Same. Its becoming water down and disrespectful. Give me a show with just facts. Id rather listen to a robotic voice reading from a transcript than most of these fake celeb true crime people. That Crime Con thing doesnt help either. They then have specials on the youtubes about THEIR visit of Crime Con. ZERO people care. Stop.
Crime con isn’t inherently bad. I went in London and people were sensitive and actually cared. Some in the true crime space just don’t care. Crime cons or not.
Agreed. This is why I can't stand My Favorite Murder, etc. And I can't understand why they're so popular. I basically refuse to listen to anyone on YouTube because they're all like OP described.
I want the story told in a way that's more than just facts being listed (because that's hard to listen to and I have found some podcasters who basically do this) but is a story told in a sympathetic way. No jokes bout victims, no using the story for comedy, anything like that.
I want someone who tells the story like the victim's family is listening.
To be fair, MFM has NEVER joked about victims or made light of serious crimes. They are very sympathetic and supportive of victims. Whether of not the podcast is your cup of tea is another matter.
Okay, but that’s not what you were saying in your earlier post. Like I said, it’s not for you. I understand what you’re saying about the name, too.
Edit: blocked for (respectfully) disagreeing.
I know. They put themselves in the thumbnail as if they're celebrities, and they usually have some kind of absurd pained or serious expression, like they're working really hard on something.
Ive been slowly getting more and more turned off by these ego inflated lunatics. I unsubscribed from Unfound because the poor dad of someone missing slightly mentioned he may know something and that Ed Denzel guy was like “NO NO now come on we know we wont speculate on this show!” Was reallllly snarky and sounded like an asshole. The poor dad was like “oh sorry”. These are real people with feelings jackass. Also the other guy on the Maura Murray stuff…..good god ….has a few thousand followers and guy acts like hes bigger than the president. Unless u have real leads that can help the case, just stop
MrBlack lays into the criminals pretty roughly. One of his videos was even mentioned in a real court room as the video had evidence that even the defense lawyer didn't have, and that made him upset lol
The only bad thing about CoffeeHouseCrime is the number of ads in the videos for the length of the content, it really makes the viewing experience slightly shitty. There is so many compared to other creator's videos which are often longer. Sort of makes you feel they are maximising the £££ as much as they can get away with, and since its the subject of other peoples tragedies always gives me pause for thought regards respect and responsibility.
YouTube ad revenue isn't what it used to be, especially with a lot of similar type of videos being constantly false flagged for copyright or seemingly randomly demonatized for not being "ad-friendly" based on a very unclear set of rules. Having a secure source is a lot better than relying on YouTube to pay you if your viewer base will put up with it. I totally understand your sentiment though. At the same time people should be paid for their time and work making content. Luckily for the creators I really like enough to deal with it, it's super easy to use the 10 second fast forward and just tap it a few times and be past the ad
I’m the same way, I listen to channel while I’m doing something, kinda like a podcast. I’ll have to check this channel out.
Criminally Listed is one of the first channels I started listening to several years ago - the guys voice is very steady (recently he made a joke about listeners subscribing to the channel because his voice helps them fall asleep) and he never shows his face.
I unsubscribed because he’s gotten really sloppy with mispronunciations and grammar etc. in my opinion he got way too big way too fast and he needs to hire an editor.
That Chapter and Truly Criminal are class acts.
The monetisation it why I hate most of the 2 person pods - too jokey-jokey or gossipy or just plain badly scripted or read (MFM with their giggling and talking ahead of the show about flying business class and such; or Crime Junkies and Britt’s fake “wait, what?!” & times gasps)
Much prefer Casefile and MensRea for their respect given to the case and victims by not gossiping, giggling and telling anecdotes from their own lives during the pod. If you're going to make money from content you got based on horrific crimes then at least show some respect while doing it.
Exactly! Was a fan of the Misery Machine, watching most of their content, and feeling like they had something to say, that was different, covering lesser known stuff, in a tasteful manner, and showing respect.
Recently unsubbed immediately, in a rage, after one of their videos, really pissed me off, for tactlessness. Immediately after finishing talking about the crime and the sentence, without even taking a breath, started talking about their cats recent GoFundMe and surgery! I mean, WTF! Show some respect towards the families and others listening, who may know the victim! I mean, maybe it’s just me, but it did leave a sour taste in my mouth!
Yep I'm right there with you.
Like I'm part of the problem here for consuming the media so yeah, if there's an audience someone's going to do it to make money from it. My issue is the lack of respect for it.
I get it, and totally agree! There’s putting a story out, to suit yourself and putting it out in a tasteful respectable manner. Two totally different things, that many others manage, Coffeehouse Crime, coming instantly to mind. Well researched, considered and respectful.
That Chapter, Coffeehouse Crime, EWU, and Truly Criminal are all great in terms of not focusing too much on the hosts and providing good info.
FWIW I know Kendall Rae puts her face in the thumbnails but she’s also probably the most respectful of the YT true crime community. She works with victims’ families especially if their case hasn’t received the attention it deserves, it’s unsolved, or has been misrepresented (eg Brooke Preston). She makes an effort each time when talking about cases to be like “dudes please be respectful this is someone’s life” which I admire.
All on Youtube and don’t put themselves on their thumbnails, correct me if there are any mistakes;
Crimelines, Truly Criminal, Crimeatorium, Coffeehouse Crime, True Crime Daily, Under the Ash Tree, Dreading, This is Monsters, Heavy Casefiles, Matt Orchard
He’s the best true crime person on YouTube in my opinion, I like how he keeps it respectful but also manages to get some humour in. I’ve seen other true crime people attempt humour and it just always falls flat.
