Discussion Are you fascinated by true crime or, fictional crime drama? Why?

[Forever Sleep]

I am. Both really. I enjoy all types of crime drama from the more obviously staged and extreme- like Midsomer Murders and Jonathan Creek to more gritty series like Dept. Q. I'm fascinated by true crime though also.

I imagine a lot of people must be. It's so popular. So many different series out there. I can't think it's all together healthy though. Just to be clear- I have no desire to commit crime of any sort! So, why is it so fascinating?

I think I'm weirdly doing it in part to feel better about my safe and boring life choices. I watch a lot of catfishing and romance scam type cases or ones where partners have abused and even murdered their significant other. I guess I'm simultaeously telling myself that yes- I missed out on a relationship but, at least I spared myself from that. I wonder how common it actually is. How many relationships are abusive on some level.

Maybe it's also to remind myself that my life could be so much worse. I think I'm also using it to reinforce my pessimistic view of the world in general.

Do you ever wonder why you like certain things though? Things that you feel probably aren't that healthy? Do you feel bad about it? Or, ashamed if people find out?

I think lots of people enjoy crime drama but, true crime feels more of a dodgy thing to admit to somehow. I suppose because it may suggest an element of sadism. After all, it is a real person who's been hurt. Even if we don't enjoy that aspect of it, we still accept that to watch it.

 

[getoutgirl]

I don't watch as much now but yeah I pretty much devoured anything I could true crime wise. I kinda understand its allure, I definetly feel it. Morbid curiosity, the monstruous and evil irrupting in normality, always in the familiar settings dispelling the illusion we have of safety there, it plays with horror but in a more detached retrospective way in which you are not in danger, you feel more like peeping into these secret forbidden moments in someone's life (who actually was, very much, in danger), and so it's more entertaining but safe. It plays into our gossipy nature too, when people do things out of the societal norms, and this is the extreme of that. And I agree there is a catharsis effect in knowing at least I've not been tortured for a year in a basement and choped up inside a suitcase, life's not too bad when you look it like that.

It does turn tragedies and actual extreme suffering by the families into pretty much just disposable uncaring entertainment, it uses empathy in its favour but also kinda helps killing it imo. Not saying its like "videogames turn people violent", but it's also true that since screens are a thing every bit of violence we see through one can become mere content or less impactful, more detached for some people. And there could be better ways to portray these stories, but those arent's as entertaining or profitable so... People clearly like these. I do. I think they should come with a warning first saying "Hey, please don't kill people :)" and all our problems would be solved.

Spoiler: tru crime

 

[trashisland]

I much prefer true crime. real cases are much more easy for me to engage in since it really happened. I dont really know why I like it. I guess ive just been drawn to that kind of stuff since I was young, and watching videos on it reminds me how bad the world is/what people are capable of and that is interesting. I feel the same in that it kinda reinforces my pessimistic view on the world. I dont really have a great outlook, and it makes me think yeah my life sucks but I could be doing so much worse. maybe its bad to use real suffering as a kind of reassurance for myself but idk. I dont feel like it isnt healthy for me. I feel like in some ways it can be positive such as being aware of all the scenarios that can lead me to be hurt, so I know how to be careful. although maybe it does desensitise me to that kind of violence, I also dont think about hurting people so it doesn't really have an effect on me. I guess more vulnerable people could think otherwise which is why these copycat crimes happen and thats when the morality of true crime comes into question. I feel like it's a double edged sword

 

[fallendevil]

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy a good rotten mango episode or bodycam from time to time, but I don't think it's healthy or morally…justified(?) to watch that shit every single day like it's a k drama

If it's fictional I mean, go ahead, but I seriously question real life true crime fanatics.

 

[Pluto]

 

[Scenegirlshooter]

the tcc saved me from suicide so there's that for me personally

 

[Skallagrim]

I used to love true crime on youtube but I stopped watching it as I actually started to feel ill when it was on and I figured it wasn't good for me. I think some, maybe even most, have a fascination with macabre stuff. Let's face it, videos on, for example, the electric chair or "worst forms of capital punishment" or "worst torture devices" do really well.

With true crime, there are four forms that stick out to me;

1. Gangster stuff. That's interesting because it's kind of like an "anything goes" soap opera with larger than life characters (like the crew 'Goodfellas' was based off).

2. The really nasty crap that is fascinatingly awful and tickles the itch people have for the darkness (the serial killers and wotnot).

