Is True Crime Behind the Surge in American Violence?
Data shows there's one group to blame. SPOILER: It's women.
What’s up with everyone wanting to be a detective these days? If it’s not some corporatized content packaged as a movie, I’m looking at you Marvel, it’s true crime. Podcasts, videos, articles, movies, series … it’s everywhere. Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, the Girls Gone Wild guy, made-up serial killers, and on and on. Murders, rapists, modern-day corporate villains, and the mentally disturbed are studied, glorified, and even given superhero names, like the Midnight Stalker. Sounds pretty cool to me. Just have to kill a few strangers to get a three picture deal. It blows my mind that we don’t show streakers who interrupt sporting events to prevent further incidents, yet we turn every serial killer into a celebrity.
The problem? True crime is hard to ignore. It’s fascinating. Sometimes unbelievable. Obsessing over why he did it. What made him go crazy? How could he do this? Are humans truly this awful? Yes, I am still watching. Damn your notification, asking me if I’ve been stuffing my face and sitting on the couch for the past six hours, Netflix.
People get worked up over these crimes and their professional opinions. I’ve seen it.
Random Person: “There’s no way Adnan did it.”
The Other Rando: “He was discriminated against by the Baltimore Police. They didn’t want to have an unsolved crime.”
Random Person: “How can you think that crazy conspiracy theory crap?”
The Other Rando: “How can you be so naïve?”
From there, the yelling and name calling begins. A friendship strained over a disagreement about a twenty-two-hour podcast that discussed a two-decade old court case. After a few hours of consuming, anyone can make a logical, correct verdict on a case where they haven’t seen any physical evidence with their eyeballs. Twenty-two hours? That’s expert-level studying.
More concerning, the increase of true crime content has directly led to the recent explosion of American violence. A 2024 report found that 84% of Americans over the age of 13 have consumed true crime content. Violent crime caused by true crime. A solid slogan for a slimy political candidate. Violent crime has risen. True crime content consumption has grown 2000%. There’s mined data and “industry experts”, who will back my claims. They’ve been featured on the news and on podcasts all over the internet. And data never lies. Less true crime would mean less violence. Duh, stupid.
Now, we can’t ban true crime. The masses demand the content. Hollywood needs to produce something, too. It’s how they can afford their lives of being paid millions to play dress up. It’s not Hollywood’s fault for shoveling the same repetitive shit in different boxes to the same mass audiences until it’s over-saturated. Do you know how much taxes cost on a Ferrari? A person’s gotta pay a personal chef, personal trainer, personal stylist, and a personal assistant, too. Plus, the house, the plane, the vacation home, the vacation cabin and the six houses aren’t cheap. It’s hard to be creative with so many bills and things to do. Please have some decency while you suck down a ten-cent ramen packet for the second time today. If you can afford it.
That’s was a tangent. We’re back my dear reader. No way to cancel true crime. It’s not Hollywood’s fault for making it. So, who is to blame for this true crime content causing an uptick in American violence? Because we all agree that’s what’s happening. No data needed. Just trust me. I know these things.
What about the media? For constantly glorifying murderers for eyeballs on their broadcasts? Nope. News is news. Have to report on what happens. People are killed. Every single day. Everyone needs to hear about it. Mainly because we’re all checking to see if it’s someone we know or in our neighborhood.
Not Hollywood. Not the media. What about the killers themselves? The weak, mentally unstable, lonely, unloved (mostly white) cowards of America who are committing murders because they can’t handle emotions in our unforgiving society. Boys will be boys. And our poor boys. It’s not their fault.
Hmm.
Could it be societal decay? Massive inequality across the country? Corporate profits over people’s lives? Turning every killer into a modern day rockstar? A healthcare system that bankrupts people while denying life-saving claims? Poison in our food? Psh. Don’t be silly. It’s women’s fault.
Which segment of our American population is consuming true crime? The data says it all. Mostly women. How dare they be interested in this violent content? The conclusion is simple. Women idealizing murderers has turned our society violent. I mean, what was she watching? Isn’t there any court or judicial branch that can overturn women’s rights to consume true crime?
Please if you could ask the women in your life to stop consuming true crime, you’d be helping curb violence in America. Every conversation matters. Do your part.
Kidding.
On a serious note, men accounted for approximately 79% of violent crime offenders in the United States in recent years. This includes crimes such as aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and murder with men responsible for about 90% of all homicides.
Are women watching true crime to figure out what the hell is wrong with us men and how to spot the violent ones among us? I think it’s because they can’t fathom what goes through a man’s mind and this gives them a glimpse inside the darkest parts. I could also be full of shit. But us men folk should be more like women in a sense that we should stop murdering people.
As for women’s interest in true crime? Common motivations for consuming true crime include fascination with the stories (57%), thrill or suspense (50%), and the desire to participate in solving mysteries (50%).
Stay weird (and safe) out there.