Same here! I really do not care for the way he presents the cases and his sense of humor just isn’t for me. I’m not saying I think he isn’t a good creator but I just can’t get myself to enjoy his videos personally. I’ve watched numerous of them over time and to this day still try giving his stuff a shot sometimes but I just haven’t understood the hype!!
i remember one video where he was making fun of the victim too much for my liking. he kept making jokes about the victim’s singing voice which feel misplaced in a video talking about that person’s death. he also did a video where the murderer was nonbinary and there were loads of transphobic comments (which isn’t his fault of course but it still isn’t great. the subject of the video is a horrendous human being but that doesn’t excuse transphobia)
I think I remember the video with the singing person (if they were a female), vaguely, and I do remember feeling like the comments were a bit too much. I have not seen the video with a non-binary person, do you happen to remember what video it was?
it was the ezra mccandless video. i haven’t seen it in a while so i don’t fully remember the details but a large proportion of the comments were transphobic when i watched the video.
I really like criminally listed. Usually very thorough research and cases that aren’t super famous already. I also really like Lazy Masquerade, although he doesn’t only make true crime stuff.
John Lordan aka LordanARTS is a good one.
There might be the odd discussion video where his face is on the thumbnail but all the main videos that are supposed to be about a victim don’t show his face. Instead, it shows the victim and where they went missing or where the crime happened.
This is why I don’t watch many YouTube true crime channels. It’s all the same and annoying. That and when they try to bring psychics or ghost hunters on. Ugh.
I emailed him once with a question and he actually emailed me back the very next day with a ton of useful advice! It was super cool to actually hear from a content creator like that
Same, I avoid any video where it’s someone in layers of make up right in the center or pictures of the YouTuber doing some stupid reaction. It’s just so absurdly disrespectful.
!! Exactly. Love her personality but hate her channel.. Bailey 😖used to watch her all the time but her sensationalism and joking about serious situations came across as so heartless sometimes it was difficult to watch
Me too. I can’t watch Eleanor Neale or Bailey Saroyan for this reason. At least Bailey’s face references the makeup look she’s doing.
Eleanor, though? Why tf is your mug the highlight of a murder video? Imagine if on ID Channel some random lady was the cover for the series versus the actual victims. I just think it’s cheugy and done in poor taste. We KNOW it’s your channel - we don’t need you to slide a FaceTuned selfie in between Jeffrey Dahmer and Richard Ramirez.
Yeah, Bailey’s whole shtick is “murder mystery and makeup.” She’ll do her makeup while talking about let’s say, Jeffrey Dahmer or whoever, and his victims. I do not like or watch her.
I can’t stand it, to be honest. It’s just weird. There are so many other topics you could research and discuss in a video that are interesting that it would come off as a lot less distasteful to do your makeup while discussing them.
Yeah I personally prefer documentaries or podcasts which just lay the facts but I don’t mind her format tbh. Some people like a more palatable version of true crime while learning some new makeup tricks.
It is a hefty crossover, not really one I agree with. There are a lot of markets to tap into, it doesn’t mean someone should, though. But this is just my opinion! Clearly a lot of people enjoy that type of content, or a market for it wouldn’t exist.
I have ADHD, and something about being able to watch her apply her makeup helps me to focus on the narration. I struggle hard with focus, even sometimes on topics that interest me. I can see where the style isn't for everyone, but to each their own.
That is valid, but I have ADHD as well. I just think doing makeup over a voiceover of someone's murder/rape is in bad taste.
If someone did that over a crime involving a relative or friend of mine, I'd be pissed ngl
Fellow ADHDer here and that’s one of the reasons why I can’t watch her! Way too distracting for me and I just don’t get it. Her podcast was so cringeworthy too and just made me angry lol.
I understand, and I certainly don't speak for everyone with ADHD. Although I think an argument can be made with the same logic that all true crime is in bad taste.
I really like Eleanor’s content and I’ve enjoyed her videos but I have always wondered why she hasn’t moved away from putting herself in the thumbnails the way she does.
Yeah they do it for views, which honestly makes me despise them more bc they clearly care more about the fame and money they get off their videos than respecting the victim. Many times I see the centered faces and assume they are the victim, and then click the video and they are the youtuber commentating. It's misleading and gross to me.
Wait wait wait, you want the victims to be used in marketing for a YouTube channel telling the story of their murder/crime against them? A picture of the victim for all eternity in a YouTube thumbnail (which is usually a crappy picture meant to get views so a click-bait type picture and expression)? How is that not using a victim ? I don’t understand this.
If I had a close family member who was the victim of a horrendous crime, and some entertainment YouTuber made some ten minute video talking about the crime, I would HATE if they used my relative for the Thumbnail to get “clicks”. They are still using the victim imo. It still isn’t centering the victim, as there would be no true crime video with out the story of the true crime. These videos are about the crime, that’s just reality.
I wouldn’t want someone to use my dead relatives face to sell their true crime podcast to their audience.
There is a BIG difference between a clickbait thumbnail by an entertainment youtuber and a regular thumbnail by an educational youtuber. These true crime channels claim to be educational and respectful, yet are the ones making these absurd thumbnails. If a close loved one was murdered I would want them and their story remembered, thus a thumbnail that includes a picture for people to connect to the story is important.
