This week, Rachel Monroe (@rachmonroe) joins Ana Marie Cox (@anamariecox) to break down the lack of truth in true crime. Using Rachel’s book, Savage Appetites, Rachel and Ana explore stories of women totally consumed by true crime to draw larger conclusions about the cultural phenomenon. They also delve into the genre’s rise in times of uncertainty, and what its popularity reflects about the current political and social climate. Then, they touch on the dicey racial dynamics within true crime communities, which often prioritize white, female victims, even though most crimes in America don’t fit that narrative. Rounding out the discussion, they detail more harmful and toxic aspects of crime fandom, including the dangers of online vigilante detectives and obsessive online fan pages. Let’s all agree we want to see Despair: The Musical!

CW: Mild descriptions of violent crime that may be disturbing to some listeners.

Not by Rachel, but a marvelous companion essay about Ted Bundy by the incomparable Sarah Marshall, The End of Evil: https://believermag.com/the-end-of-evil/

Rachel’s review of Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: https://www.bookforum.com/print/2602/how-true-crime-became-self-help-21996

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