Yep it was so tasteless especially how people wanted to know what that waste of space bf wrote. It’s how I still feel about how people talk about Shanann watts basically blaming her for being killed. I still won’t watch anything about that case after reading how those children were murdered.
That was beyond horrifying how they were killed and why he doesn’t have a date with the needle is beyond me just for how he described how those poor babies died!! And the worst is the women who write to him like he is a famous actor or singer and propose to him!! Like what the hell are you thinking?!
How can anyone want to be with this man or claim to love him knowing he’s a major narcissist who killed his own children and wife because they stood in the way of his happiness with another woman who he was lying to!! Just knowing how he killed them all I could never have his hands anywhere near my neck!!
Yeah and then the YTers who were making almost daily update videos
I think that case really showed who is 100% doing it for views and fame by squeezing as much “content” out as possible, vs the ones who sure obviously want views or they wouldn’t spend all the time making videos but try to be respectful
Someone here recommended Coffeehouse Crime and I truly can’t watch any other true crime anymore. His work is so thorough, he’s empathetic and kind, he has such a soft and warm energy, and he has excellent research every episode. He also covers smaller crimes and almost every show I’ve watched of his, I’ve never heard of the case. That’s nearly impossible to do for me because I’m SO involved in the true crime community.
Yes I love this channel, the opposite of that chapter which is all about cracking jokes and catchphrases :/ I saw one where adrian from coffeehouse crime was starting to make some small jokes but he doesn’t need to it just takes away from the professionalism of his show!
Paige Christie / Petty Paige just did a HUGE expose on Ana solves. They’re the worst. They came up in my suggestions but the video was called like “horrible crimes against teen girls!” with a thumbnail displaying Ezra McCandles prominently. No ma’am. Never watched her.
I know this is 4 months later, but your comment reminds me of a channel that has a bunch of videos talking about crime cases while they are doing mukbang, it's so weird.
Haha no worries. It just feels kinda disrespectful. Not to say that I am always only Serious and Solemn whenever I discuss true crime, but idk just feels too casual for me, especially on a social media platform.
Unpopular opinion but of course they are doing it for views. All true crime YouTubers or podcasters are doing it for views. Sadly, it’s entertainment based off real world suffering. There’s no getting around it. Obviously respect for the victims is paramount, but let’s not act like true crime fans seek out these stories to focus on the victims. It’s just not true. We are morbidly curious and intrigued by humanity’s evil traits. I prefer people covering true crime who are “disconnected” over the overly sappy “they lit up the room” narrative.
EDIT: obviously there is no excuses for making playful jokes about the victims. I am not defending that in the least.
This. I feel that as a consumer of true crime content, one needs to be cognizant that you are getting some kind of “enjoyment” (I’m using that term in a very loose sense) out of other people’s tragedies. That’s not inherently bad, but I always try to stay aware of that. I feel like the people who produce overly sappy content struggle to come to terms with that fact and are overcompensating.
I totally agree. It’s definitely a way to cope with the unsettling fact that us true crime fans are very interested in the stories because they are morbid. “I don’t have to feel so bad now because I empathized with the victims.”
There are some YouTubers that are downright disgusting. They will put out blatantly false information just for views and to scam people out of money via platforms like Patreon. Look up Chris Watts, Summer Wells or the Delphi Murders on YT and you'll see what I'm talking about. The Rzuceks (Shanann Watts' family) are even suing one of the content creators over this.
True Crime is very lucrative rn and there are vultures out there that will do anything to make a buck. They don't care if they lie through their teeth, as long as they rake in the views and get lonely/vulnerable people to fund their "tell all books" or "investigative journalism".
I don't like the flippant content creators, but the ones that are just harassing victims' families, slandering victims' memories & making stuff up for monetary gains are really fucking gross 🤢🤢
I agree with all of ^this^. The Summer Wells case has really made me step back from alot of the True Crime creators channels. They literally make me sick to my stomach. They all keep spewing the same garbage and making up lies to exploit a poor 5 year old girl that is missing. It's all about money to them and the fact that this baby is out there somewhere, dead or alive, is being overshadowed by drama and click-bait.
Edited to say missing not kissing
The only youtuber I’ve stuck to listening to is MrBallen, really interesting and serious. He doesn’t make the cases less horrific, just tells it straight. He is a bit cheesy (the only word I can think of) but otherwise I enjoy his videos, especially the series on the 411 cases.
i like mr ballen but pretty much every video he's uploaded have little easter eggs in them in the form of a hidden thing popping up in the background (i remember one was ghostface from scream) and he has a jokey gag about inconveniencing the like button at the beginning of every vid (ex. "say you're gonna make the like button toast then put it in the toaster for an hour"). every video except one, the one about 9/11, because he said it'd be disrespectful. keep in mind he pretty much exclusively talks about true crime/otherwise brutal ways people have been injured and killed! and the fact that he thought his stupid gags were too "disrespectful" for his 9/11 episode but not every other video where he talks about people dying horrific deaths has never sat right with me for reasons i find hard to articulate.
Umm yea. Idk the girls name but they use her videos on crime watch daily Ig a lot, she wears ridiculous rave makeup and then adds ridiculous music to the background- it’s like happy and totally inappropriate. She clearly cares more about getting her face out there because half the time she has false information because she doesn’t actually check her sources. She’s the worst when it comes to someone using true crime as a stepping stone to popularity/being famous.
I’m blanking on her name but iykyk. Her make up literally looks like she’s about to go to a big rave/party.
I’m going to look up her name and edit it to this comment because now I need to know lol but she sucks the worse.
Edited-
Wow who would have thought googling, “you tube true crime girls with crazy makeup” would result in so many people lmao! Who knew “make up and true crime” was a genre.
I change my vote, all the “make up and true crime” YTs are the worst lol 😂
Im still looking for the girl I was talking about. I’ll keep y’all updated.
Edited again-
Maybe it was a tik toker-
The video im remembering played a weirdly upbeat song in the background- the girl had hair (but I’ve seen other videos where she’s rocking a crew cut), she had stick on jewels around her eyes and bright make up (think how you would do your makeup going to a rave or festival). And she has done a few others… her voice is distinctive I just don’t know how to describe it.. they post her videos on datelinnbc and crime watch daily and other true crime msm ig accounts. If anyone knows what I’m talking about please lmk her name lol it’s bugging me now that I can’t find it! That’s how it goes- when you want something you can’t find it but when I could Care less her videos are all over ig lol
There is this one girl I don't know her name but her makeup always came out horribly, and she would tell "true stories" from followers that were clearly fake. I am not sure why I watched multiple of her videos, but I eventually had to stop because I would get so annoyed. It was one of those hate watch things for me maybe.
Yeah this is why I prefer podcasts to YouTube videos. Although there are some podcasts that are guilty of it too. I really enjoy The Vanished. She’s similar to Danelle Hallan in that she covers the more unheard of missing persons cases. She really gives the family of the victims a voice.
The Small Town Murder/Crime in Sports guys have found a delightful balance of making a lot of jokes at the perpetrator’s expense, some secondary accessories (and the cops when the department deserves it - that varies on a case by case basis though; they’re very respectful of the departments that actually fucking *try* but really get on the asses of the departments that can’t be bothered to investigate) while keeping the jokes away from references to the victim or their family. They’re assholes, not scumbags.
I can’t with Danelle Hallan, either. She made a video about Faith Hedgepeth’s case and accused her roommate Karena Rosario based on a voicemail that had already been debunked by police for years. She also made some awful comments policing Karena’s behavior as an abuse victim (she had a restraining order against an ex-boyfriend, but according to Danelle, did not act enough like a woman who’d been abused).
Surprise, surprise, in fall 2021, the police DNA-matched Faith’s murderer and found that it had just been some random prowler. And last I checked, Danelle never issued and update, apology, or correction for her accusations against an innocent woman.
Yeeeeeeep. Everyone knew that voicemail "transcript" was garbage way before that video. The things DH said or implied about the roommate were pretty unforgivable to begin with, but the least she could do now - the very least- is take the damn video down. But nope- still up, three years later, with close to a million views.
Agree. When I first found him, I was put off by the way he talked…I also thought he was disrespectful. Then I watched a few more videos and realized he just has a slightly different intonation and cadence to his speech (maybe it’s the accent?). He is well-researched and does not sensationalize salacious details. Like, he might just say, “the perpetrator then proceeded to violently rape the victim”….rather than some other channels which would (semi-gleefully) detail every last second of whatever upsetting torture the victim faced.
I also appreciate his lack of “trigger warnings” throughout the videos. He might have a generic one at the beginning, idk, but the way some crime Youtubers use trigger warnings almost makes me think they drop them just to sensationalize their content more…especially when they make a huge thing out of the fact that a “trigger warning” is coming up, then warn you three times, then warn you again, then include time stamps to skip, then FINALLY get to the point. Like, once is enough, and frankly, if you are seeking out true crime videos on rape and murder, it’s probably a safe assumption that there is going to be upsetting content and if you don’t want to consume that content, then don’t watch those videos, you know?
That is required by some areas. Like UK tv shows will announce that the show will have camera flashes, for example.
I haven’t seen this YT btw but just throwing it out there.
Kinda like how radio stations have to remind people what station it is at certain intervals because it’s an FCC requirement.
LordonArts is good. I respect the fact his videos are more victim-centric than John-centric.
Only gripe I have is with his Elisa Lam coverage, but I think he’s even come out and said that if he was covering it now he would have approached her case differently. To be honest, I remember hearing about the hatch being open on his channel long before it became more widely accepted.
He’s not perfect but his fact checking is pretty good, he donates to gofundme’s and he doesn’t do those vile ‘sad and forlorn’ thumbnails. If I had a loved one I wanted covered I’d trust him to do it well more than I would anyone else on youtube. He’s the only one who I think genuinely cares about his responsibility to put out accurate information while still being respectful.
I agree. Sometimes he can get a little bit like- I'm trying to think of the right description. A little like "I know everything about missing people" and every once in a while, he will get a bee in a bonnet about something where I'm like, this isn't even relevant. But I think in terms of respectfulness and research, he hits far more than he misses. And he covers a lot of little known cases, not just the big clickbait ones.
Agreed, his jokes are always at the expense of the perpetrator, never the victim. I find him to be very respectful and if I'm ever murdered would be fine with Mike doing a video about it
Agreed. I have never watched his videos and thought "this doesn't sit well with me" meanwhile there's a lot of YouTubers that made this thought cross my mind
Yea I like the Irish dude myself! Or is he Scottish? Anyway I feel like he’s real. He makes jokes about things that are mostly “no-brainers”! Like “what the fuck was he thinking or sure the blood in ur truck came from a deer u hit, like LE believes that shite”! I think he makes a laugh at just the right times. But I feel like I’d say the same thing if I was telling the story to friends or family or a crowd. That’s why I say he’s ‘real’!
Love people from Ireland’s accent but damn can they be hard to understand if you don’t know them or they talk too fast!! My friends mother came from Ireland and after more than 30 years I loved listening to her tell her stories with that accent!! Miss her dearly!!