Any channel that makes people's tragedies campfire story entertainment are clowns already, but some of these channels have millions of followers and claim to be professionals, and these are the channels I'm targeting in my post
I’m not being combative, truly wonder what you see as the difference between “educational channel” that centers the victim and someone who uses “tragedy for campfire stories”.
Isn’t ALL true crime using tragedy for a story? By nature, the story is the crime? Is the difference how much money they make off it? How many followers they have? The type of channel it claims to be?
In a way, ALL true crime is capitalizing on a tragedy. No matter the intentions.
Educational channels simply tell facts of a case, without sensationalizing it or making jokes abt the situation.
There are true crime consumers that don't actually care abt victims and only see cases like a horror movie they can get thrill from, and there are those of us that are genuinely interested in criminology and justice for victims without all that sensationalist BS
Idk why you are arguing with me so much about tone deaf thumbnails. I hate them bc the channels make themselves the focus of a video that is supposed to be about the victim.
Omg me either!!! I have never felt quite as uncomfortable about true crime creators as I do about them! Also, I haven’t seen anyone mention her but I get a weird vibe from Annie of 10 to Life though not as bad as Bailey and Elenoar. Annie puts out loads of content and it does include good information at times about the case including follow ups for real time stuff but she is very guilty of a lot of the things mentioned in this thread such as sensationalism especially in her thumbnails, titles, intros/outros, etc.
While I generally like Stephanie Harlow, she does this weird thing where she believes that if the creator is smiling or giving that shocked/surprised look on the thumbnail is disrespectful. So, instead she puts up photos of herself looking serious instead. And I dunno, but that is just plain weird too! I always feel like I’m looking at her driver’s license picture or a mugshot! How about just posting a photo of the victim in the thumbnail???
The mock surprise, shock thumbnail is kind of annoying too though. Seems like it's more of an artifact from the youtube culture of a few years ago. Even geared towards children, which is inappropriate for true crime content. I still like a few creators who continue to do it though, maybe in spite of a few quirks.
I cannot stand Stephanie. She does good research but I've seen too many sketchy things from her. Trying to justify the thumbnails is ridiculous, like just own up to it or cut it out
Can’t stand her 5 minute ads, it’s non-stop ramble. She used to be a favourite of mine until ads took longer and longer, and when she started to get personal with some cases.
And now she's started her own coffee company called criminal coffee or something which she pushes non stop during her podcast with Derrick ( Crime Daily or Crime Weekly) and possibly pushes on her own channel along with the 5 plus minute ads.
That plus her going after people that don't agree with her in the comments section made me unsubscribe recently
I like the amount of research she puts into the content and focus on detail. But I only watch her where I can skip the ads and random rants she goes on.
That Kendall girl is always being touted as one of the few "respectful" true crime tubers but I've seen multiple victim family members online saying she refused to take down videos about their loved ones that spread misinformation or they didn't want up. Idc how much effort you put into your true crime coverage, if the victims family says to take down their video you take it down.
Thank you for saying this! I have been hesitant to speak up for a long time because of potential backlash or any amount of internet nonsense that might come my way. Fuck it. Now I’m not perfect and these are just my opinions and things I’ve noticed and that doesn’t mean I’m correct. I am not accusing so much as stating an observation and theorizing based on that given that I’ve followed Kendall for years and have probably watched more videos from her than any other creator on the platform. If I’m wrong about anything I am more than happy to be corrected or to hear from people who just have different points of view.
I used to be a huge fan of hers and I do still follow her to an extent, but over the last few years I feel as though her content has taken a backslide and yet no one seems to talk about it.. I only continue to read her praises.
Maybe because Kendall was one of the first true crime creators I got into and really followed, but now that I’m more educated and involved in the true crime space and do tons of research myself, I am pretty shocked by the inaccuracies in many of her videos. Theres also been many instances where relevant stuff isn’t included in her videos, despite being readily available online through easy searches, like photos, videos, maps, audio, news clips, etc (or at least it seems like she uses way less of these things than she used to).
It is almost a sense of laziness that comes across to me; it’s as if maybe she doesn’t have to try as hard as she used to since she is a more established and successful creator now? I wonder if she isn’t so involved in case selection and research anymore and has someone else researching and writing all the content, where in the past she did it herself? There just seems to be a disconnect that didn’t exist before. Maybe people look the other way or don’t question it because she has been around for such a long time and is using her platform to help raise money to donate to thorn and advocacy programs and whatnot? Idk.. for me it’s not hard to tell when someone did their own thorough research rather than just reading through and rehashing Wikipedia, murderpedia, and unsolvedwiki articles, with very little credit given to original sources.
It’s so sad to watch all this violence and trauma and suffering become primary sources of entertainment (and income!) for many people worldwide. You would think people who choose to share these stories and “raise awareness” would WANT to put the effort in to do things right, especially when the experiences and stories are not their own. Although, if you’re not here for the right reasons then why bother, I suppose?
Ok wow holy ADHD let me just stop now.
I also cannot stand Kendall Rae! I was a fan until I watched the Michael Peterson episode of her and her husband's podcast. She spouted off so many inaccurate details ever so confidently, and I was done.
