ millions views. It’s what built her channel and a real interest of hers, but with the conversations of ethics about true crime now, I can see her doing only Dark History within the next year.

[@dnfi5480]

I was not aware of that and glad to hear that. But YTubers shape their audiences as much as their audiences shape their content. I remember watching a couple of her videos some years ago and I honestly felt gross. She is an entertaining beautiful woman but watching her videos made me feel like I needed a shower...the sha-sha-sha thing, the giggling, the stupid insensitive jokes...yikes. If you cultivate an audience that gets their kicks from trivializing horrifying trauma then yeah...you can get stuck when your common sense wakes up.

[@8luvbug]

I hope she does cause she's not good at it. No tact.

[@TheAngryCleric]

I love her dark history podcasts! She’s super entertaining, I’m glad she’s going in that direction.

[@Forever5elena]

Well she’s still doing MMM videos so lol

[@kate2706]

she’s returned to the weekly murder makeup videos /:

[@humanerrorr]

your points about how these influencers do nothing for the families is the exact reason why kendal rae is the only true crime person i still watch. she often has families film their own story for her videos so they have control of the narrative and what details come out. the makeup and murder side of things has always given me such a bad feeling

[@meghanhodgkin5888]

Thank you for sharing this perspective- it needs to be shared more! I too at one point was very morbidly interested in these stories. I couldn’t finish Dahmer and I realize now why it doesn’t sit with me anymore. You’re doing great work exposing these truths and realities. Especially the problem with the lack of empathy for victims. Thank you so much and congrats on 500k!

[@ohmyguava8710]

thank you so much for making this video, it’s like you read my mind 😅 was just thinking about how the “Jeffrey Dahmer dance” is a trend on Tiktok now and how a lot of people at my school are talking about the show like it’s a trend/drama but not an actual horrific series of events that affected real people whose stories are being made into entertainment :((

[@sugalight5462]

“Jefferey Dahmer dance”????? Do I even want to know????

[@trokeit]

@@sugalight5462 I probably shouldn’t know either 💀

[@imani0nline]

The issue with true crime as field is that there is no protection for the victims or their families, there’s always a fascination with the perpetrator and the victims and their stories are lost in all the noise. With regard to people who profit off these ‘stories’ (even though it’s peoples real life) and do nothing to protect or assist the people actually affected are nothing short of disgusting and predatory.

[@FairyBogFather]

Well said!

[@BettyBa5]

what that's not! true true crime youtubers like kendall , like Danielle ,stephanie, Christina they are raising awareness for the public to solve cold cases and some donating to the families of the victims

[@Canyou_see_us]

People can learn about true crime all they want, but the second anyone calls themselves a “fan” they disgust me. Death is such a heavy subject, and people take it so lightly. My love goes out to the family’s of any victims ❤

[@Rissy_renee]

Girl omg when you said why didn’t Netflix help…. Like how much MONEY was spent on making the show, and they wanna cry about the families not getting what they deserve when they have the resources to give them something especially in the the light of exploiting their stories for a series! You’re so right!!!

[@catharanthus1066]

I appreciate Ask A Mortician's videos since she puts in a lot of effort to learn about the events, reaching out to locals and victims, donating to related organisations, while also teaching about the errors that lead to tragedies.

[@meghanpfeiffer]

I live within a short distance to Milwaukee and I've haven't heard a single person I know talk about the Dahmer show. I don't think anyone wants to watch it because of how real it feels to us. It's not entertainment, it's exploitation.

[@reahsahpagel3354]

as a fellow Wisconsinite close to milwaukee I agree. Ain’t nobody watching ts when people grew up with the men he murdered going missing and shit. It’s tooo fucking real.

[@lexchamp]

as someone who has been consuming true crime content for a while, these are some of the most ethical people I'm subscribed to: Georgia Marie mainly focuses on unsolved cases and leaves out the gruesome details about bodies if they are discovered, Danelle Hallan also focuses mainly on unsolved cases, and if they are solved she looks at them from a historical perspective (such as covering Amber Hagerman's case which led to the creation of the Amber Alert), and Sherrilyn Dale has a whole series dedicated to letting listener's share their true crime stories and giving people a place to let their voices be heard. Gabulosis also only covered cases that are 20+ years, and if they are solved she focuses more on how they were solved (ex: genetic genealogy) than anything gruesome. Obviously so much of true crime content is not ethical, but there is a portion of it which can help raise awareness for unsolved cases.

