Shows the flip side of true-crime: unjust commercialization and more

The pandemic has locked us in our homes for the better part of two years, the small screen has become expensive and the OTT platforms have to be credited. Real-life crimes have played a very important role in relation to the creation of popular culture since ancient times – from Vladimir Nabokov lolita for Sydney Lumets dog day afternoon — and has inspired artists to brainstorm some of the most critically acclaimed pieces of art. slowly like movies foxcatcher And extremely wicked, shockingly evil and gruesome Those devoted to very specific crimes and those behind the action began to occupy the minds of the filmmakers, and as a result, on the screens.

However, with advances in content production and content consumption habits created by OTT platforms, we are seeing an increase in actual crime content that includes archival footage and photographs of some of the most infamous crimes in history.

It’s important that we note a word of caution before diving into the genre for the first time, because not everything inspired by crime can become a genre-defining masterpiece.

While true crime content on OTT often highlights the brutal brutality and gruesome details of the crime, the trailers of these documentaries lure viewers into using the graphic details of the case. In doing so, manufacturers often violate the privacy of the victim. In cases where the victim dies, the story is hijacked by the directors and writers to suit their beauty.

The social cost of creating and consuming true crime is enormous. In most cases, movies and shows tend to bypass the sociological aspects that lead to crime and focus on the killer; By choosing a criminal at the center of the story, they actively take away the agency of affected families and victims of crime.

Some of these projects are even shot without the permission of the affected parties, forcing the affected sides to undergo re-examination, potentially triggering their mental health.

netflix i’m a killer There is a series that focuses on interviewing convicts about their lives and the events that lead them to commit crimes that land them behind bars. The show, in an effort to destroy the air surrounding the killers, almost devises a narrative that extends sympathy and pity to the killer. In some instances, viewers of the show are led to believe that the man behind bars did not even commit the murder and was unjustly imprisoned.

True crime material is on a tight leash under the guise of curiosity. It makes the audience feel that they are the judge, jury and executioner. Some viewers of these shows – convinced that they have the power to undo mistakes – contact law enforcement, demanding that a particular case be reopened and re-investigated, or in some cases, the killer. Write yourself and start correspondence.

The increase in consumption of such content has transformed stories of murderers and murders into traditional cultural symbols that are used to create a reaction among the audience. mindhunterA fictional show set in the late 1970s, revolves around two FBI agents who are tasked with interviewing serial killers to solve open cases. The narrative features real-life serial killers and allusions to real-life events that blur the line between what constitutes fiction and what doesn’t.

The genre has now become a phenomenon, and some clichés have become entrenched with people who connect to it. Creators are now also looking at the community as a subject for their creations; shows like hbo only murders in the building and netflix Don’t F*ck With Cats There are great examples.

True crime, with its exponential growth, has managed to penetrate even today’s pop culture. If you peruse your Instagram archives during the summer of 2020, you’re bound to see a picture of a cup of Dalgona coffee that you tried your hand at. During the same time, the documentary tiger king, About the life of former zookeeper and convicted criminal Joe Exotic, took the world by storm.

A scene from ‘Tiger King’

Carole Baskin, a man featured in the documentary, was and still is quite interesting to audiences. The third episode of the show led to speculation that Baskin was involved in the disappearance of her second husband, Don Lewis. Soon the speculation got out of hand and gave way to a song named after him! It was soon trending on TikTok, with people dancing to the lyrics of the song: “Carol Baskin. Killed her husband, beat him up, I can’t believe it didn’t happen. Feed him the tigers, they made breakfast, Carole Baskin what’s up?” The shared cognitive dissonance of social media trends is jarring to say the least.

But like everything else, there are exceptions in the world of true-crime documentary. Some of these documentaries actually help us uncover the politics of intimate relationships like tinder thug, Another stellar example of this is HBO Catch and Kill: The Podcast TapesCurrently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, it stars Ronan Farrow, the journalist who helped the women to topple Hollywood baron Harvey Weinstein.

Sometimes, the genre highlights the phenomenon of the cult in titles such as wild wild country, By dissecting the psychology of the people who join such groups. It has also helped us, as a society, to observe the role of patriarchy in some of the most violent crimes ever committed. amazon prime Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer Such is the docu-series that exposes the killer’s psychological hatred for women in a disturbing and profound way that clashed with the feminist movement and the culture wars of the 1970s. The narrative here is set by feminist scholars and women close to Bundy; It is very important to observe the social systems and problems that help make serial killers to deal with crime. Many other initiation-series like Audrey and Daisy Address rape culture directly in today’s world.

A scene from ‘Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer’

But it is also important that the producers of these documentaries draw a line between distortion and actual oversight of a certain matter.

Initially, viewers viewed only popular, well-known cases on their browsing screens. But with interest in the genre growing rapidly, OTT platforms soon started producing country-specific crime shows, which India started to love. Crime Stories: India Detectives. soon after, House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths Which remained in the top 10 trending slots on Netflix for a long time.

The Sword – Behind Closed Doors Not only talks about the matter, but also talks about class politics in today’s India. The documentary-series currently running on Disney+ Hotstar sharply criticizes the media trial, which took place in the wake of the murder case. love documentaries Muzaffarnagar remains And Ram’s name are necessary, as they not only document the facts, but also act as a mirror to the society and a means of keeping an account of the crimes committed by the state.

The passion for true crime is not limited to OTT platforms; One of the other most popular ways to consume the genre is through podcasts. Indians love podcasts Desi Crime Podcast And Khooni: The Crimes of India Has managed to grab the attention of netizens across the globe. In fact, because of this success, Spotify has created two Spotify originals – The Big Shots – Dosa King And Death, Lies and Cyanide (Indian Crime Podcast)) – for its desi listeners.

Although true crime material is interesting and engaging, by participating in the culture, we are promoting the commercialization of these stories. We need to remind ourselves that these stories often hit our screens at the cost of many lives being lost and injured. Isn’t it time we ask ourselves if these are just cautionary tales? Marketing professionals, with voice-overs and cinematographers, are not to be confused with precautions.