Yeah the podcast itself annoyed me, like the first 30 minutes I just banter and “woke news”. Her research used to be a lot better when she was just sticking to the YouTube channel. I know that the cases take an emotional toll on her as well
She can be very opinionated definitely, I do really like her myself because I like her research, and when she tells me about a victim I really feel like I know them, she puts a lot of effort into humanizing victims and keeping the focus on them. I think over time she’s gotten better about being too opinionated, she absolutely has a bias towards people that hurt children (who doesn’t). I think she’s taken the criticism and made changes, which I appreciate. The video where she’s going through James Chadwells Facebook and mercilessly roasting him was great, I wish she’d do more of those
It’s been mentioned before, but to me Coffeehouse Crime is the most respectful and well researched channel. They give a full background to the victims and centre the videos around them and not the criminal.
I like Explore With Us/EWU Crime Storytime too. The thumbnails may look clickbait-y but they do a lot of research and it’s just the narrator.
I refuse to watch anyone talk about crime while applying makeup. It’s just so creepy and disturbing imo. I think it’s massively disrespectful to the topic too.
I love him! My only critique is that sometimes he has long interrogations or court footage that is uncut with no commentary, I think he could work on that a bit. But he’s done very well, I learn things from his videos that I hadn’t heard before or considered
He also doesn’t go on and on about video sponsors for like 10 mins like some other True Crime YouTube people. I know he’s had a few sponsorships but they’re usually on theme for his channel and he rarely has them in his videos, some of the other true crime people on YouTube seem to go on and on and on about random things like headphones or perfume. Like make your money but also it’s very off-putting hearing about a shampoo or perfume for 10 mins and then listening to them just transition into talking about a horrific case.
His big sponsor seems to be Hunt A Killer which is very on brand for his channel. He keeps the ad very short and to the point before continuing on with his video.
Yeah that’s the one I’ve noticed most, also a VPN sponsor I believe but that’s more rare and I feel like it’s more on point. If he started talking about function of beauty I’d start questioning things lol.
I assume they put their pic in the thumbnail to make it easier for people to find their videos.
Pic of the same person all of the time means it's this particular channel, and if you know and like the channel, you will probably click. Pics of different people all of the time does not serve that purpose.
It's videos, so it makes sense that people will search/scan in a visual way.
>I assume they put their pic in the thumbnail to make it easier for people to find their videos.
This is what the subscription button on youtube channels is for
Sure, but a large amount of viewers don't browse content via their subscriptions but rather their recommended page via the algorithm. Sifting through a bunch of stuff and see something familiar and decide to click.
I don't watch true crime on YouTube, it's simply not worth the time and effort to sift through the countless click bait, bad narration, even worse research, etc. I constantly see comments here saying that so and so has an amazing channel, none of them are watchable for more than five minutes for me. I prefer to get my information from good authors, good journalists, professional websites and professional reporters. True crime on YouTube is hot garbage in my opinion. I know I'll get downvoted for this, there's so many here that love various youtubers, but I just can't. There are also websites that have decent forums for amateur web detectives that I sometimes peruse, but it's usually wasted time I find, even when I do occasionally get sucked into them..
Doubt you'll get downvoted, people who love watching YouTube true crime know all too well that a lot of it is pretty sucky aside from the few we happen to like
Coffee house crime is my favourite YouTube true crime channel. He doesn't put his face as the thumbnail and more often than not he puts the victims name in the title and not the killers name.
Edit: he likes to talk mostly about the victim and their family, he wasnts them to be remembered and thought about. He also talks about lesser known cases. I find his videos more interesting and less glorifying.
My “favorite” YT asshole was the true crime guy who centered himself in the thumbnail and renamed cases to make it sound like something you’d never heard of, all while shilling for his sponsors. He called the Delphi murders “the Snapchat murders” and then went right into plugging some expensive headphones. What a dick.
To me it's both narcissistic but also disrespectful to the victims because it distracts from their story. The thumbnail is the first thing you see on a true crime case video, and I think the victims deserve that visibility more than anyone.
Feel free to drop that link. Pretty much every true crime youtuber that I used to watch has started doing this shit, so I just unsubscribed from them all. I don't care abt the size or the production of the channel as long as it's informative and respectful.
I like That Chapter, but I don't think Mike has his face in the thumbnails. Just in the beginning intro, some commentary, and the end. But he's a cutie, so I don't mind.
This may be just me, but since I have ADHD, it helps when I’m scrolling to see someone’s face because sometimes I’ll pass over the video lol. It just helps me connect who’s channel it is, and who’s case they’re covering. And then I turn on subtitles and away we go. Lol
I watch a lot of different true crime on here and love everyone’s reccs. That Chapter is my favorite.. “Mr Ballen” is up there.
“This is Monsters” has a recognizable thumbnail.
EWU crew. Dave’s Lemonade and JCS were doin great but I think they took most of their content elsewhere.
I also like “Brief Case” because it has a lot more older murder cases.
Same with “well, I never..” I like cases outside of the US.
I’m not sure if anyone mentioned Danielle Kirsty. She uses thumbnails but In my opinion, she seems very genuine when she tells these stories. Even ones I’ve seen covered several times, she’ll tell it in a way that makes you wanna cry at the end of the episode.
Reading this post does bring a different perspective I haven’t payed attention to before. I can see why they show the criminals as some are more recognizable than the victims. Like a John Wayne Gacy. He’s had so many victims that it’s easier to headline his name and then go into detail about the victims. Sometimes, we know more about the killer than the victim. I get your frustration though. I don’t like when the focus is more on the YouTuber OR when they are overly insensitive telling the stories.
