Men’s relish for bloody war cinematography is considered ordinary, while women’s
interest in a genre that recounts and examines a true crime story is deemed peculiar. Indeed, It
is hard for many to believe that soft-hearted females can enjoy a genre so dark and gruesome.
Yet women constitute the majority of true crime fans: a study by Kelli S.Boling1, an
assistant professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, ascertained that 73% of the true crime
podcast audience are female. And the most famed true crime podcasts, “Serial” and “My
Favorite Murder”, as well as the most renowned true crime series, “Making a Murderer” and “I’ll
be gone in the dark”, are made by women. True crime has become the “new women genre”
despite women making up most of the crime victims (70% of serial killers’ victims are females).
It is highly improbable for it to be a simple correlation.
For all, true crime provides adrenaline rushes: Dr. Scott Bonn2, author and professor of
criminology at Drew University, says that humans tend to “receive a jolt of adrenaline as a
reward for witnessing […] terrible deeds”. And along with the distractions that it offers, the thrills
and frights specific to true crime make the genre even more entertaining for everyone. But how
does it specifically captivate women?
Survival Knowledge:
Amanda Vicary, a crime psychology expert, led a study3 that found that “women were
much more likely […] to choose a book if it included a “clever trick” the would-be victim used to
escape from an attacker, or a psychological profile of the attacker. And women, but not men,
were much more interested in books with female victims.”
Consciously or unconsciously, women learn from true crime stories. They provide
information to help them avoid or survive a potential assault. Indeed, detailed insight into the
psychology of a killer and their M.O is extremely useful to identify the red flags of a murderer or
to know how to act during a harmful situation. Besides, women are less likely to feel comfortable
when it comes to walking blindly into a situation (as they are more vulnerable to its dangers): “A
lot of women listen to true crime because it’s a way to kind of feel like you have control over the
situation even though you don’t”4.
Re-centering The Victim:
Old true crime shows and documentaries portray the most barbarous murderers as
charming and brilliant geniuses. This glorification of the criminal (even unintentional) is insensitive
to the victims and their families. But today’s new dynamic of true crime recenters the stories on
the victims: the mini-series “the investigation”, which tragedized the murder of journalist Kim
Wall, focused on presenting her life and successes before her murder and refused to reveal the
killer’s name or face.
With these important victim-centric portrayals, victims started to be seen as survivors.
This new reconsideration made women feel that they should control how these crimes are
recounted, which spurred them to share their stories. In turn, women who affronted similar
situations are drawn in, creating a strong sense of community which is enhanced by podcasts
such as “hometown murder” or discord platforms that create a space for women to discuss
crimes that happen near where they live. Since the male-dominated institutions that are meant
to protect them fail them, the victims find solace and strength in a comprehending community.
Female Empathy:
Women are generally more empathetic than men, making it more interesting for them to
learn about the victims’ faith and take time to understand their traumas. And sometimes, even
the criminal’s motives and backstory can spark some curiosities.
Knowledge is Power:
Some people joke that by consuming true crime, women learn “how to get away with it”
instead of “how to prevent it”. Perhaps women enjoy feeling capable of (criminally)
overpowering a man: it is no news that the patriarchal society pressures women into feeling
weak and helpless. As so, having the knowledge that helps to plot an act of imaginary
murderous revenge, might help feel less powerless.
An Outlet For Women’s Rage:
Violent video games or contact sports are men-dominated fields where males commonly
entertain aggressive impulses. For women, true crime can be one of the rare ways for them to
channel buried rage5.
Women Investigate for Women:
More than just satisfying everyone’s desire to play detective, true crime provides a space
for women to engage with crimes that overwhelmingly affect them:
“The thin blue line” is a true crime documentary that helped overturn a wrongful
conviction. It pre-established the importance of true crime materials in helping restore justice by
evidence or points of view in old cases. And a female’s point of view is crucial
for overturning the course of an investigation, especially with law enforcement being a
male-dominated field. Amateur sleuthing carried out by female true crime fans helps to solve
cases to an unbelievable extent: the infamous golden state killer was caught due to Barbara
Rae-Venter6.
Far from being bored psychos, women are interested in true crime because, once again,
the illiberal patriarchal societies deprive them of their human right to safety. We must act to
prevent any further crimes by mobilizing higher efforts to promote all types of equality, a more
diversified law enforcement system, and a more sensitizing education.
1: Fundamentally Different Stories That Matter: true Crime Podcasts and the Domestic Violence Survivors
in Their Audiences
2: https://coronertalk.com/ct19
3: Captured by True Crime: Why Are Women Drawn to Tales of Rape, Murder, and Serial Killers?
4: https://youtu.be/N05Q8yzJhb0
5: https://www.magellantv.com/articles/research-reveals-why-women-love-true-crimepresenting new
6: https://www.magellantv.com/articles/research-reveals-why-women-love-true-crime