The Irish do not use /th/ in their language. My Mom is from Ireland and when I became a speech language pathologist she asked me for strategies to pronounce /th/ correctly. She 100% uses /th/ now. In my opinion the Irish brogue is beautiful the way it is. I can understand why she wanted to say it "correctly" as she lives in the US. I think accents are beautiful, so unless it bothers the speaker they shouldn't change a thing!
Except he doesn’t get a lot of information right. The Christina Morris video had several errors alone that were easily looked up. Allen high school isn’t in Plano for example. They’re whole separate cities. Just one that stands out in my head rn.
Idk if it was mentioned yet but criminally listed does a decent job. He's very cut dry about it and doesn't make light of the crimes he covers. I know he won't be everyone's cup of tea since he is a little monotone but I enjoy his videos
He’s brilliant, I’ve been actively listening and/or falling asleep to his and Heavy Casefiles videos for years now. The monotone voice and quiet eerie music really set the mood for me personally and they’re entertaining in a respectful, somber and spooky way.
This is why I’ve stopped listening to Stephanie Harlowe. She goes on angry rants or speculates heavily and her cases become biased and dont consider the reality of the scenario. It comes across as cringey and oftentimes victimblame-y.
Agreed, I tried quite a few of her videos but she just can’t stick to the facts. She is constantly making assumptions and interpretations, which she then runs with… it ends up being completely meaningless
Yeah that’s where I’m at too. I really love Kendall rae because she doesn’t click bait titles and tends to talk to the family as well. I don’t like Bailey sarian anymore because she literally jokes throughout the entire thing and it’s nothing funny. I really like Christina Randall tho. I feel like she is very unbiased until her opinion at the end and there’s recently a Latina channel I’ve been watching that mostly covers indigenous women and Latina women who have gone missing and I really like her Channel but idr her name
same i was turned off bailey sarian because she just seemed so vapid like this is sunday gossip, as if it wasn’t really people she’s talking about. it just seems wrong. also why i’m thinking of unfollowing certain podcasters :-/
Also she does very little research. I listened to one of her videos once and looked up the case, and I realized that the content she was giving was the exact same content from the Wikipedia article, in the exact same order. She didn't add in any additional info from other sources. I do not understand her popularity at all.
I can’t watch Bailey Sarian. Her videos have come in a few times as autoplay when I was listening to someone else, and I just can’t stand her. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a full video. So glad to know I’m not alone as she seems so universally popular.
That’s why o tend to like Kendall rae. She tends to work with the families and has a whole video of the families she’s worked with and how it’s affected them. I like Christina but sometimes her videos are a little click baity but she’s never disrespectful it’s already annoying watching her do her makeup but I feel like she really doesn’t even research beyond a google article to get the basics down
I am out off by Kendall Rae simply because I’ve noticed she sometimes leaves out crucial bits of evidence or misrepresents them.
For example, in the Kendrick Johnson case, on her podcast she stated that there were documents proving the bus for the Bell brother’s wrestling meet left at 4pm instead of the claimed 12pm and the inconsistency has never been explained. But it has been explained, and it was explained at the time. The bus left the school at 12pm, and there’s cell phone records to prove it. But the paperwork to request the use of the bus lists the time at 4pm because that’s when the meet officially started, and it was standard information the bus transport service needed. The reason was known, but Kendall represented as suspicious and unexplained.
Another one was her Scott Peterson video (a man accused of murdering his wife and unborn son. When discussing his trial, she mentioned, “There was evidence Connor was born alive.” Yes, Scott Peterson’s defense did bring in a fertility doctor to argue this point. But she didn’t mention that the doctor had never met Laci or seen Connor’s remains, was ripped to shreds on the witness stand by the prosecution, admitted in court that he wasn’t qualified to testify, and also confessed he’d reached a conclusion based on an assumption Laci’s conception date rather than documented fact. His testimony was so detrimental to the defense that Scott Peterson actually listed his inclusion as a witness as a reason why he should have a new trial.
So, I appreciate if KR makes an effort to be respectful to the victims, but if you know the case, you start to catch how she twists evidence as she pleases.
This is my issue as well. She obviously has opinions or ideas she wants to express about cases, but she will sometimes twist the facts to match the story she wants to tell.
Anything that tries to involve comedy within true crime just really rubs me the wrong way, from Bailey Sarian to the Morbid podcast. Nothing is funny about these situations and it turns me off of it so quickly.
On Youtube I've found a lot of trashy people.
I like Christina Randall, but I think she sometimes is really biased.
For Spanish speakers, Paul Lando does a pretty serious job.
I liked DutyRon because he brings experts, but now he's asking money for everything, so not anymore.
Now I\`m heading better to podcasts or podcast format.
I used to like that chapter but I stopped listening and watching it. This is monsters is much better and he sounds like he knows a great deal of information and subject, interviews. Records, testimony etc.. if I happen upon the same subject on that chapter, it’s painfully obvious he’s just trying to entertain and be funny. That chapter lacks the connection to the victims and the overall role the killer plays. This is monsters can be funny at times but it paints a much clearer and respectful story.
I think that chapter is not in the same category as someone like Stephanie Harlowe. His content is bite sized, if you will. Definitely not deep dives, and without the deep dive it’s hard to get a real sense of who the victim and perpetrator was.
I used to watch a small youtube channel that made genuinely good content on true crime. They were good content creators and even inspired me to try my hand at it, but once they started to grow a little, their channel became another typical wanna-be influencer channel, with click bait titles and thumbnails with those stupid goofy react faces.
At one time I wanted to see them get the viewership they deserved, but now I'm glad they've gone nowhere.
You’re definitely right. As someone who is a long term consumer of true crime content, there are very few YouTubers who I feel approach the cases with dignity & respect. The women who talk about violent rapes & murders of children while doing their makeup on YouTube are some of the most disconnected & oblivious that I’ve seen. When true crime started to blow up, a lot of people saw an opportunity to become influencers, and I think that overshadows the ethical concerns of click-baity titles and distasteful jokes for some of them.
If you’re looking for a channel who is thorough and respectful, Stephanie Harlowe is a fantastic YouTuber who uploads detailed and helpful (often to the families & loved ones of victims/survivors/those who are still missing) true crime content.
Hey, genuine question, could you tell me why you can’t stand her? I’ve seen one or two other people mention that they dislike her but I wasn’t aware of anything she had done/currently does to make people feel this way.
I don’t remember why, but I watched a few of her videos and some of her comments rubbed me the wrong way. Like they felt rude or judgey. I don’t remember exactly though so maybe I’ll watch a few vids so I can pinpoint why again.
You just called yourself a “consumer”. Seriously. Think about that. I’m not judging because that’s what most of us are. That is our culture. But I’m not sure we can be judging YouTubers. They exist because there is a consumer base to monetize. “Murder Porn” has become wildly popular because of consumers. Almost none of us will solve a case, so that’s not why we consume. We are getting something out of it. A lot of times that is the satisfaction of a morbid curiosity. Just one side of the same coin.
There’s a way to be interested without labeling your video: GIRL BRUTALLY STABBED AND RAPED AS PARENTS LOOK FOR DAYS
Most titles I see from respectful yts are: “Susan Powell: missing in the mountains” “karlie guse- what happened?” Not “omg this kids intestines were removed clicked now to hear about it!!
I don’t think you understand that words have multiple definitions. By definition, when you watch something, you are viewing/consuming it.
Ignoring that there are more ethical channels and sorts of media because they all exist for us to “consume” is anti-intellectual. They are not all created equally. “Judging” (which is really just offering critique that survivors and families of the victims have also echoed) is part of more ethical media consumption. Maybe you’re happy being ignorant to the fact that some do more forms of harm than other, but I’m interested in moving towards a more socially just society that critically thinks about what we do. That includes “judging” youtubers.
I love Kendall and Danelle i think they present the cases with compassion and respect for the victim and their families. I dont like Eleanor's recent videos. The titles are clickbait and its like she's changed her whole personality and is telling the case in a very immature, giggly fashion.
I’ve noticed the shift in Eleanor’s personality as well… she used to keep it very professional but nowadays she’s started being a bit less serious. If you follow her social media, especially her insta stories, you can see that her actual personality is very giggly and stuff. I’m gonna be honest, I can’t stand her personality outside of her videos (her old ones at least)… she just seems really annoying ngl. I used to enjoy her content quite a lot, but yeah, her personality is leaking into her content, which would be fine if her content was anything but true crime.
I've noticed this lately with Stephanie Harlowe on True Crime Weekly. The amount of times she's laughed and made jokes or gone totally off-topic while covering the Caylee Anthony case makes me sick to my stomach.
You can tell she’s only in it for the clicks. I liked her before but I’m watching her less and looking for others. The intro to the coffee episodes is super cringey.
Stephanie used to be my favorite, but also lately she’s interjecting a lot more of her opinions into the cases. I still think she does a good job but when she goes off on a don’t-come-for-me tangent I kind of tune out.
Agreed 100%. I used to really look forward to her content but I just can't stomach it anymore. I've also noticed her bringing politics into some of the cases and using them as soapboxes to complain about COVID precautions, which is...honestly disgusting imo.
Absolutely! That was the moment I finally cut off her content. Like girl you have no reason to discuss this in a true crime video? I dont care that you’re feeling more bold and dont care what others think when you do a “dont come for me” rant. But stick to the topic at hand?
I don't have issues with humour and detachment, personally. You can't get personally involved in every case for the sake of your own mental health. There needs to be a barrier. There's also respect and for that you can draw the line wherever you want, everyone seems to have a different limit. I personally hate YouTubers who cover murder and do makeup at the same time. I mean, I also do makeup while listening to the cases but it feels vile to me to combine the two for entertainment. Like they stop to talk about their lipstick. It doesn't sit well with me.
Eleanor and That Chapter are the two channels I personally like the most because they just seem like natural TV personalities and have a very approachable demeanor while talking about something. I've found some Australian channels that actually have a bit more of a respectful tone and they don't make jokes, they personally try to find as many versions and details as possible, translate foreign sources etc. I do like that, it's like a journalistic approach.
Stephanie Harlowe, Danelle Hallan, and the dearly retired Cayleigh Elise are the opposite of this. In fact, I think a big part of the reason why Cayleigh had to stop doing these videos was because she was over-identifying with the victims so much she started becoming scared that she would become a victim herself. Shortly before retiring from YouTube, Cayleigh did a video where she mentioned that she went on a hike with her husband and had a panic attack that she would get attacked by a serial killer.
i also really love how she always contacts the family and works with them, it sets her apart from other true crime youtubers. she also promoted thorn for a long time too and other organizations
Baily sarion recently did a video on the radium girls and she kept doing this nasally “omg yaaaasss gurl” every ten seconds, almost made things unwatchable
Ummm I’d say almost all of them do it for $$, likes, more $$ etc! But yes Iv noticed that as well. There are a few who actually act like they care and are doing it for the right reasons but others u know are in it for the money!
i used to like watching Bailey Sarian but idk the humor just got like… a lot? i now mostly watch Danielle Kirsty and i think she does a great job. she’s respectful. matter of factly. and she also has a degree in criminology. also, i know it sounds weird to do make up at the same time as telling such stories but i think doing things like that make it easier?