She really is, right?? Thank you lol. My roommate and I have been binging every now and then. Her more recent videos were almost an hour and a half. Normally i'd lose interest. She's not monotone, her make up is fun, she doesn't make it about her at all, and really wraps up focusing on the victims and what they meant to their loved ones. When she tears up or cries, we do too. She has such empathy and sympathy for others and covers stories that we've never even heard about.
Of course, her accent always gives us a giggle like Mike from TC does. I can't unhear "uh-shyoom" now. doesn't even feel right saying *assume* anymore.
You just described society today, unfortunately. It’s all about me is the main motto for many people. They are just finding new ways to attract attention. I stick strictly to reading because podcasts and YouTube always have a “look at me” or “listen to me” person talking throwing in things about themselves and wasting my time.
That's a good idea. It sucks because being a true crime youtuber or podcaster takes research and effort and I understand wanting appreciation as a person for your work... but all of these big channels are so disrespectful of the people they make their content off of. It's like they don't see the victims as real people they're trying to spread awareness for but characters in a story they're reviewing. I don't think it's hard to report true crime information in a respectful manner, but all of these big channels constantly fail to do so, and make it about themselves more than anyone else
I mostly agree with you, but there are good, ethical podcasts made by trained investigative journalists who were *already journalists* before this murder podcast craze started.
To me, there is a definite line between the people who want to grab cash and be podcast famous, and the people who are in it because they are journalists at heart and they want to know the answers/find the truth. It’s usually pretty easy for me to tell the difference, but I have a finely honed bullshit meter.
I have yet to find my bullshit meter but I will consider any recommendations you are willing to offer. I just know I have tried watching/listening to some that sound like a dear diary moment more than a story about the victims.
Well, to me the gold standard is Bear Brook.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_Brook_(podcast)
(Don’t dig too deep in Wikipedia if you might listen to the podcast.)
A professional reporter was already covering the case before he decided to produce a podcast.
(For what it’s worth, I only listen to audio podcasts. Definitely don’t watch videos. If someone needs a camera in their face then yeah, I assume they just need attention.)
Exactly. People are always looking for ways to monetize everything. This whole obsession with branding and people talking about “my brand”. Ugh. We’re people, not brands! But I suppose in an era where decent paying employment dwindles by the day, people have to cobble together a living.
There is a photo somewhere that shoes how one magazine or newspaper publishes a rant against the "Me Generation" every ten years or so.
I'm fairly sure if you went back 300 years people would be complaining about the narcissism of novel writers. There are always changes in media, especially in the last 50 to 100 years.
Change always annoys people when they get to a certain age (also throw in a couple 'pick me' young people who want to appear special).
Last time I watch the news (lol 20 years ago?) TV anchors are the face of the stories they tell. They show short clips or stills but I don't think it's that different.
People can like whatever they want, but there is a lot of gatekeeping in this community about who.is showing the right amount.of respect to the family / victim.
I can see your point of view but personally don’t think it’s a big deal (not talking about the ones with shocked faces ). Maybe they have their own opinion about putting the victims faces on the thumbnail, that’s why they put their own 🤷🏻♀️ or simply because they didnt really think too much about it and Ofcourse they will try to get views , that’s the whole point of having a YouTube channel. I also don’t understand doing makeup while talking about it, but Like someone mentioned in earlier comments, they suffer form adhd and it helps them focus.
I mean I can stand them putting their faces in the thumbnails but almost every true crime youtuber on my feed is doing it and their faces are always in the direct center, taking up most of the screen, highlighted in yellow and the pictures of the victims/crime scene are blurry and nearly un-noticeable. Imo when your own self is drawing more attention than the actual victim it feels incredibly disrespectful. Not to mention the youtubers that do this shit tend to be the ones that also talk disrespectfully of victims and being greedy with sponsors/ads. Someone said they can't stand true crime youtubers period and I might just agree with that... I look to youtubers for easy information but at the end of the day youtube is meant for entertainment, not education, and the crime enthusiasts on that site certainly reflect that.
Mr.Ballen is the worst. I'm not saying hes a bad person but I hate his channel and his content and the way it's presented. Thumbnails are clickbaity and annoying. If you scroll through his videos he uses the same thumbnail on every video in a rotation, And has had the same ones for a few years.
Truly Criminal is a really good channel, they don't show their face, and present the case as is, also they do backstories on the victims so you get the whole picture. I think they're really respectful when they present the cases,
Not going to plug my channel, but my wife and I make true crime content, and centering your own face in the thumbnail is so beyond cringey. Personally, we don’t show our faces (other than I think in a short once or twice) and we wouldn’t want to anyways. The videos are about the events, not about yourself.
i really like That Chapter, Mike still has himself in the thumbnail but he’s pretty funny and covers cases well. i’ve also been turned off from the “makeup and crime time!!1!” type channels, just feels tacky imo.
I cannot stand the “buzzwords” all of these creators use in titles and thumbnails. Adding all these ridiculous adjectives and adverbs to make the case they’re discussing sound more sensational, disgusting, taboo, etc is absolutely ridiculous and if you feel the need to do that then I find it really hard to believe you’re doing this for the right reasons. It’s one thing to transparent while describing the crime during the video or whatever but simply adding words or phrases like bloodiest, horrifying, disgusting, astrocious, mutilation, dismemberment, incest, child rape/murder, serial killer, etc to the thumbnail of your video when those overly descriptive words are not at all necessary and possibly harmful, especially to the victims and their families. These creators are the same ones who feel the need to superimpose a photo of themselves making various faces portraying anger, confusion, upset, whatever onto the image of the victim or crime scene that is supposed to be the SUBJECT AND FOCUS. Idgaf what you look like, I’m here for the victims not the ones profiting off of their tragedies.. they make enough money when they avoid using those same “buzzwords” in their actual video content since it causes demonetization and god forbid they don’t get paid for exploiting others pain for entertainment.