3. The psychological types that do an exploration into the psyche of the criminal (like maybe that family who killed the lawyer that Boze is covering and that kind of thing).

4. The nice kind - criminals you root for, for one reason or another. Maybe they're not so bad, maybe they pulled off a clever heist or something (the Albert Spaggiari stuff).

I can get into 1&4, especially 4, but the other stuff I've become a bit too mentally fragile to really watch at this point.

 

[Captain Howdy]

I do like true crime. The best show is the one with Joe Kenda where he goes through all of his cases as a homicide detective in Colorado Springs. The whole show is like a PTSD therapy for him. Helping him deal with some of the craziest shit that most of us will thankfully never see.

I like horror movies, but even the nastiest vile movie (and I've seen... so many), isn't as scary as true crime. For the most part, the people I'm hearing about didn't expect to be murdered that day. They are carrying in the groceries, watching TV, sleeping and that's their last memory. That is way scarier than any horror movie.

I also like it when I watch a documentary where a survivor goes back to Auschwitz or some terrible place, situation and explains what happened there and what their life was like. There was one done in the 1980's or 90's where a lady goes with her son. The stuff she explains is incomprehensible to my brain. I understand the mechanics and reality of it, but I have no frame of reference. And it makes me angry and starts me on psychological free for all, where I think... If I had been a liberator of such a camp, that I would have gone full Hannibal the Cannibal on the remaining staff... Would that, in effect, make me worse than a nazi? See how my stream of consciousness can spiral.

But at least this type of programming elicits something in me so I know I'm still alive. Then I'll catch a glimpse of a singing competition or real housewives of some-shit town and hope the asteroid hits. Watching tv is a double-edged sword, lol.

 

[Forever Sleep]

If I had been a liberator of such a camp, that I would have gone full Hannibal the Cannibal on the remaining staff...

I had this exact conversation with someone the other day. About many people's propensity towards violence in certain circumstances. I suppose it's debatable if it would be justified. How would we know what they participated in? How guilty they were? But then, I think just the horror and outrage/ anger of seeing that would make me do the same.

Similar with terrorists really. I think if I witnessed someone hurting some random person, I'd feel such hatred towards them.

But yeah- it ultimately does call into question- does that make us any better than them? Acting violently on a grudge or out of revenge. And, so it goes on.

I actually really admire pacifists but, I just don't feel that inside.

 

[Grav]

I used to be into true crime but have pulled back a lot. I'm interested in why they do it (mainly the really crazy people) and how they got caught. After a while I got tired of the glamorizing of people who are really bad, destroying people for gain (ex mobsters) and the desire to have all the serial killers be super sexy suave beings who you just love, except for that killing stuff. Even Bundy, probably the most photogenic of the bunch, couldn't keep it together. Then throw in the lazy/inept policing that allows some of these people to go on and it became aggravating. Now if I listen to it, I'm interested in how will the person mess up and get caught, will some normie uncover a clue the professionals missed, etc.

 

[Captain Howdy]

There is a really good documentary on Henry Lee Lucas. So much bad policing.

 

[Mr. Snrub]

I get more of a kick out of horror fiction. Supernatural/cosmic/philosophical horror. I had a true crime phase but it leads to nowhere but desensitization in my experience. Or worse, a nervous breakdown like Holden Ford at the end of Mindhunter season 1 when he realises he's empathising with Ed Kemper.

 

[Galam]

Not so much, it makes me dissapointed often. It can show violence against female characters in ways that are just cruel and more realistic and I don't like it. I only start a thriller or crime series when it has some lighter concept and with lgbt just out of curiousity how they handle the gays.

Because of this I watch Hightown now season 2 and it is ok but the main protagonist is one of the dumbest female protagonist I encountered. The only good thing about her is, that she is mainly seen with female characters in her bed.
So the male gangsters have more to say and I only watch further because of the black gangster big-sister, she seems to have a good heart and wanted to help her little sister and have a nice life (I relate to this alot). I voted 4/10 and 2/5 stars for this series.

 

[FoxSauce]

More on the dark nature of humans and the reaons behind said crime .


Its fascinating

 

[DirtCommie]

I am fascinated by a few of them but only because I can be destructive idiot. SO the crash test dummy idiot criminals do all the hard work of showing me what I should or shouldnt avoid in life so I dont end up like them lol. Dont talk back to someone twice your size or with a dangerous weapon. Duh! DOnt be afraid to ask for help when youre stuck in an unfamiliar place or situation or a dangerous place or situation. Duh! These channels and videos have helped me avoid death and convictions a few times Ill embarrassingly admit...