[@jadestone5160]

Crime Junkie podcast does great work too by bringing attention to all kinds of cases including smaller ones. They also cover missing people and donate to many different organizations like the Doe Project. They even helped to advance some cases

[@comso0]

I also recommend BOZE vs. the WORLD

[@sideshowmob]

You people don't understand. It's not just the gruesome stuff. It's about people's right to privacy and grieve privately.

[@jessicanicoleferr]

@@comso0i also watch boze. she's very heavy on getting justice for people

[@crylicpaint]

Kendall Rae is the only true crime content creator I watch anymore. She actually empathizes with the victims and often interviews/collaborates with their families and donates money to victims' families + organizations that find missing people. She also brings awareness to the way that missing person cases are so often mishandled by police, which is so important to prevent missing persons from turning into murder victims, or at the very least, finding justice for the families of murder victims.

[@kristym7149]

I remember being 16 and so excited to listen to my favorite true crime podcast in my car now that I had my license. I'm 20 now and I haven't listened in about 2 years because I don't realize how the things I was listening to were affecting me. Thank you for putting into words what I couldn't at the time.

[@faccadee]

I've been saying this about true crime for ages. It's just taking advantage of and often profiting off the victims 😔

[@noot1359]

This is really true. These netflix series aren't really documentaries anymore they're just there for entertainment purposes and in the case of the jeffrey dahmer series, don't even ask the victims in real life if they can portray their characters in their shows. It just shows how true crime has become super insensitive and has desensitized people. A lot of youtubers that make true crime videos also do not ask for the consent of the victims that they cover, or the victim's families. They think because it's interesting and because they have a huge interest in it they can just research and make videos about it. Hardly any of them ever say that they've had the victim's consent and can do it.

[@CharlesChristinaWH]

@@noot1359 I keep seeing alot of capping for Kendall Rae she also has her photo with makeup on in her thumbnails...she does not care as Nicole said...sorry how she can help is to only speak on the victims and who they were and not speak on how the serial killers or murderers lived or how they were I don't care , they are pieces of shit to me

[@karito1358]

I used to be in to true crime when I was in middle school. I think back then I thought it made me "cool and quirky". I would hear about these cases and search up images of the crime or the videos/photos taken by the killer. Looking back on it I realize that consuming this content was like being entertained by the worst moment in someones life. I think people tend to forget that true crime isn't just scary stories but actual people who lost loved ones in devastating ways.

[@catesebiri1630]

NICOLE I AM SO HAPPY U UPLOADED I HAVE LITERALLY HAD THE WORST WEEK AND THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO START A NEW WEEK. you are honestly one of my fav KZbinrs of all time

[@AMPirkl]

I literally just this weekend removed all my murder/crime/horror podcasts from my player. I did this primarily for my mental health. I realized that consuming stories of murder, death, assault, etc. on a regular basis cannot be good for my depression and anxiety. I also want to be a better role model to my 14yo and teach her that hearing/reading about the worst day in these family’s lives should not be used as entertainment.

[@nikiollla]

As a true crime fan or an ex tue crime fan you should know there is difference between idiots who romanticise criminals and people who are interested in the psychological aspect of this subject. If what you say is true then criminologists or psychologists should be in jail as well. Tho I totally agree with what you think about women with mental problems fangirling over murderers. True crime should definitely be in an educational format not freaking ASMR or a make up tutorial video

[@nyapolitancat217]

You’re still consuming it for entertainment and curiosity. A lot of these true crime videos make them w/o any consideration about how the victim’s families feel about the loss of a loved one and the trauma that came from it being told to thousands or even millions of people. Just because you’re not romanticizing murderers doesn’t mean you don’t engage in sensationalist insensitive content meant to thrill and entertain.

[@madhatter4129]

Nah when u say "fan" You're j sick stop coming up with excuses lmao

[@Forever5elena]

@@lucievelyn4866To study something professionally you must at some point have a personal interest in it, no?

[@paolacarmichael611]

@@lucievelyn4866 not everyone has access to proper education to study these things professionally

[@barbaraosorio2002]

ik im late but as someone who is studying criminology at a university i think true crime does a lot of harm but at the same time there are ethical and unethical versions of it. it’s not something we can outright ban as this form of story telling has been part of our culture for a very long time. I think it’s important for standards to be set and guidelines to be followed, but if y’all are so passionate why don’t u join a campaign for victim rights?

