The podcast that I listened to and chose to analyze is “Morbid: A True Crime Podcast,” which recounts details of serial killers, murders, and anything spooky in each episode. The hosts, Alaina, an autopsy technician and aspiring writer with a passion for horror, and Ash, a hairstylist with an obsession for all things spooky thanks to Alaina, team up to create their lighthearted nightmare podcast. Most of the episodes they make tell the entire story in one episode, but the episodes I listened to called “The Lululemon Murder” was broken up into two parts. The way that the podcast is formatted is where either Ash or Alaina tells the story about the murder or other topic of choice, while the other host who is not telling the story listens and provides commentary on it.
The reason why I think that this podcast is so intriguing and constantly brings listeners back is that you get the sense of friendship. The way they go about telling the story makes you feel like you are in the room with them, chatting about these murders over a cup of coffee. Even though I only listened to two episodes, I feel so connected to the hosts and that I already know who they are. For example, the commentary Ash was making while Alaina was explaining the murder was the same reaction I was making when the story was unfolding. They are also comedic in their commentary but not in the sense where they are invalidating the feelings of the victims and people involved in the story, but in a really effective and different way which is what makes them stand out from other true crime podcasts.
When I saw the description of a “lighthearted nightmare,” I thought that it was a juxtaposition because I wondered how you could deliver a podcast centered around real life gruesome murders but make it lighthearted. The relationship between the content and the way it is communicated is so opposite, but again, it works because their reactions are very similar to a listener’s perspective of events and you feel like you are right with them hearing the story being told from your close friend. I’ve listened to a lot of other true crime podcasts but it is usually more explanatory where they just tell the story of the murder. However, Ash and Alaina do a really good job of making you listen on the edge of your seat until the very end of the episode when they reveal what happened. Since most of their episodes tell a different story each time, they make sure that their audience is engaged throughout it. I think what also makes the podcast so interesting is because you know that Ash and Alaina are just normal people who love looking into true crime incidences, while other true crime podcasts hosts work in that kind of field. All in all, I think that “Morbid” is an extremely well thought-out podcast that perfectly implements the use of humor that adds to the story but does not take away from the story, and has a great speed in which the story is being told, as well as amazing transitions that make it so fun to listen to and makes people want to listen to more.
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Hello Joanna,
Morbid sounds like such an interesting podcast that is totally up my alley. As a person who isn’t particularly into complete thriller and gruesome media, adding a sprinkle of comedy to an awful situation seems like such an interesting perspective to take on crime. With how we process a lot of events through dark humor and self-deprecating methods, this podcast seems like such a positive way to approach morbid events in a weirdly carefree fashion that could be helpful in approaching important situations that are clouded by social barriers. I love how you describe this podcast as “lighthearted,” and I found it hilarious how you compared the overall tone of the commentary as the hosts chatting about murders “over a cup of coffee” as well.
The format and overall tone of how the podcast is set up is very similar to the podcast I listened to, and I really enjoy the premise of having one host tell the story while the other listens to it. This casual commentary makes the podcast seem much more involved and also helps listeners have some of their basic reactions echoed and even responded to in this format. I find that consuming media tends to create certain barriers as no matter how friendly and fun the podcast may seem, it’s still a one-way conversation, so I feel like the second host listening to the story for the first time and reacting directly to it really helps to facilitate the semblance of conversation.
I also really appreciated how you touched on how the commentary was very constructive and provided entertainment without invalidating or neglecting the severity of the situation. Again with the popular tendency to self-deprecate, I find that a large portion of comedy-based commentary is usually a distilled version of the original message through a very narrow point of view. However, it seems as if this podcast treats the crime stories in a way any normal person would do while staying mindful.
Thanks for introducing and analyzing this podcast! It sounds very interesting, and now I will have to go listen to it for myself.
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