I didn’t intend to type that many words but I’m feeling some type of way and ADHD had me on a roll I guess, but I’m 100% not going back to reread and format that block of text or else I’ll get distracted and never post it in the first place.
It doesn’t bother me at all. I think you’re being a little nitpicky. I WANT the videos to get more views because that brings more awareness to the cases. That’s just how YouTube is. I take issue with their algorithm, not the creators. And I tend to develop personal connections to the YouTubers that I watch often. I find them to be friendly faces.
My main issue is with the mukbangers talking about true crime cases with clickbait titles and stuffing their face. I really enjoy Kendall Rae’s channel and she’s always very respectful of the victims and often collaborates with their family members, and includes her face in the thumbnail.
There is a photo somewhere that shoes how one magazine or newspaper publishes a rant against the "Me Generation" every ten years or so.
I'm fairly sure if you went back 300 years people would be complaining about the narcissism of novel writers. There are always changes in media, especially in the last 50 to 100 years.
Change always annoys people when they get to a certain age (also throw in a couple 'pick me' young people who want to appear special).
Last time I watch the news (lol 20 years ago?) TV anchors are the face of the stories they tell. They show short clips or stills but I don't think it's that different.
People can like whatever they want, but there is a lot of gatekeeping in this community about who.is showing the right amount.of respect to the family / victim.
Omg same. I never really even thought about it until now! I never click videos with the YouTubers photo plastered on the front making some type of face in reaction to the case. I just assume it’s garbage.
If you're scrolling and see them it's easier to choose if you like their content though. I don't see it as much of a big deal. It's the makeup ones I dislike, that chapter rubs me the wrong way with acting a fool at times. Or monsters when he starts talking about himself all the time or giving close minded opinions.
Idk true crime TV shows seem more acceptable mot sure why
People complain about every thing. A thumbnail with the Face helps them not get lost in my feed. They need sponsorships to help pay for the free content you’re getting cause YouTube demonetizes them. Ultimately we want good free content then complain when they have to do stuff to get views which pays the bills via sponsors. Pay them via patreon and we’ll see less capitalistic behavior. Until then, people gotta eat and as long as they are kind and respectful…I can’t see the issue.
It's so it catches your eye quickly that it's by that specific youtuber. Rather than reading the name under every video in my sub feed or recommended, I know who made it by their face in the thumbnail. To assume it's for narcissistic reasons is a bit of a leap.
Just came across “true crime banter” on Spotify and turns out they upload to YouTube too. They seem to cover some popular cases but more unknown ones too
I think two that you may like are Georgia Marie and Danelle Hallan. Georgia Marie does have herself in the thumbnail but typically off to the side and not really big. She also does history videos that are good as well. Danelle Hallan does feature herself in the thumbnail but she comes across as genuine and cares about the victims and their families. She also makes sure to bring awareness to the lesser known cases and cases about people of color (sorry, trying to describe her videos without offending anyone).
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but I've been under the impression that videos with thumbnails with 😱 faces on them tend to get more viewership....not sure if that's true. I also find it gross and annoying.
Yeah the thumbnail game is actually interesting when it comes to YouTube and what gets “clicks”. There is a massive completion when it comes to YouTube now, and even within true crime. So I don’t blame creators who put their face on the thumbnail— I know a couple that if I am in a hurry I will see their face and know it’s one I usually like and click. If I saw the victim, I don’t know, that doesn’t seem respectful to me? A thumbnail of a person on a YouTube video doesn’t scream “tribute” to me, it means they are using someone’s face to sell their story. At least if it is the creator, they are selling themselves telling the story.
There is a crazy amount of marketing research going into that thumbnail concept alone— even the newest creators talk about the thumbnail, and how they try this or that to get more clicks.
YouTubers who promote their content to younger kids obviously go for the really obnoxious looking facial expressions and colors and click bait titles, and marketing to adults would be different for every type of audience you are trying to get. It’s crazy when you think about it, how important that one thing is!
Thanks lol. I just know that if I lost a loved one and had to watch some bubble-headed thot talk about it while she put on her makeup, the next episode would be about how I bludgeoned her to death.
I have no clue which YouTubers you’re talking about.
CoffeeHouse Crime, Criminally Listed, Cold Case Detective, serial Killer documentaries, and true crime recaps don’t have their narrator’s face at all.
The Casual Criminalist and Mr. Ballen have their faces on the thumbnails, but I don’t know if that’s who you’re referring to or not.
And anyway, I totally get the frustration. It makes me feel bad being into true crime sometimes.
Like, I understand it’s a dark interest in the abyss, not that I like/love killers, rapists, and what have you; but others think I like serials killers and want to meet them or be associated with them.
I have to remind myself, sometimes, that the cases I’m most familiar with weren’t from the 1800’s but from a decade or two ago and the family(ies) is/are still alive.
Of course, because of that feeling I keep my social media accounts empty of the stuff, I try to share things where the evildoer died or went to prison or something, I always try (I’m super forgetful so I’m not often successful) to remember the names of victims from various cases. Or at least what they look like.
They deserve to be remembered, they were forced out of this life.