[@claudiasotelo6956]

i used to be into true crime too and i had to step away from it because it started to become an obsession. i hoped youtube would recommend me more content and waited for my favorite youtuber to post part 3 of a case. i didn't understand how much damage i was making to my psyche until i had to block the youtubers i was watching. a lot of people are saying that there are influencers who work with the victims family and that's great! but it still fucks you up to hear those stories, and personally, i still feel icky consuming that content. but whatever floats your boat i guess

[@natalie-3737]

As a kid I had severe anxiety, OCD, & trauma. I also grew up (like most kids unfortunately) having active shooter drills frequently, and I refused to even enter classrooms without checking first for windows and/or closets. I became hyperfixated on true crime as a way to process these emotions. One specific thing I loved was buzzfeed unsolved, which despite its flaws I still view as a huge part of my childhood. It wasn’t until I realized that my worst nightmares were some people’s realities that I abandoned this content for good. While I’m not sure it is possible to ever really consume true crime “ethically”, there are other ways to get a similar effect. Now, I Iike unsolved mysteries & avoid cases that involve actual victims. I’ve also grown to really love horror movies & books :)

[@anxiety1050]

me and you are EXACTLY the same

[@EmOgirlGuilbert]

We are the same person. I enjoy true crime asmr. It is the only way I can sleep. The only way. I mean no disrespect. Many of the cases have been brought to light BECAUSE of the coverage in media.

[@cz1754]

i personally agree, as someone who loves the horror genre. i think that exploring these things in fiction or covering true cases in a respectful manner is perfectly okay. my issue is when these cases become dramatised in shows like Dahmer and the victims are exploited for views. it really annoys me how people will approach it like a fictional horror show and thirst over the characters when those are REAL people. Fiction is fine. Documentaries done in good faith and with respect to the victims are fine and informative. Docudramas are when it tends to get murky

[@hollyro4665]

I think the woman held hostage being told by a man he has a bomb might disagree with that being a victimless case. She must have been absolutely terrified

[@nuffyj8614]

Ryan and Shane have a show on their own channel (Watcher) called Mystery Files, which is similar to Buzzfeed Unsolved in that one of them briefs the other on a mystery and they break down possibilities, and they still have their chemistry, but they do more or less harmless cases, and some of them are actually solved. They've done a bank robbery where no one got hurt and the culprits got away on an inner tube (DB Tuber), a tv station hacking, weird siren noises that have been heard around the world without a source, stuff like that. They've said the true crime stuff like they used to do makes them uncomfortable now.

[@yessica5231]

I grew up on true crime and people like bailey sarian were refreshing and lighthearted. Now I can see how problematic and gross it is to make money off victims' memories like that. Now I still follow tc content like Kendall Rae, Eleanor Neale, Stephanie Harlow because they're always respectful and put the victims at the forefront. Stephanie and Kendall have actually helped a cold case lead to an arrest and allow the victims' loved ones come on their channel. They also team up with organizations that make like candles or bracelets that donate to certain groups. I will always recommend that if you're gonna go down tc rabbit holes, try to learn the victims' names at the very least. Edit: guys I didn't know about the Eleanor or Stephanie one

[@CynderIsLame]

Stephanie harlowe gang rise up 🫡

[@noot1359]

pls stop thinking eleanor neale is a good source. shes super problematic. she made a video about joy morgan and joy morgan's family commented that they were upset by her video because it was poorly researched into. she also made a video about randy stair, who may have been a transgender woman and eleanor referred to them as a man throughout the video (she couldve not assumed, used they/them and respected the dead). she titled a video about bianca devins ''egirl killed by instagram stalker'' and bianca's family insisted that they did not want bianca to be remembered as an egirl, and wanted her name to be remembered!!. eleanor changed this only when she got backlash from it!!

[@FairyBogFather]

unfortunately Eleanor Neale isn't a super good example...

[@ischristinaok]

eleanor neale isn’t respectful at all she has upset a couple victims families

[@Jordan-bm8lp]

@Yessica also steph harlowe’s video on Bianca Devins was very much not respectful

[@abbygibbs9735]

Coffee House Crime is my favorite creator who covers true crime stories. He's soft-spoken, compassionate, and so respectful when discussing tragedies. He talks about the victims, families, and even the murderers humanely and compassionately. When introducing the victims, he makes a point to talk about who they were as people and the love they had from their family and loved ones. Only good vibes for this guy

[@septiceye_3706]

I really like the way he goes about making his videos as well! He's talking in an informative, compassionate and respectful manner while remaining serious about the matter, especially when it comes to talking about the perpetrator(s). And I also like how he takes his time to honor the people who have been murdered, with photos and testimonials from people who knew them i.e. how that person was, what their dreams and aspirations were, what they liked to do etc. So I agree, only good vibes from Adrian!

