A comedic podcast about real life murder cases probably shouldn’t work. But it does. And more than that it’s damn funny and really good.
When I was 12, I read a nonfiction book called “The Cases That Haunt Us” in which an FBI profiler theorizes on famous unsolved murders from Jon Benet Ramsey to the Zodiac killer. It equal parts terrified and fascinated me like nothing else I’d ever read or seen to that point. And it begun a lifelong interest in true crime and murder cases.
This was something I was always somewhat ashamed of. It’s not really polite to discuss the book you just read on Ted Bundy with your family at dinner or friends at work. Despite the popularity of shows like “Making a Murderer,” “48 Hours” and “The Jinx,” I thought murder was a weird thing to be interested in until I started listening to “My Favorite Murder.”
From comedian Karen Kilgrariff and television and podcast personality Georgia Hardstark, “My Favorite Murder” features the women detailing a fascinating different murder case each episode, as well as geeking out over great fictional and true crime shows, documentaries, and other podcasts. And even better, they occasionally feature the hometown murder stories of friends and fans of the show.
If you’re interested in an investigative, well-researched and professional podcast with interviews or startling new discoveries on old cases, look elsewhere. “Serial” this is not. The hosts freely admit that most of their information comes straight from Wikipedia, Reddit, Murderpedia and episodes of “I Survived…” This is something different entirely, but no less entertaining and addicting.
The duo are not by any means experts, rather they’re just two people who are equal who are deeply intrigued by real life murder cases, or “murderinos” as their fan base calls themselves. And that’s a big part of why this podcast is as deeply satisfying as it is. It feels like a real, interesting, engaging and even funny conversation between you and a friend. Because that’s what this podcast is. Two friends who have a slight (read: major) interest in murder and serial killers discussing their favorites on a couch.
Fortunately, the show never feels disrespectful and the humor isn’t mean spirited. The co-hosts are quick to empathize with and humanize the victims in the cases they discuss and, thankfully, avoid any victim-blaming. There are episodes when I’ve shook my head yes and ones where I’ve come close to crying.
New episodes come out weekly and are free to download. There’s currently 41 episodes, and while you don’t necessarily need to start at the the beginning or listen to them all, they do make for great binging. I especially recommend them for long drives.
If you’re a true crime fan looking for something new to sink your teeth into you can’t go wrong with “My Favorite Murder.” And remember, as Kilgrariff and Hardstark like to say at the end of each episode, “stay sexy and don’t get murdered.”
