Why are women so obsessed with the true crime genre?
When we are the predominant victim
I have always had a bit of a predisposition for the darker things in life. Not in a Jeffrey Dahmer, kill the family pet, kind of way. But in a psychological, need to know what drives someone to murder and dismember 10 people, kind of way. I have a morbid fascination with what makes serial killers tick and if Netflix, Tik Tok and YouTube are anything to go off, it seems I’m far from alone. It seems serial killers and sociopaths are the new popular culture phenomenon that we just can’t seem to get enough of.
Until recent years, my obsession with the true crime genre was more often than not met with a disapproving ick and a subsequent ‘why would you want to watch that?’ Granted I had hardly hit double digits when I first became a little too invested in investigating the JonBenet Ramsey case (it was Burke, obviously), the sentiment remained that an interest in true-crime was a weird flex for a ‘nice, young girl’ like me.
Fast forward to 2021 and the genre has well and truly shaken its niche roots to become one of pop culture’s greatest muses, and according to a 2010 study conducted by crime psychology expert, Amanda Vicary, women are to thank for the boom in true crime entertainment. An interesting datum considering that women are the predominant victim of the cases we frivolously binge watch.
“Netflix now reads like a serial killer encyclopaedia, with the streaming giant churning out a new true-crime docuseries seemingly every week. With the likes of The Ted Bundy Tapes, Night Stalker and The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel being some of its most bingeable series. Perhaps none more so than Making a Murderer, that I (along with 19.3 million others) binge watched within the 35 days following its 2015 premier. ”
Some people (@mymum) have a hard time comprehending my fervent interest in serial killers, given that I am both the ideal victim of the crimes I binge watch, as well a certified scaredy pants. I’d grown up in the same town as a notorious, women-hating serial killer and I’d been raised very wary of this. Like most girls, I was taught to live my life making a conscious effort to not get murdered. Don’t let your guard down. Don’t stray from main roads. And don’t ever walk alone if it’s dark out.
And yet now, as I walk alone (albeit always in daylight) you’ll rarely find me without my air pods in, streaming Crime Junkie or Morbid: A True Crime Podcast (love you, Ash and Alaina.) According to this survey, true crime was the third most popular genre for podcasts in 2020, and with 73% of true crime podcasts listeners being women, it begs the question – if we’re so afraid of murder, why are we actively seeking out as genre of entertainment?
There is increasing evidence to support this notion that it seems ‘nice, young girl’s’ like me are the predominant consumers of the true-crime genre. True crime podcast Wine and Crime reported that of the 500,000 downloads they receive each month, a staggering 85% of their audience is female. This same study found that around 70% of Amazon reviews of true-crime books were made my women. And now, coming off the back of an hour(s) long dive into the #crimetok hashtag, it’s clear that of the millions of users viewing the bite-sized true-crime cases, the audience is unequivocally female.
“Despite women accounting for roughly 70% of serial killers’ victims between 1985 and 2010, we are the ones binge watching the documentaries and downloading the podcasts – but why? Are they cautionary tales – a what not to do for women? Are we attracted to the tortured soul archetype of the perpetrators? Are we just straight up attracted to them (I’m looking at you, Ted Bundy?) Or, is it a case of schadenfreude and we’re just glad that it wasn’t us?”
To get a better understanding of the macabre zeitgeist, I popped on my detective hat in search of answers and below, I’ve put together the most common theories as to why it is women can’t stop, won’t stop binging true crime.
Because we pick up tips and tricks on how to avoid becoming a victim
Amanda Vicary believes that our interest in true-crime derives from our want to understand how the crime was perpetrated, suggesting that we subconsciously absorb tips and tricks so that we ourselves can avoid falling victim to a similar fate. She refers to crime stories as a mental dress rehearsal of sorts for the real deal – morbid, but absolutely warranted.
When I think of Paula Denyer (formerly Paul Denyer), I remember to always lock my car doors when parked. Richard Ramirez? Lock your windows too, besties. John Wayne Gacy? Clowns are not to be trusted, ever. Ted Bundy? Sexy (don’t come for me on this one) doesn’t equal sane.
Emily Mendez, a published writer and expert on the topics of psychology, criminology and deviant behaviour, agrees that women’s obsession with true crime is in part, an act of self-preservation. “True crime appeals to our natural instinct to survive,” she says. “It eases our fears about the same thing happening to us. Understanding what the victims did or didn’t do in these situations helps us feel more in control. We believe that watching these shows will help us know how to act if we are ever in these situations ourselves.”
Because we love to play armchair detective
There’s a reason that shows like Law & Order and CSI (both of which boast a majority female audience) have outrageous lifespans – we absolutely love a whodunnit. True-crime docuseries allow us a sneak peek behind the curtain of the judicial system and encourage us to analyse crime scenes and evidence for ourselves.
Dean Fido, a psychology lecturer at The University of Derby, says “True crime is very different from the typical shows you normally have on in the background,” he explains. “They are the sort of stories you need to put your phone down and actually pay attention to. It’s a big puzzle…”
I’ll tell you who loves a good puzzle? Women.
Because we like the thrill of it
We seek out adrenaline in our everyday lives as it releases ‘Eustress’, also known as ‘the good stress’ – this response is the same kind you experience riding a rollercoaster or watching a scary movie. Through true crime, we are able to experience eustress from the comfort and safety of our own couch.
Scott Bonn, professor of sociology and criminology, wrote for TIME: “As a source of popular culture entertainment, [true-crime] allow[s] us to experience fear and horror in a controlled environment where the threat is exciting but not real,” Bonn says. “For example, the stories of real-life killers are often for adults what monster movies are for children.”
Because we’re empathetic
According to Dr. Howard Forman, a forensic psychiatrist at Montefiore Medical centre, the genre’s popularity with women is deeply rooted in empathy.
"By the time you get to adulthood, women are able to empathize to a greater degree than men, on average," Forman told Tech Insider. "That may lead to true crime being more interesting to women than men, simply because if you empathize more with the victim, it may be more relevant to you and more gripping."
Some may argue that the true crime genre is exploitative and voyeuristic – that these women’s harrowing last moments aren’t ours to know, and there is absolutely an argument to be made there. But it seems that our obsession with true crime is intrinsically linked to our fear of becoming victims ourselves. We learn survival techniques, while sympathising with the victims who weren’t so lucky. We want to solve the mystery and figure out whodunnit, and hope that we’d be able to spot a wolf in sheep’s clothing. We live in a pipedream that if we consume true crime as entertainment, we may be able to avoid ever being confronted by it in real life. Frome one true crime addict to another – it can be fucking scary to be a woman in this world and if binge watching a cold case on Netflix makes you feel a little more prepared, then I say have at it.
Words — Taylor Richardson
Image — Oscar Matt