[@sadiepratt9593]

Same. I also really like Crime Junkies because they actively try to help make sure crimes like these don’t happen again and supporting victims and their families.

[@RoseBenedictCreative]

He's a misigynist

[@macy351]

@@RoseBenedictCreativewhy?

[@lll.24601]

I love this one!!

[@gracieross7696]

so so glad to hear someone talking about this, everyone just acts as if this is normal, innocuous content consumption when it often is not

[@sarahchillomg2946]

For those looking for more ethical content, Sarah Turney does amazing work. She is the younger sister of a missing girl named Alissa whose case was botched terribly, and she has become an advocate for victims and their families. She's got a podcast and she's an activist who is clearly passionate about what she does, as well as highlighting how the things discussed in this video (psychic grifters, murder merch, etc) have affected her.

[@aligoeswest]

Just adding on, she recently did an interview with Celisia Stanton, who is also a true crime podcaster who covers topics through the lens of reformative justice and victim's rights. Its genuinely good and helped me move away from punishment-focused thinking

[@monikamalinowski]

True crime isn't bad. It's good to know how some terrible people exist. Romanticizing killers is definitely wrong but being interested in true crime is not wrong. If no one makes documentaries about them then tbh it'll just be easier for more to arise. If you don't like it or feel uncomfortable that's your choice but evil people are out there and it's good to understand and get educated about it. I don't watch youtubers talking about crime because i find that bizarre. At the end of the day, true crime isn't the problem, capitalism is, yet again

[@saraduke5157]

@@ray_ray5481 i think the commenter was talking about the exploitation of the families grief for money thru documentaries etc

[@angla3383]

@@ray_ray5481 just you average “I hate politics Andy” who shits their pants and cries at any critique of capitalism. If you don’t like politics and don’t understand just keep ur mouth shut you clearly don’t know and don’t care about the actual point

[@angla3383]

@@ray_ray5481 capitalism has caused brain rot to almost all Americans to the point they lack empathy for anyone but themselves. They don’t care if they are disrespecting families by doing these true crime videos they just care they are getting views and money AND THATS how capitalism shapes us and that’s why this has something to do with capitalism

[@pixieinx]

See it to believe it has done nothing positive for anyone, it’s just trauma porn period.

[@whatever5180]

The lack of exploitative true crime docu-series will not make crime rates rise that is complete and utter bullshit. If you want to be educated about it you can read articles not watch the docuseries of money-hungry ghouls. The problem with true crime is not only relegated to the romanticization of abusers and murderers. It's the ableism, it's the copaganda, it's the victim-blaming, it's the push for pseudoscience and so much more

[@samanthamartin1407]

I literally grew up watching true crime shows with my family every single night, from like when I was a toddler to now at age 22. That shit traumatized me as a child, little 4 year old me would lay in bed every night believing that a scary person was going to break into our home and murder my family. I grew up trusting nobody and developed pretty bad attachment issues, like always believing that something terrible happened when I didn't hear back from a loved one. Of course I kind of grew out of it in my later teens, but it still bothers me greatly. Coincidentally, when I got with my current partner towards the end of high school, he revealed to me that his family was literally murdered during a home invasion that he managed to escape as a literal child (he gave me permission to share this). His family was torn in half because of an ID TV episode. It's been 13 years and any reconnection between sides has been minimal. I understand having morbid curiosity, but wtf, don't profit from the suffering of others if you aren't going to do anything to help, and for the love of god, don't show any of it to your kids.

[@ND-kh5yw]

Dude wow I'm so sorry your family did you like that

[@LPzzxz]

Really sorry about what has happened to you and you partner. You're right kids shouldn't be exposed to that kind of stuff, i mean yh you can protect them by teaching safety things they'll be able to understand ( and ofc not out them in dangerous situations) but they shouldn't have to know or see exactly what murderers do to victims. I hope you and your partner heal from this eventually❤️.

[@hiraethheart2318]

I’m really sorry to hear about that, that’s messed up. I can relate to being exposed to true crime from a young age, it really messes you up. I’m better then I was when I was younger but still have intrusive thoughts while I’m walking home and such about what I would do if someone suddenly kidnapped me and whatnot. It messes with you. Constantly feel like I’m preparing for someone to uproot my life and try to harm me and others.

[@morguegal]

@@hiraethheart2318i’ve found my people 🥺

[@sageloveswwe]

that first paragraph describes me right now. any sound or small movement i see/hear automatically makes me think someone is in my house :(

[@elven1912]

When I was a teenager I had a true crime phase. At one point I came across a video discussing how a girl murdered her mother graphically. The thing that really got me was them talking about the little boy who was there. I was literally sick after that and felt horrible for days. It snapped me out of that whole phase but it shouldn’t have began in the fist place.