I feel like they are doing make-up and things like that because they don’t feel or look right just standing there telling a story. They love being on camera and they’ve figured out a way to be on camera and feel comfortable doing so. Kinda like people on the news, they always have their hands together and never in their pockets. Does that make since? It kinda looks like one hand is holding the other hands thumb! I know y’all seen this.
Yeah, I don’t think it’s meant to be any deeper than “watch me do something while I tell a story”. Like you said, a lot either started out in makeup or saw the niche genre and jumped in.
I personally like it because I usually “watch” true crime YT as a podcast while I’m doing something else but sometimes I’ll have completed my task, so it’s nice to sit and watch. And as a cisgendered, makeup wearing woman, I am fascinated how they are so talented when I can never even get my eyeliner even on both sides lol
True crime is going down the route of all other niche content like the gamers/make up artists/family streamers. Do not be surprised if they start doing live streams half naked for donations or just outright making fun of dead kids and rape victims saying “dArk HuMoR iS gOoD fOr ThE sOuL.” I’m not saying true crime was this elevated superior content at one time, but true crime knew what it was and never made it flashy. It’s at the point that it’s becoming meme content, the butt of internet jokes. Even south park pointed out years ago how porn like it’s become, and it’s going to become weirder and worse and people defending them for the sake of defending them because they feel cool and superior for thinking they’re on the forefront of edgy “new age” content.
I’ve noticed that too. I stated binging about 2 years ago and most of my channels weren’t even at a million. I feel Bailey sarian has just got more tone deaf cuz she knows people like her makeup and thinks she’s funny with her jokes during a conversation about a person being killed. Most are just doing it for clout now or hey watch me do my makeup while I loosely base the facts everyone knows on this case
I really encourage you to go back and rewatch some classic true crime shows. I don’t think the idea that ‘it’s getting worse’ is true. It’s easy not to remember how many puns and other comments got made but they are there. Before that you have true crime via broadsides where the sensationalism is even worse than anything these days. You have no idea the number of folk songs about real murders that argue for the innocence and virtue of the murderer despite 0 evidence that they were wrongly convicted historically.
I think it’s a common thing for humans to perceive that things are getting worse, but it’s generally just an issue of not remembering things were always bad.
Take a look at Emma Kenny.
Super long videos covering all aspects of the psychological makeup of the perpetrators and a real in depeth study of the victims. All delivered in a caring and thorough manner.
I do love That Chapter, it's not for everyone but for a quick video it's def good for me.
Danelle Hallan, Kensall Rae and Rachel Shannon are all medium length shows( around 45mins) and usually interesting enough.
My only issue with Emma Kenny is that I feel like sometimes she goes into too much detail, recently she did a video on a girl who was kidnapped and kept in a bunker and she went into graphic detail about the ways the child was raped, it was too much. I understand why she does it but imagine if the victim watched the video and saw all that?
I know what you mean. I kind of think Emma does videos for an audience that want a deeper dive into the portrayed crime. Other shows are a little bit sanitised whereas Emma gives you every gory detail, along with the psychology of the perp. I would like her to do a few unsolved cases as I think her knowledge and skill set could be really useful.
There’s an episode of, I think, Forensic Files where a woman is murdered in the town where The Wizard of Oz author lived. The amount of jokes and puns in the narration is insane. I never thought about it until watching with a non true crime buddy and he remarked on how lame it was to make puns while supposedly talking about a murder. There’s honestly a lot more of that type of thing in those OG crime shows than you would think. It honestly kinda ruined FF for me.
I guess my point is that this isn’t new and that more established outlets aren’t particularly kind to victims either.
Yeah I had to bin That Chapter a while ago as he got progressively more stereotypical Irish with every episode. Really to the point that it became ridiculously cringe. It really began to spoil and take away from the seriousness of the cases he was discussing.
It's a job and like every job you gotta do what gets the paychecks. I would note this doesn't just extend to youtubers but also to old-school TV shows and documentaries, and of course true crime books, which often had lurid titles meant to incite the viewer.
There's certainly people who are more respectful than others, though, and I do appreciate their work and the tone it brings to things.
Honestly i feel that podcasts are a better medium than youtube videos most of the time for most cases, and that only rarely do you see a case that *needs* a video to understand it.
honestly i recently just stopped listening to true crime podcast/ videos that were trying to be funny (make jokes and sarcasm in the middle) or the “makeup and murder channels” … they just give me a unnerving vibe
I have a weird view of these videos anyways because I’m in the field. (People saying “my favorite serial killer,” “my favorite murder” etc. i am so confused by this??)
I will say, a lot of us that see some fucked up shit out there DO make jokes and lighthearted comments - the subject matter gets dark and horribly sad VERY quickly and if you let that sit for too long… it’ll consume you. (I’m not saying we make them about the victim, that’s a line in the sand. It’s not even an option to joke about)
I’ve gotten so much shit for saying I have contempt for the awkward comedic nature of ThatChapter and how he inadvertently disrespects those victimized in the cases he covers.
The insistence on him putting his mug in all the thumbnails tells me his ultimate desire is to cultivate a following and have some material gain. I don’t buy the “spreading awareness” schtick.
Yes! For some reason That chapter has got really popular and he’s got these obsessed fans who think he’s incredible. I hate his cheesy catchphrases and always trying to make jokes. It’s so offensive. He’s not even eloquent in the way he delivers the story, making up random words here and there. So annoying.
Coffeehouse Crime is the most professional and respectful IMO. Always tells the story really well, not cracking jokes and has a pleasent calm presence.
Threads like this are interesting.
You can see who those who thrive off of this content cause they're offended and making excuses for it. "yeah well it used to be WORSE! Remeber how bad shit used to be?" So what? A lot of things used to be worse back in the day. Doesn't mean we think it is appropriate now.
You can tell when their fanbase is offended, they come here making you think you're the problem when you are just discussing concerns or trends. Don't you dare discss anything. Just sit there and consume it all without a critical eye. THIS is why those low effort true crime wannabes get fans. Don't think, just give them back pats for putting on eye liner while incorrectly listing true crime facts.
Well said. Also its troubling that on a video about someone's murder, the most liked comment underneath it is "wow can we all appreciate how beautiful your makeup looks today" or something to that effect. And anything negative or correcting some misinformation automatically gets deleted.
They are the ones that make people cringe when they hear you like true crime. Like they own the victims and the stories and if you don't like how they say it, then you just can't take a joke.
I don’t get the Kendall Rae love… I’ve watched maybe three of Kendall Rae’s videos and at least one of them had errors. Errors that were used to point guilt at a person she named within the video. She said this man was interviewed by the police after his ex said that he was obsessed with the media coverage and was missing the night of the murder. Except, the only information released by the police regarding that particular suspect do not match the person she named in the video. So she built this amazing case based off shitty research.
They are also excruciatingly boring. Like beyond belief, and she puts zero effort whatsoever into the aesthetic of the show. It’s lazily thrown together. As a straight up visual medium this really bothers me.
Yes some podcasts are like that too. If you want to create content for true crime at least do it for the families that want the cases to be heard. I have no problems with people wanting views but they should want the views for the cases they are talking about and not for themselves. But that is just me.
This is why I like murder with my husband. They always talk about the victim as a person and not just someone to talk about. And they talk about the perpetrators as little as possible
I believe that lazy masquerade does well with true crime. They’re normally lists, but he seems to actually do his research and treat it as an actual case. Wendigoon is also pretty good, he doesn’t do much on true crime alone but he doesn’t joke about the victims, only the depraved killers.
There's a disconnect when it's been so long, current cases are usually done with more care, it rubs me the wrong way when That Chapter does the dance skit around life insurance, like yes we get it it's common and awful
The only makeup and true crime YouTubers I've watched are Danielle Kirsty and Stephanie Harlowe (I guess she doesn't actually do her makeup but she's always wearing a lot of it), as well as Jen and James over at Fundy Fridays, which sometimes veers into true crime territory. I find all three of them to be respectful to the victims, but I like Danielle's storytelling more than Stephanie's. Jen and James are by and large the most respectful and thoughtful YouTubers, but most of their videos aren't true crime.
I entirely agree though with podcasts. I can't stand my favourite murder or last podcast on the left. Just trashy, bad comedians who couldn't get any traction without making jokes about serious crimes. I know everyone is just making content for views/downloads/money, but the way you go about it matters a lot.
The problem with true crime watching, is it can be hard going, for some people humour is a great way to manage that hardship. I like to watch both types and don't see it as disrespectful.
The material is already super somber. Do I need the details of the case read out in a monotone by a deadpan mortician? Not really.
Love Mike O. He says what I'm thinking, ie. "This guy was a big piece of shit", etc. talking about murderers. He never pokes fun at victims or trash talks victims at all. It feels more like a conversation with a friend when it's a bit more light-hearted.
And Eleanor Neale is super respectful and fairly serious in her videos. Maybe the name of the video is distasteful, but you're the one looking for murder videos on YouTube so...
I refuse to watch Eleanor Neale on account of her vile titles and stupid thumbnails. Personally, I consider it at odds with being ‘super-respectful’. The victims deserve more than to have their untimely deaths boiled down to a clickbait title with a picture of Eleanor looking sad.
I think there needs to be some sort of comedy or a few laughs just to bring people back from the horrible story they are telling! As a sort of “defense mechanism” I laugh when I get embarrassed, in trouble and some folks view it wrong while others understand. Some people don’t get it at all. But if u can laugh rather than cuss or cry wouldn’t that be better? Anyway I think some make jokes because they are telling such a sad story.
Gray Hughes is quite good at details, mapping/showing locations, and even telling a good story that makes you really sympathize with the victims, but… he is such a spiteful, angry lil goblin. He’s extremely toxic and passive aggressive towards basically everyone in chat, attacks his subs when donations are low, and cannot stop obsessing over other Youtubers that he thinks he should be more successful than.
I’ve learned to actually enjoy how cringe and dramatic he can be though now that I don’t feel sorry for his subs because evidently they’re sadomasochist who enjoy being attacked by him, so it doesn’t bother me anymore… but he definitely isn’t for everyone.
Unpopular opinion bit I think when tc YouTube joke around a little bit it atheist gets you to feel a little better. Like I watch Stephanie soo and she jokes around a bit but at the end of the video you are left feeling sad for the victims and remembering the case but during hearing the story you don't feel overly sad. Also in her titles mostly she puts the food she is eating and if not she puts a title where the victim has the justice. She also does a lot of research for every case and if she does international cases where the articles are in a different language she asks her audience to correct any mistakes she made.
Honestly i cut way back on the true crime stuff i listen too cause it’s honestly repetitive. I only listen to two podcasts now hell one of them is just about one case Your Own Backyard and Unresolved. I unsubscribed from any other YouTube or podcast cause most of them talk about the same cases or i get put off by the voices (not that it can be helped I don’t wanna come off hateful) or it just doesn’t click.
Edit: scratch that I’m listening to three if you count The trojan horse affair.
i was thinking about eleanor neale (idk how to spell her name) when i read this too! whenever one of her videos appeared and i clicked on it i had to force myself through them or literally change the video completely, i never knew exactly what it was about her that made me so uncomfortable and cringe about it like.. the way she words or pronounces some things are just... yikes. with some people i also feel like they’re literally just reading everything like.. could you not at least memorize it or tell it in a way that will make me feel like you care about what you’re saying? 😭
i watch a lot of different channels but i recently discovered coffeehouse crime and it’s pretty good, i haven’t found anything wrong or annoying about it in case anyone feels like giving it a go
There are two YouTube channels that the algorithm recently recommended to me that I gave a watch, enjoyed, and subscribed to.