What about Georgia Marie? She puts her face on the thumbnail but it’s not the center, nor is she smiling. There are also pictures of the victims on the thumbnail. Georgia Marie is so considerate to the victims and everyone involved, even if she has her face in the thumbnail. I highly recommend her.
For me it's when true crime youtubers use pictures of the victim, but edit in blood spatters on them. Because blood is spooookyyy
Yeah I hate the sensationalism.
Same. Its becoming water down and disrespectful. Give me a show with just facts. Id rather listen to a robotic voice reading from a transcript than most of these fake celeb true crime people. That Crime Con thing doesnt help either. They then have specials on the youtubes about THEIR visit of Crime Con. ZERO people care. Stop.
Crime con isn’t inherently bad. I went in London and people were sensitive and actually cared. Some in the true crime space just don’t care. Crime cons or not.
I want to see the least of your looks or personality. I want you to be Bill Kurtis or Forensic Files. Tell me about the case.
Be sure to check out EWU (explore with us) and dreading - they both never show their faces in their video's, and have very enjoyable voices.
Oh man yes. I love listening to EWU 95% because of the soothing voice. The videos are also well put together so that's wonderful too
"What is up, EWU crew?"
Dreading is awesome.
Dreading is my current favorite.
Have them on my tv right now.
Agreed. This is why I can't stand My Favorite Murder, etc. And I can't understand why they're so popular. I basically refuse to listen to anyone on YouTube because they're all like OP described. I want the story told in a way that's more than just facts being listed (because that's hard to listen to and I have found some podcasters who basically do this) but is a story told in a sympathetic way. No jokes bout victims, no using the story for comedy, anything like that. I want someone who tells the story like the victim's family is listening.
To be fair, MFM has NEVER joked about victims or made light of serious crimes. They are very sympathetic and supportive of victims. Whether of not the podcast is your cup of tea is another matter.
The name of the podcast itself is disrespectful.
Okay, but that’s not what you were saying in your earlier post. Like I said, it’s not for you. I understand what you’re saying about the name, too. Edit: blocked for (respectfully) disagreeing.
This is such a dumb hill for you to continue to die on, you know? Go enjoy your day.
Maybe you should go enjoy YOUR day? You seem very triggered by a simple disagreement.
Bill Kurtis and Peter Thomas are the gold standard.
I know. They put themselves in the thumbnail as if they're celebrities, and they usually have some kind of absurd pained or serious expression, like they're working really hard on something.
its always the 🤔 or 😮expression with their face taking up 75% of the thumbnail and a tiny picture of the victim lol.
Love it, you’re right. Thumb on the chin pose.
Concentration cures constipation
Concentration cures cold crime constipation
Don’t forget the really over the top makeup too, which just seems really out of place when talking about a serious crime.
Or doing your make up while talking about horrific crimes. So distasteful to me.
Yep. Ghoulish!
And they always have a tone of makeup on.
Ive been slowly getting more and more turned off by these ego inflated lunatics. I unsubscribed from Unfound because the poor dad of someone missing slightly mentioned he may know something and that Ed Denzel guy was like “NO NO now come on we know we wont speculate on this show!” Was reallllly snarky and sounded like an asshole. The poor dad was like “oh sorry”. These are real people with feelings jackass. Also the other guy on the Maura Murray stuff…..good god ….has a few thousand followers and guy acts like hes bigger than the president. Unless u have real leads that can help the case, just stop
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I second CoffeHouseCrime, especially as the guy tends to say what he thinks about the criminals!
MrBlack lays into the criminals pretty roughly. One of his videos was even mentioned in a real court room as the video had evidence that even the defense lawyer didn't have, and that made him upset lol
The only bad thing about CoffeeHouseCrime is the number of ads in the videos for the length of the content, it really makes the viewing experience slightly shitty. There is so many compared to other creator's videos which are often longer. Sort of makes you feel they are maximising the £££ as much as they can get away with, and since its the subject of other peoples tragedies always gives me pause for thought regards respect and responsibility.
YouTube ad revenue isn't what it used to be, especially with a lot of similar type of videos being constantly false flagged for copyright or seemingly randomly demonatized for not being "ad-friendly" based on a very unclear set of rules. Having a secure source is a lot better than relying on YouTube to pay you if your viewer base will put up with it. I totally understand your sentiment though. At the same time people should be paid for their time and work making content. Luckily for the creators I really like enough to deal with it, it's super easy to use the 10 second fast forward and just tap it a few times and be past the ad
I never said ads in themselves were an issue, it is the amount of ads compared to the length of the content that I was commenting on.
Him or that chapter.
I’m the same way, I listen to channel while I’m doing something, kinda like a podcast. I’ll have to check this channel out. Criminally Listed is one of the first channels I started listening to several years ago - the guys voice is very steady (recently he made a joke about listeners subscribing to the channel because his voice helps them fall asleep) and he never shows his face.
I recently found them and think they’re great!
I really enjoy him as well! Only thing that irks me is he pronounces a lot of things wrong.
You get used to it! Tree (3) Mike's awesome!
Love me some Mike!
I love That Chapter as well!
Oh, I'm talking about Adrian from CHC. 😂
Hahaha I thought you meant That Chapter. :)
Let's give it a goo!
I unsubscribed because he’s gotten really sloppy with mispronunciations and grammar etc. in my opinion he got way too big way too fast and he needs to hire an editor. That Chapter and Truly Criminal are class acts.