[@joan9620]

i don't usually watch her mukbang content, but stephanie's true crime videos on her other channel rotten mango is usually respectful - changing names to keep the families' info private, asks for permission and donating to them too. i think the mukbang ones are for kdramas or movies she watched that are crime-related.

[@User05233]

Yea I thought that too

[@max-ls1dk]

idk what to think cos she has changed up her content - though idk if she did that bc people started calling her out or bc she actually cared. I vividly remember her having mukbang videos where she discussed real cases but the vids are taken down now.

[@pri2916]

i like her for the most part bc she is well researched, but i dont like how she plays up her cry voice sometimes... feels like shes dialing up her emotions for dramatic effect. Also with her narrative style, i cant always tell where the facts end and embellishments begin. I felt weird watching her itaewon tragedy video when she started embellishing the narrative for one of the kids that passed...

[@esmeralda9712]

I have been watching Stephanie for a long time now, and in the past Stephanie did actually have mukbang and true crime videos. She started to veer off that just recently, probably because of the backlash she had been receiving. But ur right she has definitely become more respectful and sensitive when handling the complexity of the cases she covers.

[@bugaboooo]

i think it’s still weird that she has 2 ad-reads in between when explaining a very serious case which imo, seems insensitive,, and she does add in alot of speculation and “un-confirmed” theories which makes the case hard to follow

[@maddyh9037]

Getting into true crime as a teenager led me to study law at 18 at university (specialising in criminal law), which although was really interesting, studying criminal law makes you become incredibly desensitised to criminal acts. I would advise any teenager to focus on something that drives you out of joy, and not a sick interest or fear, because delving into it can be harrowing for your soul and mind - take care of yourself

[@funtimetuber093]

Late but I ended up choosing Criminology at univerisity, and your statement is 100% true

[@Kaffee_auf_ex]

Huh? I have studied and worked in criminal law and it made me hate true crime because they get so many things wrong when it comes to legal aspects but also the details they enjoy describing gave me more nightmares than actual crimes that I had a distant and clearly defined role in.

[@funtimetuber093]

@@Kaffee_auf_ex Yeah, that's what my lecturer for Criminology said: Media misrepresent the true nature of crime

[@maddyh9037]

@@Kaffee_auf_ex the details of cases in criminal law can still be incredibly brutal. i agree that true crime is wildly dramatised, but all i was saying is that an interest in true crime should not equate to a career in criminal law, for the very reason you just stated.

[@Kaffee_auf_ex]

@@maddyh9037 oh, absolutely. I just can deal with it much better knowing that my role in it is constructive and not that of a passive listener who's there for entertainment. I think we pretty much agree in the end if I understand you correctly (sorry EnglIsh isn't my native language)

[@flaviafaria1010]

I’ve been trying to give myself excuses for listening to these podcasts/KZbin videos and I’m thankful you made a video about this. Obviously, I should’ve came to the conclusion myself way beforehand. Thanks Nicole

[@bayleemadisonmua]

This just solidified you as my favorite creator. I’m hoping this conversation will spark many more on these platforms. Thanks for this babe!!

[@storm.loves.reading]

i’m not a *fan* of true crime. i watch it and learn about it because i want to be a criminologist. it helps me learn about what i may end up facing one day. it truly makes me sick hearing about all these cases that are out there. those were real people, and i can’t believe some horrendous person would do such a thing.

[@bellamay3741]

i did a criminology course and true crime honestly did have a lot of information that was needed for the course so i watched true crime for a bit but the people that actively sit there and laugh at things that happen is insane to me

[@mollyoxy]

please... do actual crim research instead of consuming entertainment formats of true crime

[@bellamay3741]

@@mollyoxy i did- articles and books were obviously my main source but there were a couple times i would watch a video- if i could find it i’d go for news reports. i don’t think true crime is good or should be watched, which makes me hypocritical, but it can help with a course or case study. i believe that’s the only time true crime should be watched. i, in no way, meant that my entire course was completed because i would occasionally watch a true crime video, if i watched a video, i always read up on the case beforehand and would mainly use true crime videos as a timeline of sorts.

[@storm.loves.reading]

@@mollyoxy i never use it as my main source. i research it as well.

