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Dark comedy, also known as morbid or gallows humor, has often been associated and utilized in film as a cinematic genre within the industry (think Ready or Not (2019)). Yet, a rising trend in podcast culture involves this comedy-horror approach to covering true crime and the macabre. Such podcasts filter serious cases and crimes with comedic flair; Morbid: A True Crime Podcast (2018-) is no exception.
Morbid — hosted by Alaina Urquhart, an autopsy technician, and Ash Kelley, a hairstylist — begins with a warmhearted greeting: “Heyyy Weirdos!” The pair have built a fanbase of “Weirdos” — their affectionate term for their listeners. As their website exclaims, they discuss “serial killers, unsolved mysteries, spooky history, paranormal happenings, conspiracy theories and anything that sends chills down your spine and gets your mind working overtime.” For instance, the following is an excerpt of dialogue from Episode 85 in which Ash and Alaina discuss the serial killer Dennis Rader:
ALAINA Him [Dennis] hearing the female voice pick up and knowing what he wanted to do to her, like, got him all excited.
ASH Gross.
ALAINA Like, everything gets this dude all like giggly-wiggly.
ASH Ew.
ALAINA He’s like, real gross.
ASH He’s jello. He’s flan.
ALAINA He is, he is flan.
ASH I fucking hate flan.
ALAINA: (laughs)
Some might feel that such an approach is tactless and unethical, as they are discussing the methods of a serial killer prior to his gruesome killings. However, according to Stanford psychologists, humor is an effective coping mechanism for surviving or reappraising trauma and danger. (( McClure, Max. “Stanford Psychologists Find That Jokes Help Us Cope With Horrifying Images.” News.standford.edu, 1 Aug. 2011. )).
Rather than self-victimizing or victim playing, Ash and Alaina reclaim the danger narrative while educating fans and engaging with the stories and experiences of their listeners. To unpack this further, let’s first introduce the podcast, its community, and its transgressive appeal through its unique blend of comedy and true crime.
A Community Of ‘Weirdos’
Ash and Alaina have been hosting Morbid since May 2018; the aunt-niece pair, though ten years age difference between them, grew up incredibly close as “sisters,” sharing a passion for the macabre. According to the duo on their site, “Our podcast is a labor of love, and we are so lucky to be able to share it with people who appreciate the creepy things in life. Come on in; the water is dark and scary.” Indeed, the podcast community has grown through this collective passion, leading to its ranking as No. 7 on the Spotify Podcast Charts (( podcastcharts.byspotify.com, 2021. )). and as No. 2 on the Chartable Apple Podcast Charts. (( Chartable.com, 2021. )).
While other comedy-horror podcasts discuss old cases with the aid of Wikipedia pages, local papers, etc. — podcasts which reference such inaccuracies and mistakes as further material for comedic riffs — (( Hess, Amanda. “The Transgressive Appeal of the Comedy Murder Podcast.” Nytimes.com, 16 Feb. 2018. )) — the pair strives for relaying factual and extensive detail: “We pride ourselves on thorough and accurate research, but we also throw some humor in (respectfully of course) to lighten some of the subjects, since they can get very heavy.” They began their podcast with an episode on the Golden State Killer. Though they cover well-known killers and cases such as the crimes of John Wayne Gacy or Ted Bundy, they also bring awareness to lesser-known crimes and spend a considerable amount of time honoring the victims and telling their stories.
Along with rehashing true crime stories, Ash and Alaina also create episodes recounting ghastly histories and spooky stories, including such episodes as “The Princes in the Tower Mini Morbid” and “The History of the Ouija Mini Morbid.” Moreover, and perhaps more significantly, the duo includes a series of “Listener Tales” — they select stories written and sent by fans to read aloud as a means of validating and engaging with the morbid experiences of their Weirdos.
This connection to the audience is significant in another way. Amanda Hess for The New York Times examines such an appeal through the hosts of the podcast Martinis & Murder (2017-): “…instead of talking like grim-faced, gravel-voiced hosts, they inhabit the voice of a particular kind of viewer at home, one who alternates between being seized by the sensational story and ridiculing it.” The podcast, she surmises, like others within the comedy-horror genre, “bite back at the gendered nature of the true crime genre even as they indulge and obsess.” (( Hess, Amanda. “The Transgressive Appeal of the Comedy Horror Podcast.” Nytimes.com, 16 Feb. 2018. )). The appeal of Morbid likewise pertains to the relatability of the hosts themselves and their conversational tone and manner.