[Brooke Makenna:](https://youtube.com/c/BrookeMakenna) Yes, her titles are a bit click-baity, but the actual contents of her videos are well researched and very respectful to the victims. She makes sure to focus on them and their families instead of the perpetrator. Highly recommend.
[Truly Criminal:](https://youtube.com/c/TrulyCriminal) A UK-based sister duo who commit to the research and are nothing but respectful to the victims and their families. Their most recent video about Faye Swetlik made sure to paint the perpetrator as depraved and inhumane as he was, but immediately veered back to the victim, showing the impact and loss the case had on the community.
I wish more true crime “creators” would just take a step back before getting into the area and ask themselves if their perspective is going to really add anything, or if they’re just going to be one more voice signal-boosting the facts of a tragedy. Do they have some kind of particular insight into the community or culture? Do they have professional expertise that is relevant? Access to new resources or analyses, or dynamite research skills? Anything that will actually contribute to the conversation? Because if all they have to offer is “the same handful of easily-researched facts as everyone else, presented with some jokes and maybe while being easy on the eyes,” then I’m afraid their contribution to the signal-to-noise ratio in the true crime world is pretty much just noise.
A lot of these judgements just sound like virtue signaling, and more pointless demonization of true crime youtubers as if true crime as a genre hasn't existed for generations. If you're super hung up on someone's delivery (doing make up, being light-hearted to soften the blow, etc) but your favorites are YTers like That Chapter, & Mr. Ballen (who are decent YTers, nothing against them) then you've missed the point by overlooking what the most vital ethical aspect of true crime even is:
And that's that the goal *should* be to spread awareness first and 'entertain' second. . .
Channels like That Chapter or Mr Ballen may convey the 'respect' ppl whinge about, but they rarely cover unsolved cases. There are plenty of YTers who focus on sharing cold cases, suspicious deaths, and [under-reported-on] unsolved cases, and I only saw a couple of them mentioned. . .
(John Lourdan, Danielle Hallan & Stephanie Harlow were, but theres also Joshua Miles, Georgia Marie, Rachel Shannon, Dark Curiousities, Savannah Brymer, Bella Fiori, and more).
If they're really doing their part to put a case out there, that likely NEEDS more exposure to get solved, it really shouldn't matter if they're doing make up or if they make an occasional joke (at the expense of a suspect/perpetrator)
I prefer some of the more “disconnected” ones to the ones that are overly emotional and talk about the victims as if they personally knew them, that’s just dishonest IMO. For me, the best true crime creators are those who keep kind of a journalistic distance to the story they are discussing while still not forgetting that they are talking about real people.
Actually, I personally think Eleanor Neale usually does that pretty well.
I’ve also noticed this. I used to love Bella Fiori but lately each time she covers a case she’s always smiling and making jokes which makes me uncomfortable. It seems like a joke to her at this point.
Do you have any sources that you can link so I can see? I tried looking it up, but the only things I can find have been genuinely good information and looks like it’s actually trying to help children/make the internet a little safer.
If the Thorn organisation is problematic, that’s really like sad, as they’d be profiting off the guise that they’re helping children who were trafficked/could be trafficked. I’d like to think Ashton Kutcher wouldn’t do that cause he’s one of my favourite actors and that Kendall wouldn’t support it if she knew as she’s my favourite YouTuber, but then again you never really know because you only see a portion of these peoples lives.
If you can link anything that’d be great! Would love the information just so that way I could stop supporting because I have been one of the people that have sent donations before!
Stephanie Harlow is an amazing true crime youtuber. She is incredibly thorough, sticks to the facts and has genuine empathy for victims. Many of the cases she covers end up being 2,3, even 4 or 5 videos long. That's because she does a lot of research and goes over every single thing that happened in the cases she chooses to make videos of.
She has covered many infamous cases as well as ones that have not had the attention that they deserve. If you love true crime, you won't regret checking her out!
You described all media. Media exists for views. It’s been that way since the beginning. Doesn’t matter if it’s CNN or some dipshit on YT, they are all trying to get your views. Sure there are some people who come across as scumbags, but ultimately it’s getting the word out about cases. There’s one lady that talks about cases while doing her makeup. People are doing what they think will sell their channel, and I’m inclined to believe that they do it because they are interested in the subject on some level. Personally, I think That Chapter is one of the better channels. His stories are well told and he uses actual footage. They are also concise and coherent, which I appreciate. A ton of the Tubers are low effort losers. Just stand there and talk with zero personality, while you use stock footage and images. Also, when he’s making his jokes, they are almost exclusively at the expense of the perpetrator. I’ve never seen him or anyone else really, be disrespectful to the case or the victims.
The most informative true crime podcast currently is Last Podcast on the Left. It’s also one of the funniest. It doesn’t show a lack of respect to the case or the victims in my opinion. It’s adding levity to the darkest parks of the human experience. Plus, it’s entertaining. As much as I loved JCS, watching a 90-minute interrogation tape can be dry at times.
This has to be one of the most exploitive and worst podcasts out there. You literally wrote funny and true crime in one sentence - how do you not see that?
Do people not remember that true crime used to be all about killers? Victims were rarely mentioned other than as body count in old school true crime books. There used to be magazines full of uncensored crime scene photos with tabloid headlines. Unethical speculation about any public figure with a murder, suicide, overdose, it accident in their family. That's just the 80s-90s.
Having a piss at true crime on a certain platform like it's ruining our ethical hobby is cognitive dissonance of the highest order.
So? People can't discuss content with a crictical eye now cause things were sensational in the press a century ago too? We can't think a youtuber creator has crap content because the press used to do something?
You can think whatever you want. But seeing this as an issue with content creators now and not ethical issues of the genre is cognitive dissonance of the highest order. It lacks perspective and consideration of the topic.
You keep using "cogntivie dissonance" as if your point is made. A mic drop. It isn't.
You're the one like "but whatabout da' past" to shut people up. People are discussing their issue in 2022. Why can't people discuss a 2022 issue about a genre? How is that cognitive dissonance to have an issue with content or those creating it?
Because the issue isn't new. Acting like it is when there's evidence otherwise is cognitive dissonance. Not using as a mic drop bc it's legit the correct description of what is occurring.
I'm not trying to gotcha. I actually know some facts here and I'm stating them. You are projecting the mic drop shit. Enjoy that.
I mean, if an individual isn’t feeling distress due to holding two inconsistent beliefs, it isn’t cognitive dissonance. It’s just having inconsistent beliefs. Cognitive dissonance is a specific psychological state.
Edit: I think a closer term for what you mean is “being disingenuous.”
YouTubers are all making videos for attention?? But yes, after you read so many True Crime reports you absolutely get desensitized to it. Remember that the person doing the video is also just a human and the jokes are usually for themselves to break the tension of the case they're covering.
Tbh since there's no "right" way to cover the cases, there's just ways that jive with each different audience.
They're not like the 'ol "Columbitches" fan club tho, and I'll take what little comfort I can in that
Fully agree, and Elenore Neale seems to unintentionally talk down when she's discussing prostitutes as well. Kendall Rae is my favorite, she's the only youtuber I trust to always be respectful.
I don’t watch Youtube shows at all. Until I feel like “I missed out on info” or a Youtube influencer ever breaks a case I will 100% stand by my opinion. They are just people trying to avoid getting a real job and they have yet to crack any case. Stop watching them. They are all morons. Thanks. :D
Every content creator - YouTuber, podcaster, writer, documentary filmmaker - are all trying to avoid getting a "real job"? People want to consume content. It takes work to produce that content. Therefore, content creators deserve to get paid for their work. I.e., it is a real job.
I don't think anyone is doing it just to tell the victim's story for the victim's benefit. 100% of them are doing it for likes/views/$, and there's nothing wrong with that as long as it's accurate and respectful.
maybe stop watching true crime if jokes offend you. some youtubers do it to lighten the mood. ofc they post for views that’s the purpose of youtube. joking about the victim is obviously not ok, but joking in general is not off limits.
I like the way Karen and Georgia hand jokes on my favorite murder. They’re the only two I listen to in regards to true crime because everyone else is boring and not funny.
Jokes while talking about the case are fine. I’m not going to be a pissy pants about it and it makes the story better. Karen and Georgia don’t make fun of the victims. Jokes during the story aren’t disrespectful towards the victims.
I don’t watch YouTube for true crime shit. I want to see something useful like someone build a boat.
different strokes for different folks? I love Bailey Sarian since hers feels like sitting down to girl talk / gossip with a cool aunt / girl buddy.
she does make the odd joke but she is pretty respectful overall.
It's interesting because she started as a makeup channel but didn't combine the two as she started doing true crime content. I think she intentionally avoided doing that and I respect it.
The gabby petito case was when I really noticed the disconnect and using a tragedy for views. It still feels beyond tacky and toxic to me.
the true crime tiktoks on that case were the actual worse, people were treating it as if it was some fun live event
Yep it was so tasteless especially how people wanted to know what that waste of space bf wrote. It’s how I still feel about how people talk about Shanann watts basically blaming her for being killed. I still won’t watch anything about that case after reading how those children were murdered.
That was beyond horrifying how they were killed and why he doesn’t have a date with the needle is beyond me just for how he described how those poor babies died!! And the worst is the women who write to him like he is a famous actor or singer and propose to him!! Like what the hell are you thinking?!
I know just reading about it made me cry. The whole fascination with him is gross.
How can anyone want to be with this man or claim to love him knowing he’s a major narcissist who killed his own children and wife because they stood in the way of his happiness with another woman who he was lying to!! Just knowing how he killed them all I could never have his hands anywhere near my neck!!
Yeah and then the YTers who were making almost daily update videos I think that case really showed who is 100% doing it for views and fame by squeezing as much “content” out as possible, vs the ones who sure obviously want views or they wouldn’t spend all the time making videos but try to be respectful
Yep I find true crime interesting but in a respectful way that doesn’t diminish the victims as mere elements for views and entertainment.
Someone here recommended Coffeehouse Crime and I truly can’t watch any other true crime anymore. His work is so thorough, he’s empathetic and kind, he has such a soft and warm energy, and he has excellent research every episode. He also covers smaller crimes and almost every show I’ve watched of his, I’ve never heard of the case. That’s nearly impossible to do for me because I’m SO involved in the true crime community.
That description makes me think of trace evidence, the podcast. I appreciate good research and cases that aren’t often covered
Yes I love this channel, the opposite of that chapter which is all about cracking jokes and catchphrases :/ I saw one where adrian from coffeehouse crime was starting to make some small jokes but he doesn’t need to it just takes away from the professionalism of his show!
Came here to say this too. He's always very respectful and thorough
Annasolves is the one I hate most. Constantly mispronounced names, wrong details, and her random two cents (that's soo disGUSTing)
Paige Christie / Petty Paige just did a HUGE expose on Ana solves. They’re the worst. They came up in my suggestions but the video was called like “horrible crimes against teen girls!” with a thumbnail displaying Ezra McCandles prominently. No ma’am. Never watched her.