[@mollyoxy]

@@bellamay3741 i studied crim psych and abnormal psych and not once did i ever watch a true crime podcast/show 🤷‍♀️

[@Nobodyspetfrog]

Stephanie soo is someone who has a true crime podcast but also does the Mukbangs but most of the time when she does mukbangs they are kdramas, and because she is such a big creator she usually does get permission from the people involved. But yes when people don’t it’s just disgusting.

[@wrtheringheights]

shes also slowly stopped making mukbang content for the more gruesome crimes. i feel like shes genuinely changing the more 'problematic' aspects of her channel and its really great to see her grow as a person

[@annaw9705]

exactly what i was thinking. she also does so much research and donates sponsorship and revenue money to charities as far as i know

[@bugaboooo]

I do watch her rotten mango videos of the true crime stories but one thing that irks me about them is the ad-reads in between and the fact she has 2 ads in every video is abit strange imo,, especially since she promotes like a huuge range of products which are unrelated to the case itself and seems insensitive

[@Bread_bread01]

@@bugaboooo from what i've seen, sometimes yt just adds ads on their own. I see it when I open some playlists or ambience videos and the creator is apologizing in the comment section for ads and telling the viewers to skip it to the end before watching first, etc. Just get an ad blocker.

[@suhanikyu]

@@Bread_bread01 no apart from the yt ads she has her own sponserships or ads and they do come off as a little insensitive

[@Makironee]

thank you so much i needed this !! ive been watching true crime recently alot! and it really awakened alot of intrusive thoughts that i might snap and do something scary to my family I HATE IT, I DONT LIKE IT AND hearing all these just fuel it even more and i start to think im a monster being paranoid so im avoiding and taking a cleanse! i feel grounded now when im with my friends and doing the things i love i needed this

[@nakolle4289]

I'm so glad people are starting to speak on this! I used to watch true crime and as much as I love Bailey's personality I just found that it gave me so much anxiety. I already had trauma I was trying to heal from old relationships but after watching true crime videos for months I found that I was actually SCARED to date because there was this little voice in my head saying "most serial killers seem like nice normal guys"

[@anielson6152]

i’m writing a paper on the effects of this right now in one of my classes :/ it’s just really off and i wonder what the long term effects of popularizing these things will be

[@melvncholyhill]

as an indigenous woman who hears way too many cases of my sisters going missing, it infuriates me watching popular creators profit off these cases. to see numerous chances to spread awareness for the MMIW movement they always fail to do so, but hearing that you’re donating to a good source while bringing to light the harm this form of media brings is heartening.

[@ange-j6v]

This is why I only watch Kendall Rae, because she ACTUALLY makes an effort to connect with victims family and raise awareness. I have an issue with Bailey Sarian because she would justify her videos by saying “well people are fascinated by the killers and their backstories” rather than including any information about these victims... and then giggle about it. It’s sick how Netflix is now monetizing MURDER and rape stories. True crime has gone too far.

[@chameleon25]

Yeah the way she talks about it like it’s gossip… I would watch it at first but it started rubbing me the wrong wayc

[@chameleon25]

The sad thing is that these stories have always been monetized one way or another. This isn’t the first dahmer film that’s been made

[@amoo7811]

Totally agree. The laughing is so insensitive. “I’m laughing because…” no. Just stop.

[@lizziewilson7510]

I’m glad I’m not the one. She always rubbed me the wrong way

[@ewidontlikeyou]

We have a whole p*rn industry that perpetuates worse. LIke, what do you expect? You probably support and consume that inudustry...so take a seat....several.

[@alyrar8002]

I sent this video to my stepmom and stepsister, I hope they watch it. My sister is only 15, and she’s always talking about how true crime “relaxes her” and stuff. I just want them to consider the effects of this kind of content.

[@destorres112]

Thank you for making this video about this subject that is not talked about enough. I feel like this comment section might be a good place for me to vent. My uncle was murdered by his girlfriend a few years ago, and she was cruel enough to film the whole thing. The amount of times I’ve been innocently scrolling on my home page, (one time even on my lunch at work) and I see someone reacting to this horrific video makes me sick. Not only are they SPREADING this uncomfortable video even more by reacting to it, but then want to say things like: “my condolences to the family.” Like you just gave me a wheezing panic attack on my lunch break but you want to say you care about me? I never imagined this happening to my family, but I also never could imagine how cruel and desensitized the world is. Thank you to anyone who read this. Be kind, and be mindful about what you share. 💛

[@g1rl2die4]

thank you so so much for making this video like this is SO important. i used to consume an ungodly amount of true crime content and it SERIOUSLY effected my mental health; especially because i have experienced traumatic encounters in the past that were similar to some of the things that were being mentioned in this type of content. it made me so anxious and paranoid 24/7 and it really effected the way i was living. i haven't been watching it for the past 2 years or so and it STILL effects me to this day.. some of the things i've heard/seen through consuming true crime media is on my mind every single day.