My problem with like 99% of true crime channels, and well 99% of justice systems , is that when they talk about the motivations for why a criminal committed a crime they dont show the historical material conditions and psychological conditions as to why a person probably conducted a crime.

There is this one famous Dave's Lemonade video (Condolences to that poor lady and her daughter of course) that examined this one case from the settler colonial state known as the 'usa' in which after the man who most likely committed this one heinous crime was convicted the state talked to the man's relatives, pediatric psychologists and social workers who showed that the man faced all types of poverty AND physical, verbal abuse and neglect as a baby and as a child from his own biological parents.... So of course the man grew up to be a remorseless killing monster. When you craft a monster, dont be surprised when the monster acts like a monster . I feel that we as humans should do everything in our powerr to create a society that makes it near impossible for people to becoming monsters like this ...

I feel that all justice systems prior to convicting someone should do this exact same examinatiom of a person's material conditions and psychological conditions prior to the heinous act to be more or less lenient on the convict during sentencing . Clearly there is no such thing as someone just waking up one day and deciding out of nowehere to be a hateful monster. HAtred is taught or learned by the cruelness that one is surrounded by as they grow up.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I feel that all justice systems prior to convicting someone should do this exact same examinatiom of a person's material conditions and psychological conditions prior to the heinous act to be more or less lenient on the convict during sentencing .

I do understand where you're coming from. That maybe a person deserves more leniency in trying to understand why they did what they did. And also- 100%, we should be looking at their lives and- if they suffered abuse themselves- trying to make sure people in future don't go through those same things- to try to avoid the same result.

Sentencing though? That's tricky. Just because we might feel sorry for the perpetrator, that doesn't make them any less dangerous. It might in fact make them more dangerous- if their past makes it likely they will never reform and, very likely reoffend if released.

Prison isn't just about punishment. It's about keeping the public safe from those who will very likely hurt them. I suppose the difficulty does come in trying to assess who has the potential to reform and, who actually has- and they're not just faking it.

Punishment also serves as a warning to others, not to emulate that person's behaviour. I suppose I tend to be more frustrated when someone goes to prison for 'life' for killing someone else and then, they get released early- sometimes to kill again. How intimidating is a system that is overly lenient on serious crime? Not that I support capital punishment either.

I don't truly know what the best solution is. I've heard that a softer approach to criminals, based more on rehabilitation works better but, I'm wondering if it always does. A facility in the UK has recently had to close because, every door in the place had been kicked in, staff were being sexually assaulted- and it was going unreported.

I also think it's easier to feel sorry for these people from a distance. Imagine it was either you or a family member who had been targetted by someone like this. I suppose I admire people who can forgive- even under those circumstances but, I would find it harder to.

I also don't believe it's 100% inevitable a person will turn out a certain way. I think it can be very likely. I think they can feel enormous temptation to do certain things. But ultimately, we make probably millions/ billions of decisions in our lives. Many of which could stop us from going through with something heinous. And- they know it's heinous. They know it's wrong- that's why they meticulously plan to try to prevent being caught. That's why we all do less great things in private. All of that is a decision though- ultimately. I don't accept that people are compelled to do certain very heinous things and have no way of resisting. Otherwise- they would be doing it everyday of their lives. Otherwise, every person who suffered abuse would turn out the same way.

 

[DirtCommie]

"

A facility in the UK has recently had to close because, every door in the place had been kicked in, staff were being sexually assaulted- and it was going unreported.

which facility please?

 

[Forever Sleep]

"


which facility please?

 

[DirtCommie]

Thanks


Also who's idea was it to open such a place WITHOUT GUARDS?! Hello? Clearly some teenagers be mistakened for a 30 year old athletes. Youd need guards to hold back a student like that....

ALso rehabilitation is clearly better than just pure oinushment. Nothing wring with giving a literal child a second chance in life when theyve been dealt a bad hand. Children deserve second and even third chances.

However for repeat violent offenders I would question just how effective this would be for them. Id personally make another facility for children and teens who are clearly showing signs of cluster b personality disorders or who repeatedy, like 3 or 4 times, are violent offenders

 

[Anonymousa]

Only thing of this topic I have been fascinated by was Jeffrey Dahmer, mostly cus of his way of murdering people and preserving and keeping the bodies as a way to cope with his fear of abandonment and that he felt guilty for what he did. I myself have fear of abandonment and feelings of intense guilt so I relate to him so what.