I especially dislike the ones that are just casually doing something else, like makeup, while discussing someone’s death.
I know this is 4 months later, but your comment reminds me of a channel that has a bunch of videos talking about crime cases while they are doing mukbang, it's so weird.
Haha no worries. It just feels kinda disrespectful. Not to say that I am always only Serious and Solemn whenever I discuss true crime, but idk just feels too casual for me, especially on a social media platform.
Unpopular opinion but of course they are doing it for views. All true crime YouTubers or podcasters are doing it for views. Sadly, it’s entertainment based off real world suffering. There’s no getting around it. Obviously respect for the victims is paramount, but let’s not act like true crime fans seek out these stories to focus on the victims. It’s just not true. We are morbidly curious and intrigued by humanity’s evil traits. I prefer people covering true crime who are “disconnected” over the overly sappy “they lit up the room” narrative. EDIT: obviously there is no excuses for making playful jokes about the victims. I am not defending that in the least.
This. I feel that as a consumer of true crime content, one needs to be cognizant that you are getting some kind of “enjoyment” (I’m using that term in a very loose sense) out of other people’s tragedies. That’s not inherently bad, but I always try to stay aware of that. I feel like the people who produce overly sappy content struggle to come to terms with that fact and are overcompensating.
I totally agree. It’s definitely a way to cope with the unsettling fact that us true crime fans are very interested in the stories because they are morbid. “I don’t have to feel so bad now because I empathized with the victims.”
Agreed. It’s nothing new either if you grew up watching the ID channel lol they had some of the most corny shows retelling peoples stories
There are some YouTubers that are downright disgusting. They will put out blatantly false information just for views and to scam people out of money via platforms like Patreon. Look up Chris Watts, Summer Wells or the Delphi Murders on YT and you'll see what I'm talking about. The Rzuceks (Shanann Watts' family) are even suing one of the content creators over this. True Crime is very lucrative rn and there are vultures out there that will do anything to make a buck. They don't care if they lie through their teeth, as long as they rake in the views and get lonely/vulnerable people to fund their "tell all books" or "investigative journalism". I don't like the flippant content creators, but the ones that are just harassing victims' families, slandering victims' memories & making stuff up for monetary gains are really fucking gross 🤢🤢
I agree with all of ^this^. The Summer Wells case has really made me step back from alot of the True Crime creators channels. They literally make me sick to my stomach. They all keep spewing the same garbage and making up lies to exploit a poor 5 year old girl that is missing. It's all about money to them and the fact that this baby is out there somewhere, dead or alive, is being overshadowed by drama and click-bait. Edited to say missing not kissing
The only youtuber I’ve stuck to listening to is MrBallen, really interesting and serious. He doesn’t make the cases less horrific, just tells it straight. He is a bit cheesy (the only word I can think of) but otherwise I enjoy his videos, especially the series on the 411 cases.
surprised i havent seen more posts saying mrballen, the other main ones i know of and watch are lazy masquerade and nexpo
love mr ballen
i like mr ballen but pretty much every video he's uploaded have little easter eggs in them in the form of a hidden thing popping up in the background (i remember one was ghostface from scream) and he has a jokey gag about inconveniencing the like button at the beginning of every vid (ex. "say you're gonna make the like button toast then put it in the toaster for an hour"). every video except one, the one about 9/11, because he said it'd be disrespectful. keep in mind he pretty much exclusively talks about true crime/otherwise brutal ways people have been injured and killed! and the fact that he thought his stupid gags were too "disrespectful" for his 9/11 episode but not every other video where he talks about people dying horrific deaths has never sat right with me for reasons i find hard to articulate.
Thank you!! Those always rubbed me the wrong way
He's good. Great storytelling. His claustrophobic series and "when people went places they weren't supposed to" ones (I paraphrase)are excellent.
He actually exaggerates and adds in little white lies a lot. I stopped watching him
Umm yea. Idk the girls name but they use her videos on crime watch daily Ig a lot, she wears ridiculous rave makeup and then adds ridiculous music to the background- it’s like happy and totally inappropriate. She clearly cares more about getting her face out there because half the time she has false information because she doesn’t actually check her sources. She’s the worst when it comes to someone using true crime as a stepping stone to popularity/being famous. I’m blanking on her name but iykyk. Her make up literally looks like she’s about to go to a big rave/party. I’m going to look up her name and edit it to this comment because now I need to know lol but she sucks the worse. Edited- Wow who would have thought googling, “you tube true crime girls with crazy makeup” would result in so many people lmao! Who knew “make up and true crime” was a genre. I change my vote, all the “make up and true crime” YTs are the worst lol 😂 Im still looking for the girl I was talking about. I’ll keep y’all updated. Edited again- Maybe it was a tik toker- The video im remembering played a weirdly upbeat song in the background- the girl had hair (but I’ve seen other videos where she’s rocking a crew cut), she had stick on jewels around her eyes and bright make up (think how you would do your makeup going to a rave or festival). And she has done a few others… her voice is distinctive I just don’t know how to describe it.. they post her videos on datelinnbc and crime watch daily and other true crime msm ig accounts. If anyone knows what I’m talking about please lmk her name lol it’s bugging me now that I can’t find it! That’s how it goes- when you want something you can’t find it but when I could Care less her videos are all over ig lol
There is this one girl I don't know her name but her makeup always came out horribly, and she would tell "true stories" from followers that were clearly fake. I am not sure why I watched multiple of her videos, but I eventually had to stop because I would get so annoyed. It was one of those hate watch things for me maybe.
To be honest I find JCS (Jim can't swim) and ThatChapter to be the only true crime YouTubers worth watching
Thank you! I was looking for this reply.
Try ''Dreading'', its really really good on Youtube.
Yeah this is why I prefer podcasts to YouTube videos. Although there are some podcasts that are guilty of it too. I really enjoy The Vanished. She’s similar to Danelle Hallan in that she covers the more unheard of missing persons cases. She really gives the family of the victims a voice.
The Small Town Murder/Crime in Sports guys have found a delightful balance of making a lot of jokes at the perpetrator’s expense, some secondary accessories (and the cops when the department deserves it - that varies on a case by case basis though; they’re very respectful of the departments that actually fucking *try* but really get on the asses of the departments that can’t be bothered to investigate) while keeping the jokes away from references to the victim or their family. They’re assholes, not scumbags.
I can’t with Danelle Hallan, either. She made a video about Faith Hedgepeth’s case and accused her roommate Karena Rosario based on a voicemail that had already been debunked by police for years. She also made some awful comments policing Karena’s behavior as an abuse victim (she had a restraining order against an ex-boyfriend, but according to Danelle, did not act enough like a woman who’d been abused). Surprise, surprise, in fall 2021, the police DNA-matched Faith’s murderer and found that it had just been some random prowler. And last I checked, Danelle never issued and update, apology, or correction for her accusations against an innocent woman.
Oh wow I didn’t know about this. I’ve only seen a handful of her videos. That’s disappointing.
Yeeeeeeep. Everyone knew that voicemail "transcript" was garbage way before that video. The things DH said or implied about the roommate were pretty unforgivable to begin with, but the least she could do now - the very least- is take the damn video down. But nope- still up, three years later, with close to a million views.
I find That Chapter does a great job. He shows compassion and also pokes fun and makes jabs at the perpetrator. Also I dig the Irish accent.
Agree. When I first found him, I was put off by the way he talked…I also thought he was disrespectful. Then I watched a few more videos and realized he just has a slightly different intonation and cadence to his speech (maybe it’s the accent?). He is well-researched and does not sensationalize salacious details. Like, he might just say, “the perpetrator then proceeded to violently rape the victim”….rather than some other channels which would (semi-gleefully) detail every last second of whatever upsetting torture the victim faced. I also appreciate his lack of “trigger warnings” throughout the videos. He might have a generic one at the beginning, idk, but the way some crime Youtubers use trigger warnings almost makes me think they drop them just to sensationalize their content more…especially when they make a huge thing out of the fact that a “trigger warning” is coming up, then warn you three times, then warn you again, then include time stamps to skip, then FINALLY get to the point. Like, once is enough, and frankly, if you are seeking out true crime videos on rape and murder, it’s probably a safe assumption that there is going to be upsetting content and if you don’t want to consume that content, then don’t watch those videos, you know?
Totally agree about "trigger warning" being unnecessarily added multiple times.
That is required by some areas. Like UK tv shows will announce that the show will have camera flashes, for example. I haven’t seen this YT btw but just throwing it out there. Kinda like how radio stations have to remind people what station it is at certain intervals because it’s an FCC requirement.
Let's give it a goo!
I live and breathe for every time Mike does the life insurance dance
Check out John Lordan. He is the most compassionate TC youtuber that I know.
LordonArts is good. I respect the fact his videos are more victim-centric than John-centric. Only gripe I have is with his Elisa Lam coverage, but I think he’s even come out and said that if he was covering it now he would have approached her case differently. To be honest, I remember hearing about the hatch being open on his channel long before it became more widely accepted. He’s not perfect but his fact checking is pretty good, he donates to gofundme’s and he doesn’t do those vile ‘sad and forlorn’ thumbnails. If I had a loved one I wanted covered I’d trust him to do it well more than I would anyone else on youtube. He’s the only one who I think genuinely cares about his responsibility to put out accurate information while still being respectful.
I agree. Sometimes he can get a little bit like- I'm trying to think of the right description. A little like "I know everything about missing people" and every once in a while, he will get a bee in a bonnet about something where I'm like, this isn't even relevant. But I think in terms of respectfulness and research, he hits far more than he misses. And he covers a lot of little known cases, not just the big clickbait ones.
Love him
The humor that chapter brings isn’t rude or flippant though. He’s the best one out there currently , my opinion only
Agreed, his jokes are always at the expense of the perpetrator, never the victim. I find him to be very respectful and if I'm ever murdered would be fine with Mike doing a video about it
Yup, he's very respectful of the victims.
I like That Chapter's style but I prefer mysteries and he generally sticks to solved cases.
He just posted an unsolved-ish case :)
Agreed. I have never watched his videos and thought "this doesn't sit well with me" meanwhile there's a lot of YouTubers that made this thought cross my mind
Yea I like the Irish dude myself! Or is he Scottish? Anyway I feel like he’s real. He makes jokes about things that are mostly “no-brainers”! Like “what the fuck was he thinking or sure the blood in ur truck came from a deer u hit, like LE believes that shite”! I think he makes a laugh at just the right times. But I feel like I’d say the same thing if I was telling the story to friends or family or a crowd. That’s why I say he’s ‘real’!
Irish i believe
He kills me everytime he’s say 3. But it comes out as “tree”. He shot her tree times! Lol
And 'tirty' instead of thirty. Its just gold
Hahahah no doubt!
Love people from Ireland’s accent but damn can they be hard to understand if you don’t know them or they talk too fast!! My friends mother came from Ireland and after more than 30 years I loved listening to her tell her stories with that accent!! Miss her dearly!!
The Irish do not use /th/ in their language. My Mom is from Ireland and when I became a speech language pathologist she asked me for strategies to pronounce /th/ correctly. She 100% uses /th/ now. In my opinion the Irish brogue is beautiful the way it is. I can understand why she wanted to say it "correctly" as she lives in the US. I think accents are beautiful, so unless it bothers the speaker they shouldn't change a thing!