[@Stonedandbookish]

I ACTUALLY WROTE A PAPER LAST YEAR ABOUT THIS. Specifically about harm and why people are engrossed in true crime

[@VictoriaHernandez-wk8vm]

I've definitely been one to watch a ton of true crime and I've never thought about it in this light. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!

[@aubreyclaire3187]

i swear to god if i get murdered and my story is turned into a makeup tutorial and my storytime and some random youtuber starts coming at someone for telling my story im gna haunt them 😐

[@lillianswan776]

I used to listen to true crime so often that I actually became house ridden because I became so anxious that I was going to get killed or injured. Now I don't watch it and feel so much better. I did try to watch the new Dahmer show and stopped immediately because it was so gruesome. Thank you for bringing light to this!

[@1ia802]

as someone who was interested in true crime when i was very young, (10-12), i couldnt see what was so bad about it until one of my family members passed. i know its a sick form of realization but it was very needed. it felt like true crime was making me feel less and less empathetic towards victims subconsciously.

[@laurakilgour7561]

So glad someone else has said this!! I couldn’t believe all the tik toks saying how tame dahmer was and they were wishing they showed the real Polaroids!? Like wtf are you well????? Those are real people!it is not a flex to be so de sensitised, to be very very disturbed by these things is natural!

[@vaan3639]

I had a brief true crime phase in high school because I also had that interest in what the murderers were like before they committed the crimes. I knew going into it that I would never be a "fan" of this stuff, and my suspicions were only confirmed when I realized I had to stop watching it because it was making my anxiety worse. I can't even watch it "casually" (for lack of a better word) anymore, because I feel too much pain for the victims. Every time a new dramatized true crime documentary comes out, I just get so worried because it means this trend isn't going away fast enough. Thank you for talking about this, Nicole

[@rachjackson]

My husband and I discovered the My Favorite Murder podcast a couple years ago, and I remember loving the spooky/haunted stories but the true crime stories of actual murders and victims rubbed me the wrong way. Then I found out the hosts would have live readings that people would go to and listen to dramatized, quirky tellings of actual victims, and the audience would gasp and cheer at parts??? Absolutely weirded and grossed me out. I’m so glad you touched on this ‘cause it’s bothered me a while and I feel like no one’s talking about this perspective since true crime’s so popular! Thanks for bringing the awareness of empathy back

[@goodmorninguser]

i used to be really into "true crime" even just up until a couple years ago. i ended up hitting a wall and being extremely burnt out and depressed by the atrocities i was hearing about and it really made me realize how icky the vast majority of it is. i think listening to all these awful stories honestly has made my anxiety worse and really made a lasting effect on my relationships, especially with men. i can't even imagine what i'd do if (god forbid) something happened to a friend or family member and i saw a makeup tutorial talking about it.

[@phantombassist]

Eleanor Neale is one of the few youtubers who talks about true crime in a way that is respectful to the people involved and often makes the victim(s) the focus rather than the perpetrator.

[@DupreeBlosch]

You should check out Stephanie Harlowe. She’s also very respectful of cases she talks about

[@eleyezuh]

Omg I love Eleanor Neale

[@briancrawford8751]

That's just a different flavor of the same shit.

[@yuzuzuzuzuzuzu]

I used to watch her, but then I found out she isn't very receptive to some of the victims' families feedback to her videos, also she tends to insert herself in the narrative, talking as if she knew this people

[@LXLA255]

Eleanor Neale? Respectful? She literally called a murder victim an e girl, the victims family didn’t want their family member to be known as “that one e girl who got murdered” and let’s be real, she waaaaaaaaaaay too cheery when talking about the victims and their deaths

[@maxssister1985]

The channel Dreading is my main go to for this kinda stuff. 2 brothers that humanize the victims, demonize the killers, don’t show their faces to focus on the story and they speak with so much empathy towards victims, children and their families. 10/10 recommend.

[@jessicanicoleferr]

i've been watching dreading for a while now and i agree, they are one of the most respectful creators i have seen on this platform.

