Are You Obsessed With True Crime? Here’s Why It Doesn’t Make You A Freak!

Gone are the days when crime thriller movies were exaggerated works of fiction. A peep inside the mind of a criminal, their thoughts and psyche have intrigued both the scientific community and the public at large. A large part of it is fuelled by sheer wonder and a strange somewhat paranormal and eerie feeling similar to what we experience while watching a horror movie. This super amazing genre is known as true crime.

True crime is a genre that has been climbing up the ladder recently like no genre ever has besides, of course, reality TV- it climbed to the top of the charts 20 years ago but now, true crime has everyone’s attention. But, why has this occurred? Are we obsessed? Are we scared? What does this say about our personas and personalities? Are we all murderers in the making?

Shattering The Misbelief

It has been a major misbelief among people for a very long time that people who are into true crime are psychopaths waiting to be unleashed. I have personally, faced this a lot as a person who’s totally obsessed with true crime as a genre. I have been judged, questioned and even called a ‘freak’ just for being interested in true crime and choosing to look behind the veils of these documentaries.

It’s a fact that I love to research the facts, double-check them and look for material that might not have been disclosed in the documentary itself. After all, that is where the conspiracy theories, questions and clues come from. I mean, how is that not interesting? Why should this make me a ‘freak’ or a ‘murderer in the making’?

Also Read: ‘Indian Predator: The Butcher Of Delhi’ Review: A Well-Developed Recreation Of The Horrific Crimes Of Chandrakant Jha

If your go-to conversation starter is factoids and pieces of news about serial killers too or if you would rather spend Friday evenings in front of the tv, binging true crime documentaries and shows like me, it might get you some concerned looks and raised eyebrows but contrary to these beliefs, obsessing over true crime isn’t as quite as strange or abnormal as one may believe. This stands to be especially true if you identify as a woman.

What Makes Women Dive Deeper Into True Crime?

This isn’t uncommon for women because women like to witness justice being served along with preparing for the worst. They like to know how criminal minds work because women are constantly at risk across the globe. Crimes against women are on a rise and this helps women feel more informed and aware.

In fact, learning things like what triggered the attacker, what were they thinking about, what are the tell-tale signs to look out for, what caused the victim to fall into their trap and what techniques the victim could have used to escape, help women feel more mentally, emotionally and even physically prepared for the future. This can also help us pick up survival techniques as a whole.

At the end of the day, the hard pill that we must swallow is that unfortunately, we live in a deeply patriarchal society and have been conditioned to feel unsafe and on the constant lookout. But that feeling and sense of justice that runs through our system, at the end of a true crime film or series mirrors our desire to help out in the social and legal systems which work tirelessly to better women’s safety and protection. But, this isn’t the only reason behind your true crime obsession.

What Else Might Have Caused This Obsession?

Personally speaking, I have always loved criminal investigation. I’m deeply obsessed with the human behaviour, mind and psyche as a whole, this is why I find serial killers and criminals both deeply fascinating and shitty. I wish I could dive deep into the minds of these criminals to understand them and their antisocial and well as psychotic behaviours better, along with the triggers from their lives that might have created them.

I mean, we all have had those moments in our lives where our anger takes over and we have to put in work to calm down and regain control. Don’t the stories of these serial killers make you wonder what could cause a normal person to tick and reach their breaking point? Sounds pretty scary, huh? Well, technically, we also appreciate the fact that we aren’t in their place. The sense of relief is real. Isn’t it?

Also Read: ‘The Most Hated Man On The Internet’ Review: A Bingeable But Incomplete Recreation Of The War Against Hunter Moore

Another fact that can explain this obsession is that as showcased by documentaries like The Most Hated Man On The Internet and Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, people in law enforcement are often not able to solve cases due to various problems like understaffing and ‘keyboard heros’ and ‘armchair detectives” like us have and can definitely help close some of the most iconic cold cases. We all desire to be a part of the system, huh?

Also Read: 9 Bingeworthy True Crime Documentaries To Feed Your Curiosity About Dark, Twisted Criminal Minds

So, don’t be afraid to binge away and the next time someone dares to call you a freak, remember to laugh at their faces. After all, this literally proves that you’re vigorously more intellectual than them. Doesn’t it?

Image Source: Netflix

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