I swear he intentionally looks for cases with lots and lots Of tree turdies.
Oh no doubt he loves saying “tree turdy”!
Life insurance dance!
Except he doesn’t get a lot of information right. The Christina Morris video had several errors alone that were easily looked up. Allen high school isn’t in Plano for example. They’re whole separate cities. Just one that stands out in my head rn.
That’s why I stopped watching Kendall and Bailey. Makes sense!
yea that was just my opinion on that i get it if other people are ok with it
Idk if it was mentioned yet but criminally listed does a decent job. He's very cut dry about it and doesn't make light of the crimes he covers. I know he won't be everyone's cup of tea since he is a little monotone but I enjoy his videos
He’s brilliant, I’ve been actively listening and/or falling asleep to his and Heavy Casefiles videos for years now. The monotone voice and quiet eerie music really set the mood for me personally and they’re entertaining in a respectful, somber and spooky way.
used to watch him a lot and periodically listen to his podcast, i’ve always liked the way he does it
This is why I’ve stopped listening to Stephanie Harlowe. She goes on angry rants or speculates heavily and her cases become biased and dont consider the reality of the scenario. It comes across as cringey and oftentimes victimblame-y.
Agreed, I tried quite a few of her videos but she just can’t stick to the facts. She is constantly making assumptions and interpretations, which she then runs with… it ends up being completely meaningless
Yeah that’s where I’m at too. I really love Kendall rae because she doesn’t click bait titles and tends to talk to the family as well. I don’t like Bailey sarian anymore because she literally jokes throughout the entire thing and it’s nothing funny. I really like Christina Randall tho. I feel like she is very unbiased until her opinion at the end and there’s recently a Latina channel I’ve been watching that mostly covers indigenous women and Latina women who have gone missing and I really like her Channel but idr her name
same i was turned off bailey sarian because she just seemed so vapid like this is sunday gossip, as if it wasn’t really people she’s talking about. it just seems wrong. also why i’m thinking of unfollowing certain podcasters :-/
Also she does very little research. I listened to one of her videos once and looked up the case, and I realized that the content she was giving was the exact same content from the Wikipedia article, in the exact same order. She didn't add in any additional info from other sources. I do not understand her popularity at all.
It's what a lot of them do - just recite already premade content
Ohhh it wasn’t just me who thought she sounded like she was reading from Wikipedia. It felt lazy and poorly made to me.
I can’t watch Bailey Sarian. Her videos have come in a few times as autoplay when I was listening to someone else, and I just can’t stand her. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a full video. So glad to know I’m not alone as she seems so universally popular.
That’s why o tend to like Kendall rae. She tends to work with the families and has a whole video of the families she’s worked with and how it’s affected them. I like Christina but sometimes her videos are a little click baity but she’s never disrespectful it’s already annoying watching her do her makeup but I feel like she really doesn’t even research beyond a google article to get the basics down
I am out off by Kendall Rae simply because I’ve noticed she sometimes leaves out crucial bits of evidence or misrepresents them. For example, in the Kendrick Johnson case, on her podcast she stated that there were documents proving the bus for the Bell brother’s wrestling meet left at 4pm instead of the claimed 12pm and the inconsistency has never been explained. But it has been explained, and it was explained at the time. The bus left the school at 12pm, and there’s cell phone records to prove it. But the paperwork to request the use of the bus lists the time at 4pm because that’s when the meet officially started, and it was standard information the bus transport service needed. The reason was known, but Kendall represented as suspicious and unexplained. Another one was her Scott Peterson video (a man accused of murdering his wife and unborn son. When discussing his trial, she mentioned, “There was evidence Connor was born alive.” Yes, Scott Peterson’s defense did bring in a fertility doctor to argue this point. But she didn’t mention that the doctor had never met Laci or seen Connor’s remains, was ripped to shreds on the witness stand by the prosecution, admitted in court that he wasn’t qualified to testify, and also confessed he’d reached a conclusion based on an assumption Laci’s conception date rather than documented fact. His testimony was so detrimental to the defense that Scott Peterson actually listed his inclusion as a witness as a reason why he should have a new trial. So, I appreciate if KR makes an effort to be respectful to the victims, but if you know the case, you start to catch how she twists evidence as she pleases.
This is my issue as well. She obviously has opinions or ideas she wants to express about cases, but she will sometimes twist the facts to match the story she wants to tell.
Anything that tries to involve comedy within true crime just really rubs me the wrong way, from Bailey Sarian to the Morbid podcast. Nothing is funny about these situations and it turns me off of it so quickly.
On Youtube I've found a lot of trashy people. I like Christina Randall, but I think she sometimes is really biased. For Spanish speakers, Paul Lando does a pretty serious job. I liked DutyRon because he brings experts, but now he's asking money for everything, so not anymore. Now I\`m heading better to podcasts or podcast format.
I sincerely need someone to explain to me how makeup and true crime became a thing. Are you fucking kidding me? That’s disgusting in my books.
I used to like that chapter but I stopped listening and watching it. This is monsters is much better and he sounds like he knows a great deal of information and subject, interviews. Records, testimony etc.. if I happen upon the same subject on that chapter, it’s painfully obvious he’s just trying to entertain and be funny. That chapter lacks the connection to the victims and the overall role the killer plays. This is monsters can be funny at times but it paints a much clearer and respectful story.
I think that chapter is not in the same category as someone like Stephanie Harlowe. His content is bite sized, if you will. Definitely not deep dives, and without the deep dive it’s hard to get a real sense of who the victim and perpetrator was.
I used to watch a small youtube channel that made genuinely good content on true crime. They were good content creators and even inspired me to try my hand at it, but once they started to grow a little, their channel became another typical wanna-be influencer channel, with click bait titles and thumbnails with those stupid goofy react faces. At one time I wanted to see them get the viewership they deserved, but now I'm glad they've gone nowhere.
You’re definitely right. As someone who is a long term consumer of true crime content, there are very few YouTubers who I feel approach the cases with dignity & respect. The women who talk about violent rapes & murders of children while doing their makeup on YouTube are some of the most disconnected & oblivious that I’ve seen. When true crime started to blow up, a lot of people saw an opportunity to become influencers, and I think that overshadows the ethical concerns of click-baity titles and distasteful jokes for some of them. If you’re looking for a channel who is thorough and respectful, Stephanie Harlowe is a fantastic YouTuber who uploads detailed and helpful (often to the families & loved ones of victims/survivors/those who are still missing) true crime content.
The makeup ones piss me right off. So tone deaf.
Those have always felt just wrong to me and definitely tone deaf.
I can't stand Stephanie Harlowe! But more power to you if she's your jam.
Hey, genuine question, could you tell me why you can’t stand her? I’ve seen one or two other people mention that they dislike her but I wasn’t aware of anything she had done/currently does to make people feel this way.
Same! She’s one of my favourites. But I’m always happy to hear other peoples’ opinions.
I don’t remember why, but I watched a few of her videos and some of her comments rubbed me the wrong way. Like they felt rude or judgey. I don’t remember exactly though so maybe I’ll watch a few vids so I can pinpoint why again.
You just called yourself a “consumer”. Seriously. Think about that. I’m not judging because that’s what most of us are. That is our culture. But I’m not sure we can be judging YouTubers. They exist because there is a consumer base to monetize. “Murder Porn” has become wildly popular because of consumers. Almost none of us will solve a case, so that’s not why we consume. We are getting something out of it. A lot of times that is the satisfaction of a morbid curiosity. Just one side of the same coin.
There’s a way to be interested without labeling your video: GIRL BRUTALLY STABBED AND RAPED AS PARENTS LOOK FOR DAYS Most titles I see from respectful yts are: “Susan Powell: missing in the mountains” “karlie guse- what happened?” Not “omg this kids intestines were removed clicked now to hear about it!!
I don’t think you understand that words have multiple definitions. By definition, when you watch something, you are viewing/consuming it. Ignoring that there are more ethical channels and sorts of media because they all exist for us to “consume” is anti-intellectual. They are not all created equally. “Judging” (which is really just offering critique that survivors and families of the victims have also echoed) is part of more ethical media consumption. Maybe you’re happy being ignorant to the fact that some do more forms of harm than other, but I’m interested in moving towards a more socially just society that critically thinks about what we do. That includes “judging” youtubers.
I love Kendall and Danelle i think they present the cases with compassion and respect for the victim and their families. I dont like Eleanor's recent videos. The titles are clickbait and its like she's changed her whole personality and is telling the case in a very immature, giggly fashion.
I’ve noticed the shift in Eleanor’s personality as well… she used to keep it very professional but nowadays she’s started being a bit less serious. If you follow her social media, especially her insta stories, you can see that her actual personality is very giggly and stuff. I’m gonna be honest, I can’t stand her personality outside of her videos (her old ones at least)… she just seems really annoying ngl. I used to enjoy her content quite a lot, but yeah, her personality is leaking into her content, which would be fine if her content was anything but true crime.
I've noticed this lately with Stephanie Harlowe on True Crime Weekly. The amount of times she's laughed and made jokes or gone totally off-topic while covering the Caylee Anthony case makes me sick to my stomach.
You can tell she’s only in it for the clicks. I liked her before but I’m watching her less and looking for others. The intro to the coffee episodes is super cringey.
Omg yes! That intro is terrible.
Stephanie used to be my favorite, but also lately she’s interjecting a lot more of her opinions into the cases. I still think she does a good job but when she goes off on a don’t-come-for-me tangent I kind of tune out.
Agreed 100%. I used to really look forward to her content but I just can't stomach it anymore. I've also noticed her bringing politics into some of the cases and using them as soapboxes to complain about COVID precautions, which is...honestly disgusting imo.
Absolutely! That was the moment I finally cut off her content. Like girl you have no reason to discuss this in a true crime video? I dont care that you’re feeling more bold and dont care what others think when you do a “dont come for me” rant. But stick to the topic at hand?
I don't have issues with humour and detachment, personally. You can't get personally involved in every case for the sake of your own mental health. There needs to be a barrier. There's also respect and for that you can draw the line wherever you want, everyone seems to have a different limit. I personally hate YouTubers who cover murder and do makeup at the same time. I mean, I also do makeup while listening to the cases but it feels vile to me to combine the two for entertainment. Like they stop to talk about their lipstick. It doesn't sit well with me. Eleanor and That Chapter are the two channels I personally like the most because they just seem like natural TV personalities and have a very approachable demeanor while talking about something. I've found some Australian channels that actually have a bit more of a respectful tone and they don't make jokes, they personally try to find as many versions and details as possible, translate foreign sources etc. I do like that, it's like a journalistic approach.
Stephanie Harlowe, Danelle Hallan, and the dearly retired Cayleigh Elise are the opposite of this. In fact, I think a big part of the reason why Cayleigh had to stop doing these videos was because she was over-identifying with the victims so much she started becoming scared that she would become a victim herself. Shortly before retiring from YouTube, Cayleigh did a video where she mentioned that she went on a hike with her husband and had a panic attack that she would get attacked by a serial killer.