[@Justdance6336]

I’d say a majority of true crime fans are interested in hearing victims’ stories to be aware of different types of struggles and situations people go through, and to advocate for them. I watch Kendall Rae, Sherrilyn Dale, and a few other creators who absolutely put the victims first and even give them and their families a larger platform and voice when they need it (such as POC who go missing and aren’t given the same media attention and public concern as white victims). Kendall Rae also constantly raises money for organizations such as Her Justice. I think the majority of us are not deluded teens who worship Dahmer, Bundy, etc. Definitely a stereotype. And dramatizations/re-enactments are not a big part of what avid true crime viewers consume. We watch videos and listen to podcasts, and read books. Of course I can’t speak for every person, but the community is definitely painted in more of a negative light than it deserves.

[@Justdance6336]

Netflix and Tiktokers are often idiotic and careless when it comes to true crime. And merch making light of/joking about murder is not “quirky””cute” or “cool”. Not disagreeing with any of that. You do make several great points!

[@maxscene7]

I agree! Its more of a bad apple kind of thing. Plus, true crime is usually equated to serial killers, when true crime also discusses other crimes of lesser known people

[@lavndermoon]

This.

[@MarieTheOstrich]

well spoken, the true crime community shouldn't be be overshadowed by some weird people that fetishize serial killers. There has been so much good done by true crime KZbinrs, awareness and donating your reach an help wonders to get cases going

[@ADotEnby]

yeah exactly. and when i’m listening i usually listen to podcasts who talk about the victim in length, and by the end of it i’m mourning for them. It gives a platform to let their memories live on. I also only listen to podcast that don’t harp on the gore, and actively go out of their way to avoid those stories. They also usually shit on the murderers and the police force who don’t work hard enough because of certain circumstances. My favorite are morbid and Small Town Murder. Morbid doesn’t only do true crime and have branched out to general spookiness. They also go out of their way to talk about victims. Small Town Murder also goes deeply into the victims stories. You really learn about them and the focus is not on the murderer.

[@kellyb23-cm]

Thank you for talking about this. Those insensitive Tiktoks of these true crime fans make me sick to my stomach

[@venamotylek]

I miss when people were normal about true crime, and had a healthy amount of disgust and pity (derogatory) for these killers. Edit: I should say, I got out of true crime, because my friends dad was talking about how they were cousins with one of bundy's victims, and since then I haven't been able to watch any of these videos

[@toomanyplants0012]

Sarah Turney is Alissa Turney’s sister, and she made her OWN podcast where she laid out the case against the person who she believes did it. Her podcast is called Voices for Justice and if you’re going to consume true crime, I recommend her! As she is the sister of a victim and related to the alleged murderer, she always puts the victims, their lives, and their families at the forefront. Her voice is wonderful, and she doesn’t include details about the victims’ deaths. She is amazing, the work she’s done to solve her sister’s case is incredible.

[@jellyfishistory]

It so terrible. Thank you so much for putting it in a great perspective. I’m very young and I loved true crime BUT I ALWAYS FELT LIKE THIS. There was something wrong but I couldn’t put my finger on it. This was great :) I’m subscribing as well because you are being genuine. That raw anger is beautiful to me because it gives off “no bullshit” and I love your confidence and intelligence. Keep. It. Up!!

[@user-sj7uo9fv7d]

this is why i love watching creepy pastas and reddit icebergs etc- they aren't real but still can give u the same feeling as watching true crime.

[@lixxiin777]

i ranted to my mum about the ppl glamorising and simping for jeffery dahmer and she said something that id never thought of. "if someone did something like that about your brother i would feel horrible, and that wasnt even true crime. i cant imagine how these families would be feeling." for context, my youngest brother was killed in a car accident in 2020

[@emilymorris5193]

Thank you for this video Nicole. Can you talk about the Blonde movie too? And how poor Marilyn is being exploited for entertainment as well

[@susiex6669]

No please, everyone, leave Marilyn alone.

[@missingclown249]

I personally listen to true crime trials to find a new appreciation of life because I find it hard to find a reason to live sometimes and hearing testimonials helps me realize if I suddenly lose my life it will effect others

[@Cuiro78299]

I grew up watching The First 48 & HLN with my dad from the age of 6. He used to be an Investigator but was retired due to a disability that grew worse to the point the Department had to let him go, but he always missed it. While these programs and True Crime have a special place in my heart, since they brought nostalgia and happiness to my dad, they made me grow detached from the true gravity of these crimes. It was watching 'Friend of the Family' on Peacock that made me realize this. I had to pause multiple times per episode to cry since it reminded me of personal experiences. Violent crime is devastating, not entertainment.

[@annac9534]

It is a part of human nature to be curious. I don’t think it’s inherently bad watching true crime shows; however I agree with the sentiment that make up, mukbangs, and true crime on KZbin and the sensationalism of serial killers is the straight up exploitation of victims.