In many “Listener Tales,” Weirdos begin their tale with praise for the hosts and their podcast, often explaining how their obsession with the podcast derives from their feelings of connectedness to Ash and Alaina. In “Listener Tales 12,” one such viewer exclaims: “Hi friends! Before I start, I just want to say that I 100 percent believe that I would fit into your little morbid family as the ‘middle sister’ because 1) I somehow have the same personality as both of you and 2) age-wise, it works, because I’m younger than Alaina but a few years older than Ash. Let me know, fam. I’m available.”
Our tendency to identify with the true-crime host is further explained in Beatrice Harvey’s “True Crime and Empathy”: “This process of identification is the driving thrust behind true crime fandom. It isn’t enough to see the facts laid out, we want a narrative to project ourselves into, and the form that projection takes is rooted in our deepest needs and desires. Though the stereotype of true-crime fans is that of the addict, the passive consumer, it’s virtually impossible to get invested in crime without some element of it speaking to you.” (( Harvey, Beatrice. “True Crime and Empathy.” Prindlepost.org. 2 Apr. 2021. )). The success of Morbid relies not only on the subject matter itself but the ways in which the podcasters take control of the danger narrative; they allow their listeners to as well through ‘Listener’ narratives and through the hosts’ ability to immerse fans in processing crime alongside them within a unique, auditory-space of macabre reality.
Ethical Dilemma Of True Crime-Comedy Podcast Culture
One concern regarding the use of comedy when discussing true crime involves the moral dilemma: Is such a genre ethical? Is it, in a sense, dishonorable to riff on tragedy and loss, particularly when retellings, either in podcasts or in American culture, consistently reminds victims or victims’ families of the tragic loss or brutal last moments of their lost loved one(s)? Morbid addresses such concerns, as Ash and Alaina do their best to remain respectful and sensitive; they direct their humor towards the killers or criminals themselves. They choose to laugh at and mercilessly mock murderers or those who perpetrate crimes.
In Episode 85, Alaina’s particular dislike for Dennis Rader becomes quickly known, and the duo’s quips are witty and creative:
ALAINA He tried to emulate other serial killers like a starstruck little bitch. He lacks even one single creative cell in his entire body. He didn’t come up with any of his own shit. It’s just regurgitated aspects of other infamous killers’ crimes that we’re gonna discuss throughout…He really thought he was gonna be like H.H. Holmes. (laughs).
ASH Like was he gonna build a hotel?
ALAINA Well, instead of a murder castle he was planning a murder barn. A. MURDER. BARN. (laughs) Are you kidding me? That is legitimately the off-brand version of a murder castle. Like it’s the Mr. Pibb of murder castles.
Their humorous commentary is solely directed towards the villain, the murderer, the violent criminal.
Another popular concern regarding true crime is whether or not such podcasts increase undue fear of violence and its psychological effects as, according to Hess, women are “relentlessly being told by pop culture that they’re probably going to be raped and murdered by a stranger, as ludicrous as that is.” (( Hess, Amanda. “The Transgressive Appeal of the Comedy Murder Podcast.” Nytimes.com, 16 Feb. 2018. )). However, true crime can, in fact, make one more aware and vigilant in particular situations or circumstances. Ash and Alaina’s oft-quoted motto is “Fresh air is for dead people,” and they often can be found saying some variation of “trust no one” within their retellings. Awareness of this benefit in true crime culture has actually been referred to in various “Listener Tales”; some fans have admitted how the show, in some capacity, saved their lives, as the hosts’ narratives and advice allowed them to avoid becoming a victim in a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation.
Alternative Strength Within Podcast Communities
The question remains: Is it ethical or potentially dangerous to nurture a fascination or interest in true crime? Such concern should first consider its gendered implications, as fans of true crime are overwhelmingly female, and true crime typically follows a “plane of feminine stereotype,” which such podcasts as Morbid consistently circumvent. (( Hess, Amanda. “The Transgressive Appeal of the Comedy Murder Podcast.” Nytimes.com, 16 Feb. 2018. )). According to Harvey, “Women’s interests are so often trivialized and policed, and any critique of true crime should take this into account.” (( Harvey, Beatrice. “True Crime and Empathy.” Prindlepost.org. 2 Apr. 2021. )). In any case, the significance of Morbid and other comedy-horror podcasts for the wider podcasting community is evident and cannot be overlooked.
Among the myriad of benefits, Morbid builds a strong community, a family, and continues to make listeners an important part of the conversation. If you’re a fellow ‘Weirdo,’ “Come in and join us,” the hosts encourage, for “You are welcome here, as long as you lock your windows as night.” The duo uploads episodes weekly, often incorporating their Instagram for supporting images, links, and research to accompany episodes. Become part of the “weird little world” that is Morbid; join a passionate community of fans, and, as Ash and Alaina always encourage at the end of each episode: “Keep it weird.”