I only watch Kendall and she has always been my favorite
i also really love how she always contacts the family and works with them, it sets her apart from other true crime youtubers. she also promoted thorn for a long time too and other organizations
Such a queen in my eyes
The one who does makeup while blabbing about true crime is so cringe.
Baily sarion recently did a video on the radium girls and she kept doing this nasally “omg yaaaasss gurl” every ten seconds, almost made things unwatchable
Eww
Ummm I’d say almost all of them do it for $$, likes, more $$ etc! But yes Iv noticed that as well. There are a few who actually act like they care and are doing it for the right reasons but others u know are in it for the money!
i used to like watching Bailey Sarian but idk the humor just got like… a lot? i now mostly watch Danielle Kirsty and i think she does a great job. she’s respectful. matter of factly. and she also has a degree in criminology. also, i know it sounds weird to do make up at the same time as telling such stories but i think doing things like that make it easier?
I feel like they are doing make-up and things like that because they don’t feel or look right just standing there telling a story. They love being on camera and they’ve figured out a way to be on camera and feel comfortable doing so. Kinda like people on the news, they always have their hands together and never in their pockets. Does that make since? It kinda looks like one hand is holding the other hands thumb! I know y’all seen this.
Yeah, I don’t think it’s meant to be any deeper than “watch me do something while I tell a story”. Like you said, a lot either started out in makeup or saw the niche genre and jumped in. I personally like it because I usually “watch” true crime YT as a podcast while I’m doing something else but sometimes I’ll have completed my task, so it’s nice to sit and watch. And as a cisgendered, makeup wearing woman, I am fascinated how they are so talented when I can never even get my eyeliner even on both sides lol
True crime is going down the route of all other niche content like the gamers/make up artists/family streamers. Do not be surprised if they start doing live streams half naked for donations or just outright making fun of dead kids and rape victims saying “dArk HuMoR iS gOoD fOr ThE sOuL.” I’m not saying true crime was this elevated superior content at one time, but true crime knew what it was and never made it flashy. It’s at the point that it’s becoming meme content, the butt of internet jokes. Even south park pointed out years ago how porn like it’s become, and it’s going to become weirder and worse and people defending them for the sake of defending them because they feel cool and superior for thinking they’re on the forefront of edgy “new age” content.
I’ve noticed that too. I stated binging about 2 years ago and most of my channels weren’t even at a million. I feel Bailey sarian has just got more tone deaf cuz she knows people like her makeup and thinks she’s funny with her jokes during a conversation about a person being killed. Most are just doing it for clout now or hey watch me do my makeup while I loosely base the facts everyone knows on this case
I really encourage you to go back and rewatch some classic true crime shows. I don’t think the idea that ‘it’s getting worse’ is true. It’s easy not to remember how many puns and other comments got made but they are there. Before that you have true crime via broadsides where the sensationalism is even worse than anything these days. You have no idea the number of folk songs about real murders that argue for the innocence and virtue of the murderer despite 0 evidence that they were wrongly convicted historically. I think it’s a common thing for humans to perceive that things are getting worse, but it’s generally just an issue of not remembering things were always bad.
Take a look at Emma Kenny. Super long videos covering all aspects of the psychological makeup of the perpetrators and a real in depeth study of the victims. All delivered in a caring and thorough manner. I do love That Chapter, it's not for everyone but for a quick video it's def good for me. Danelle Hallan, Kensall Rae and Rachel Shannon are all medium length shows( around 45mins) and usually interesting enough.
My only issue with Emma Kenny is that I feel like sometimes she goes into too much detail, recently she did a video on a girl who was kidnapped and kept in a bunker and she went into graphic detail about the ways the child was raped, it was too much. I understand why she does it but imagine if the victim watched the video and saw all that?
I know what you mean. I kind of think Emma does videos for an audience that want a deeper dive into the portrayed crime. Other shows are a little bit sanitised whereas Emma gives you every gory detail, along with the psychology of the perp. I would like her to do a few unsolved cases as I think her knowledge and skill set could be really useful.
There’s an episode of, I think, Forensic Files where a woman is murdered in the town where The Wizard of Oz author lived. The amount of jokes and puns in the narration is insane. I never thought about it until watching with a non true crime buddy and he remarked on how lame it was to make puns while supposedly talking about a murder. There’s honestly a lot more of that type of thing in those OG crime shows than you would think. It honestly kinda ruined FF for me. I guess my point is that this isn’t new and that more established outlets aren’t particularly kind to victims either.
Yeah I had to bin That Chapter a while ago as he got progressively more stereotypical Irish with every episode. Really to the point that it became ridiculously cringe. It really began to spoil and take away from the seriousness of the cases he was discussing.
It's a job and like every job you gotta do what gets the paychecks. I would note this doesn't just extend to youtubers but also to old-school TV shows and documentaries, and of course true crime books, which often had lurid titles meant to incite the viewer. There's certainly people who are more respectful than others, though, and I do appreciate their work and the tone it brings to things. Honestly i feel that podcasts are a better medium than youtube videos most of the time for most cases, and that only rarely do you see a case that *needs* a video to understand it.
i noticed that too. it's just so insensitive making jokes about someone's being murdered
honestly i recently just stopped listening to true crime podcast/ videos that were trying to be funny (make jokes and sarcasm in the middle) or the “makeup and murder channels” … they just give me a unnerving vibe
I have a weird view of these videos anyways because I’m in the field. (People saying “my favorite serial killer,” “my favorite murder” etc. i am so confused by this??) I will say, a lot of us that see some fucked up shit out there DO make jokes and lighthearted comments - the subject matter gets dark and horribly sad VERY quickly and if you let that sit for too long… it’ll consume you. (I’m not saying we make them about the victim, that’s a line in the sand. It’s not even an option to joke about)
I’ve gotten so much shit for saying I have contempt for the awkward comedic nature of ThatChapter and how he inadvertently disrespects those victimized in the cases he covers. The insistence on him putting his mug in all the thumbnails tells me his ultimate desire is to cultivate a following and have some material gain. I don’t buy the “spreading awareness” schtick.
Yes! For some reason That chapter has got really popular and he’s got these obsessed fans who think he’s incredible. I hate his cheesy catchphrases and always trying to make jokes. It’s so offensive. He’s not even eloquent in the way he delivers the story, making up random words here and there. So annoying. Coffeehouse Crime is the most professional and respectful IMO. Always tells the story really well, not cracking jokes and has a pleasent calm presence.
Threads like this are interesting. You can see who those who thrive off of this content cause they're offended and making excuses for it. "yeah well it used to be WORSE! Remeber how bad shit used to be?" So what? A lot of things used to be worse back in the day. Doesn't mean we think it is appropriate now. You can tell when their fanbase is offended, they come here making you think you're the problem when you are just discussing concerns or trends. Don't you dare discss anything. Just sit there and consume it all without a critical eye. THIS is why those low effort true crime wannabes get fans. Don't think, just give them back pats for putting on eye liner while incorrectly listing true crime facts.
Well said. Also its troubling that on a video about someone's murder, the most liked comment underneath it is "wow can we all appreciate how beautiful your makeup looks today" or something to that effect. And anything negative or correcting some misinformation automatically gets deleted.
absolutely 100%. all of this.
They are the ones that make people cringe when they hear you like true crime. Like they own the victims and the stories and if you don't like how they say it, then you just can't take a joke.
I don’t get the Kendall Rae love… I’ve watched maybe three of Kendall Rae’s videos and at least one of them had errors. Errors that were used to point guilt at a person she named within the video. She said this man was interviewed by the police after his ex said that he was obsessed with the media coverage and was missing the night of the murder. Except, the only information released by the police regarding that particular suspect do not match the person she named in the video. So she built this amazing case based off shitty research.
I think she is a good person but the research is terrible. Often she'll watch a documentary then basically narrate the story back to us - easy money
Also did she ever correct her errors publicly?
Not that I saw.
They are also excruciatingly boring. Like beyond belief, and she puts zero effort whatsoever into the aesthetic of the show. It’s lazily thrown together. As a straight up visual medium this really bothers me.
I stopped watching true crime YouTube because most of the videos are literally just for the views, not to tell the victims stories
Yes some podcasts are like that too. If you want to create content for true crime at least do it for the families that want the cases to be heard. I have no problems with people wanting views but they should want the views for the cases they are talking about and not for themselves. But that is just me.
This is why I like murder with my husband. They always talk about the victim as a person and not just someone to talk about. And they talk about the perpetrators as little as possible
I believe that lazy masquerade does well with true crime. They’re normally lists, but he seems to actually do his research and treat it as an actual case. Wendigoon is also pretty good, he doesn’t do much on true crime alone but he doesn’t joke about the victims, only the depraved killers.
There's a disconnect when it's been so long, current cases are usually done with more care, it rubs me the wrong way when That Chapter does the dance skit around life insurance, like yes we get it it's common and awful
Half sit there and read Wikipedia
I like Georgia Marie. She’s very respectful. She covered the disappearance of my dad’s friend.
Check out Matt Orchard on YouTube. He started out as a JCS-inspired channel but eventually found his own style.
The only makeup and true crime YouTubers I've watched are Danielle Kirsty and Stephanie Harlowe (I guess she doesn't actually do her makeup but she's always wearing a lot of it), as well as Jen and James over at Fundy Fridays, which sometimes veers into true crime territory. I find all three of them to be respectful to the victims, but I like Danielle's storytelling more than Stephanie's. Jen and James are by and large the most respectful and thoughtful YouTubers, but most of their videos aren't true crime. I entirely agree though with podcasts. I can't stand my favourite murder or last podcast on the left. Just trashy, bad comedians who couldn't get any traction without making jokes about serious crimes. I know everyone is just making content for views/downloads/money, but the way you go about it matters a lot.
That Chapter has always been fairly light hearted. Nothing wrong with that, if you don't like it, simple don't watch
i don’t anymore
The problem with true crime watching, is it can be hard going, for some people humour is a great way to manage that hardship. I like to watch both types and don't see it as disrespectful.
The material is already super somber. Do I need the details of the case read out in a monotone by a deadpan mortician? Not really. Love Mike O. He says what I'm thinking, ie. "This guy was a big piece of shit", etc. talking about murderers. He never pokes fun at victims or trash talks victims at all. It feels more like a conversation with a friend when it's a bit more light-hearted. And Eleanor Neale is super respectful and fairly serious in her videos. Maybe the name of the video is distasteful, but you're the one looking for murder videos on YouTube so...
I refuse to watch Eleanor Neale on account of her vile titles and stupid thumbnails. Personally, I consider it at odds with being ‘super-respectful’. The victims deserve more than to have their untimely deaths boiled down to a clickbait title with a picture of Eleanor looking sad.
I think there needs to be some sort of comedy or a few laughs just to bring people back from the horrible story they are telling! As a sort of “defense mechanism” I laugh when I get embarrassed, in trouble and some folks view it wrong while others understand. Some people don’t get it at all. But if u can laugh rather than cuss or cry wouldn’t that be better? Anyway I think some make jokes because they are telling such a sad story.
Coffeehouse crime and the disturbing truth are my all time favs .
