Your New Favorite Hilariously Grisly Podcast
A few months ago I wrote about Richard Lloyd Parry's People Who Eat Darkness, a book I read over Thanksgiving about the most insane true crime story I've heard of in a long time. I became completely obsessed with this book and told everyone I knew to read it (including you, here's a link to the post I wrote about the book). Coincidentally, a lot more people might be learning about the murder of Lucie Blackman in the near future, because just a few weeks after I wrote about People Who Eat Darkness, it was announced that 20th Century Fox had acquired the film rights to the book. The reason I'm mentioning People Who Eat Darkness again is that in my post on this brilliant true crime book I mention that (at least in my opinion) my love of true crime stories conflicts directly with my complete distaste and, well, hatred for crime procedurals. I won't go into a whole rant here, but the gist is: I think they're dangerous. If you're ready to get very defensive over your favorite Dick Wolf production, maybe it would help to know that I feel the same way about medical procedurals? I used to live with someone who watched House and I would literally walk into the room, look at the TV, yell, "This show is DANGEROUS!" and walk out. I feel like an oddball or an outcast among people who like true crime - a person who is only interested in true crime, and "ripped from the headlines" doesn't count.
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the hosts of the wonderful podcast My Favorite Murder, know what it's like to feel like you have to keep your murderous interests a secret. They frequently talk about being among friends and mention their fascination with Ted Bundy only to be met with concerned looks. For me, I'm not worried about people thinking I'm a straight up psycho for being interested in true crime, I'm concerned with fellow true crime buffs telling me they love Law & Order and me yelling, "YOU MONSTER." In the middle of a crowded party, of course (things like that always happen in the middle of a crowded party). The universal point is, when you spend your free time reading about horrific crimes, it makes your life a real minefield. This is the beauty behind the My Favorite Murder podcast, it's a no-judgement place for Karen, Georgia, and their listeners to come together and enjoy the thing they love most: Murder.
I've followed Karen Kilgariff on Twitter for at least 35 years, and when I saw (via her Twitter) that she had a podcast and that it was called "My Favorite Murder" I thought, "Yep." and I went to the podcast app on my phone and downloaded it straight away. The podcast opens with Karen and cohost Georgia Hardstark explaining that they bonded over their love of true crime while at a party and discussing The Staircase. You know how I love The Staircase - I've only mentioned it in about every third post on this website. Then one of the ladies mentions something about the case and how it's progressed after cameras stopped following the story, and she and I ended up saying, at the exact same time, "The Owl Theory." And then I knew. I knew I was home.
Each week Georgia and Karen sit down and discuss their favorite murder of the week. Some weeks there's a theme, some weeks there isn't. Sometimes it's a case I'm familiar with, but other times it's one I'd never heard of before, and it's always nice to learn something new. We all love a good educational podcast! One of my favorite elements of the show is the gasps and reactions that the other host has while their cohost is explaining the details of their favorite murder of the week. Fans of the show seem to love the running commentary too, and have taken to putting quotes from the show on Successories-style backgrounds.
(I stole this collage of fan-made images from the show's twitter page, @myfavmurder)
Once I was listening to the show on my headphones while checking my mail, and (I think) Georgia said that Jonestown was "the classic 'don't go to a second location'" and I burst out into a huge guffaw-type laugh. An uncontrollable fit of laughter is a regular part of listening to any episode of My Favorite Murder. Karen and Georgia are the perfect hosts. I have listened to a few other true crime podcasts (many of which have been recommended by Karen and Georgia on their own podcast), but they all get certified, "NOT AS GOOD." I don't know what it is about My Favorite Murder, but I'd guess it's just the perfect blend of chemistry between the hosts, a casual atmosphere, a reverence for their subject matter, but still a heavy dose of levity and a touch of guffaw-inducing comedy. If the idea of a "true crime comedy podcast" peaks your interest, look no further than My Favorite Murder. And if you need any convincing, check out where our murder-lovin' gals were on the iTunes podcast chart as of last Saturday.
They were the number one comedy podcast, but they had the number four podcast of all the podcasts in existence on iTunes. I was so proud, and all I am is a devoted listener.
