True-Crime Time Machine: 2019
the true crime that's worth your time
Best Evidence celebrated its second birthday yesterday. Jokes about cake in our hair and toilet-training aside, I loved going back to our inaugural edition and looking at what’s changed (we lived in a world before When They See Us!) and what’s the same (Elizabeth Holmes, still…out here, Elizabeth Holmesing).
A lot of water has flowed under the bridge in two years. COVID. The murder of George Floyd. Weinstein behind bars. Buntsy planning window displays featuring Anna Anderson. In that time, I’ve gotten a lot less tolerant of same-old-same-old obsessing over serial killers; copaganda; Dan Abrams product; and drone shots of small towns that railroaded children. And I’ve gotten MORE interested in what makes different true-crime narrative styles and media “go”; carceral memoirs; and making Bart Layton make stuff using the power of prayer.
What’s changed for you true-crime-wise since we all showed up to borrow some trouble two years ago? Are you reading more? Watching less? Bailing on B-minus Netflix joints earlier? Prioritizing different voices?
Are you a different true-crime consumer now?