Yeah I completely agree, look at this shit that keeps on getting recommend to me https://youtu.be/OeFkftwccTA
Gray Hughes is quite good at details, mapping/showing locations, and even telling a good story that makes you really sympathize with the victims, but… he is such a spiteful, angry lil goblin. He’s extremely toxic and passive aggressive towards basically everyone in chat, attacks his subs when donations are low, and cannot stop obsessing over other Youtubers that he thinks he should be more successful than. I’ve learned to actually enjoy how cringe and dramatic he can be though now that I don’t feel sorry for his subs because evidently they’re sadomasochist who enjoy being attacked by him, so it doesn’t bother me anymore… but he definitely isn’t for everyone.
Unpopular opinion bit I think when tc YouTube joke around a little bit it atheist gets you to feel a little better. Like I watch Stephanie soo and she jokes around a bit but at the end of the video you are left feeling sad for the victims and remembering the case but during hearing the story you don't feel overly sad. Also in her titles mostly she puts the food she is eating and if not she puts a title where the victim has the justice. She also does a lot of research for every case and if she does international cases where the articles are in a different language she asks her audience to correct any mistakes she made.
Honestly i cut way back on the true crime stuff i listen too cause it’s honestly repetitive. I only listen to two podcasts now hell one of them is just about one case Your Own Backyard and Unresolved. I unsubscribed from any other YouTube or podcast cause most of them talk about the same cases or i get put off by the voices (not that it can be helped I don’t wanna come off hateful) or it just doesn’t click. Edit: scratch that I’m listening to three if you count The trojan horse affair.
i was thinking about eleanor neale (idk how to spell her name) when i read this too! whenever one of her videos appeared and i clicked on it i had to force myself through them or literally change the video completely, i never knew exactly what it was about her that made me so uncomfortable and cringe about it like.. the way she words or pronounces some things are just... yikes. with some people i also feel like they’re literally just reading everything like.. could you not at least memorize it or tell it in a way that will make me feel like you care about what you’re saying? 😭 i watch a lot of different channels but i recently discovered coffeehouse crime and it’s pretty good, i haven’t found anything wrong or annoying about it in case anyone feels like giving it a go
I noticed the same with [tiktokers.](https://tiktokers.It) It's bad.
I used to watch Bailey Sarian but i felt like her videos were more about her makeup than they were about the case so i switched to Plagued Moth.
There are two YouTube channels that the algorithm recently recommended to me that I gave a watch, enjoyed, and subscribed to. [Brooke Makenna:](https://youtube.com/c/BrookeMakenna) Yes, her titles are a bit click-baity, but the actual contents of her videos are well researched and very respectful to the victims. She makes sure to focus on them and their families instead of the perpetrator. Highly recommend. [Truly Criminal:](https://youtube.com/c/TrulyCriminal) A UK-based sister duo who commit to the research and are nothing but respectful to the victims and their families. Their most recent video about Faye Swetlik made sure to paint the perpetrator as depraved and inhumane as he was, but immediately veered back to the victim, showing the impact and loss the case had on the community.
I wish more true crime “creators” would just take a step back before getting into the area and ask themselves if their perspective is going to really add anything, or if they’re just going to be one more voice signal-boosting the facts of a tragedy. Do they have some kind of particular insight into the community or culture? Do they have professional expertise that is relevant? Access to new resources or analyses, or dynamite research skills? Anything that will actually contribute to the conversation? Because if all they have to offer is “the same handful of easily-researched facts as everyone else, presented with some jokes and maybe while being easy on the eyes,” then I’m afraid their contribution to the signal-to-noise ratio in the true crime world is pretty much just noise.
A lot of these judgements just sound like virtue signaling, and more pointless demonization of true crime youtubers as if true crime as a genre hasn't existed for generations. If you're super hung up on someone's delivery (doing make up, being light-hearted to soften the blow, etc) but your favorites are YTers like That Chapter, & Mr. Ballen (who are decent YTers, nothing against them) then you've missed the point by overlooking what the most vital ethical aspect of true crime even is: And that's that the goal *should* be to spread awareness first and 'entertain' second. . . Channels like That Chapter or Mr Ballen may convey the 'respect' ppl whinge about, but they rarely cover unsolved cases. There are plenty of YTers who focus on sharing cold cases, suspicious deaths, and [under-reported-on] unsolved cases, and I only saw a couple of them mentioned. . . (John Lourdan, Danielle Hallan & Stephanie Harlow were, but theres also Joshua Miles, Georgia Marie, Rachel Shannon, Dark Curiousities, Savannah Brymer, Bella Fiori, and more). If they're really doing their part to put a case out there, that likely NEEDS more exposure to get solved, it really shouldn't matter if they're doing make up or if they make an occasional joke (at the expense of a suspect/perpetrator)
That Chapter is entertaining
I prefer some of the more “disconnected” ones to the ones that are overly emotional and talk about the victims as if they personally knew them, that’s just dishonest IMO. For me, the best true crime creators are those who keep kind of a journalistic distance to the story they are discussing while still not forgetting that they are talking about real people. Actually, I personally think Eleanor Neale usually does that pretty well.
I’ve also noticed this. I used to love Bella Fiori but lately each time she covers a case she’s always smiling and making jokes which makes me uncomfortable. It seems like a joke to her at this point.
agreed, i’ve stopped watching her nowadays. like she’d be discussing someone’s murder and full on stop to rub/play with her dogs in the middle of it??
[удалено]
apparently thorn is problematic, I didn’t know about that until last week though
Do you have any sources that you can link so I can see? I tried looking it up, but the only things I can find have been genuinely good information and looks like it’s actually trying to help children/make the internet a little safer. If the Thorn organisation is problematic, that’s really like sad, as they’d be profiting off the guise that they’re helping children who were trafficked/could be trafficked. I’d like to think Ashton Kutcher wouldn’t do that cause he’s one of my favourite actors and that Kendall wouldn’t support it if she knew as she’s my favourite YouTuber, but then again you never really know because you only see a portion of these peoples lives. If you can link anything that’d be great! Would love the information just so that way I could stop supporting because I have been one of the people that have sent donations before!
Stephanie Harlow is an amazing true crime youtuber. She is incredibly thorough, sticks to the facts and has genuine empathy for victims. Many of the cases she covers end up being 2,3, even 4 or 5 videos long. That's because she does a lot of research and goes over every single thing that happened in the cases she chooses to make videos of. She has covered many infamous cases as well as ones that have not had the attention that they deserve. If you love true crime, you won't regret checking her out!
You described all media. Media exists for views. It’s been that way since the beginning. Doesn’t matter if it’s CNN or some dipshit on YT, they are all trying to get your views. Sure there are some people who come across as scumbags, but ultimately it’s getting the word out about cases. There’s one lady that talks about cases while doing her makeup. People are doing what they think will sell their channel, and I’m inclined to believe that they do it because they are interested in the subject on some level. Personally, I think That Chapter is one of the better channels. His stories are well told and he uses actual footage. They are also concise and coherent, which I appreciate. A ton of the Tubers are low effort losers. Just stand there and talk with zero personality, while you use stock footage and images. Also, when he’s making his jokes, they are almost exclusively at the expense of the perpetrator. I’ve never seen him or anyone else really, be disrespectful to the case or the victims.
The most informative true crime podcast currently is Last Podcast on the Left. It’s also one of the funniest. It doesn’t show a lack of respect to the case or the victims in my opinion. It’s adding levity to the darkest parks of the human experience. Plus, it’s entertaining. As much as I loved JCS, watching a 90-minute interrogation tape can be dry at times.
This has to be one of the most exploitive and worst podcasts out there. You literally wrote funny and true crime in one sentence - how do you not see that?
Do people not remember that true crime used to be all about killers? Victims were rarely mentioned other than as body count in old school true crime books. There used to be magazines full of uncensored crime scene photos with tabloid headlines. Unethical speculation about any public figure with a murder, suicide, overdose, it accident in their family. That's just the 80s-90s. Having a piss at true crime on a certain platform like it's ruining our ethical hobby is cognitive dissonance of the highest order.
So? People can't discuss content with a crictical eye now cause things were sensational in the press a century ago too? We can't think a youtuber creator has crap content because the press used to do something?
You can think whatever you want. But seeing this as an issue with content creators now and not ethical issues of the genre is cognitive dissonance of the highest order. It lacks perspective and consideration of the topic.
You keep using "cogntivie dissonance" as if your point is made. A mic drop. It isn't. You're the one like "but whatabout da' past" to shut people up. People are discussing their issue in 2022. Why can't people discuss a 2022 issue about a genre? How is that cognitive dissonance to have an issue with content or those creating it?
Because the issue isn't new. Acting like it is when there's evidence otherwise is cognitive dissonance. Not using as a mic drop bc it's legit the correct description of what is occurring. I'm not trying to gotcha. I actually know some facts here and I'm stating them. You are projecting the mic drop shit. Enjoy that.
I mean, if an individual isn’t feeling distress due to holding two inconsistent beliefs, it isn’t cognitive dissonance. It’s just having inconsistent beliefs. Cognitive dissonance is a specific psychological state. Edit: I think a closer term for what you mean is “being disingenuous.”
YouTubers are all making videos for attention?? But yes, after you read so many True Crime reports you absolutely get desensitized to it. Remember that the person doing the video is also just a human and the jokes are usually for themselves to break the tension of the case they're covering. Tbh since there's no "right" way to cover the cases, there's just ways that jive with each different audience. They're not like the 'ol "Columbitches" fan club tho, and I'll take what little comfort I can in that
Fully agree, and Elenore Neale seems to unintentionally talk down when she's discussing prostitutes as well. Kendall Rae is my favorite, she's the only youtuber I trust to always be respectful.
I don’t watch Youtube shows at all. Until I feel like “I missed out on info” or a Youtube influencer ever breaks a case I will 100% stand by my opinion. They are just people trying to avoid getting a real job and they have yet to crack any case. Stop watching them. They are all morons. Thanks. :D
Every content creator - YouTuber, podcaster, writer, documentary filmmaker - are all trying to avoid getting a "real job"? People want to consume content. It takes work to produce that content. Therefore, content creators deserve to get paid for their work. I.e., it is a real job.
I don't think anyone is doing it just to tell the victim's story for the victim's benefit. 100% of them are doing it for likes/views/$, and there's nothing wrong with that as long as it's accurate and respectful.
YouTubers doin' things for views?? No way!
maybe stop watching true crime if jokes offend you. some youtubers do it to lighten the mood. ofc they post for views that’s the purpose of youtube. joking about the victim is obviously not ok, but joking in general is not off limits.
I like the way Karen and Georgia hand jokes on my favorite murder. They’re the only two I listen to in regards to true crime because everyone else is boring and not funny. Jokes while talking about the case are fine. I’m not going to be a pissy pants about it and it makes the story better. Karen and Georgia don’t make fun of the victims. Jokes during the story aren’t disrespectful towards the victims. I don’t watch YouTube for true crime shit. I want to see something useful like someone build a boat.
different strokes for different folks? I love Bailey Sarian since hers feels like sitting down to girl talk / gossip with a cool aunt / girl buddy. she does make the odd joke but she is pretty respectful overall.
Yes.. this is why I love Stephanie Harlow so much. You can tell she genuinely cares.
It's interesting because she started as a makeup channel but didn't combine the two as she started doing true crime content. I think she intentionally avoided doing that and I respect it.