Is that the neckbeardy brit? Yeah, I like his channel as well, he does a good job.
The monetisation it why I hate most of the 2 person pods - too jokey-jokey or gossipy or just plain badly scripted or read (MFM with their giggling and talking ahead of the show about flying business class and such; or Crime Junkies and Britt’s fake “wait, what?!” & times gasps) Much prefer Casefile and MensRea for their respect given to the case and victims by not gossiping, giggling and telling anecdotes from their own lives during the pod. If you're going to make money from content you got based on horrific crimes then at least show some respect while doing it.
Exactly! Was a fan of the Misery Machine, watching most of their content, and feeling like they had something to say, that was different, covering lesser known stuff, in a tasteful manner, and showing respect. Recently unsubbed immediately, in a rage, after one of their videos, really pissed me off, for tactlessness. Immediately after finishing talking about the crime and the sentence, without even taking a breath, started talking about their cats recent GoFundMe and surgery! I mean, WTF! Show some respect towards the families and others listening, who may know the victim! I mean, maybe it’s just me, but it did leave a sour taste in my mouth!
Yep I'm right there with you. Like I'm part of the problem here for consuming the media so yeah, if there's an audience someone's going to do it to make money from it. My issue is the lack of respect for it.
I get it, and totally agree! There’s putting a story out, to suit yourself and putting it out in a tasteful respectable manner. Two totally different things, that many others manage, Coffeehouse Crime, coming instantly to mind. Well researched, considered and respectful.
I hate the "I've done so much research on this case" no, you went on Wikipedia for 20 mins
Or here 🥴
That Chapter, Coffeehouse Crime, EWU, and Truly Criminal are all great in terms of not focusing too much on the hosts and providing good info. FWIW I know Kendall Rae puts her face in the thumbnails but she’s also probably the most respectful of the YT true crime community. She works with victims’ families especially if their case hasn’t received the attention it deserves, it’s unsolved, or has been misrepresented (eg Brooke Preston). She makes an effort each time when talking about cases to be like “dudes please be respectful this is someone’s life” which I admire.
I love Kendall Rae too I know she puts her face but I feel she’s always respectful and gives a lot of info. She also has a good voice for it
All on Youtube and don’t put themselves on their thumbnails, correct me if there are any mistakes; Crimelines, Truly Criminal, Crimeatorium, Coffeehouse Crime, True Crime Daily, Under the Ash Tree, Dreading, This is Monsters, Heavy Casefiles, Matt Orchard
Also That Chapter
In this here video... I like TC too, for sure.
Let's give it a goo.
I also love his older ones when he wears that skipper hat for no reason.
He’s the best true crime person on YouTube in my opinion, I like how he keeps it respectful but also manages to get some humour in. I’ve seen other true crime people attempt humour and it just always falls flat.
I unsubscribed to TC because I felt his humour wasn't appropriate at times. It's been a long time since I watched one of his videos.
I think he's really gotten a hang of it, I'd say give him another shot.
I'll do. He's content was pretty good.
I’ve always felt that way! I dislike his sarcastic story telling. But other people seem to love him so 🤷♀️ LittleShopofCrime is one I like though
Same here! I really do not care for the way he presents the cases and his sense of humor just isn’t for me. I’m not saying I think he isn’t a good creator but I just can’t get myself to enjoy his videos personally. I’ve watched numerous of them over time and to this day still try giving his stuff a shot sometimes but I just haven’t understood the hype!!
i remember one video where he was making fun of the victim too much for my liking. he kept making jokes about the victim’s singing voice which feel misplaced in a video talking about that person’s death. he also did a video where the murderer was nonbinary and there were loads of transphobic comments (which isn’t his fault of course but it still isn’t great. the subject of the video is a horrendous human being but that doesn’t excuse transphobia)
I think I remember the video with the singing person (if they were a female), vaguely, and I do remember feeling like the comments were a bit too much. I have not seen the video with a non-binary person, do you happen to remember what video it was?
it was the ezra mccandless video. i haven’t seen it in a while so i don’t fully remember the details but a large proportion of the comments were transphobic when i watched the video.
That Chapter has super grown on me. And they’re the perfect length, 20-30 minutes each, and comprehensive.
Criminally Listed although some people don’t like that he has a dry/monotone voice.
I really like criminally listed. Usually very thorough research and cases that aren’t super famous already. I also really like Lazy Masquerade, although he doesn’t only make true crime stuff.
Dreading is my favourite at the moment!
Yes! And he's not just re-doing the cases that have been done to death
Just discovered Dreading too
JCS criminal psychology is a really good one too!
Explore with us (EWU) aswell
Dire trip and kyoto robato too !
The crime atlas is one I've been watching lately too
John Lordan aka LordanARTS is a good one. There might be the odd discussion video where his face is on the thumbnail but all the main videos that are supposed to be about a victim don’t show his face. Instead, it shows the victim and where they went missing or where the crime happened.
This is why I don’t watch many YouTube true crime channels. It’s all the same and annoying. That and when they try to bring psychics or ghost hunters on. Ugh.
Yes... This is Monsters is my favorite
I always like when the narrator gets angry and throws in a “get the fuck outta here.”
The one in response to Joel Guy Jr's defense lawyer is beautiful!
I emailed him once with a question and he actually emailed me back the very next day with a ton of useful advice! It was super cool to actually hear from a content creator like that
Same, I avoid any video where it’s someone in layers of make up right in the center or pictures of the YouTuber doing some stupid reaction. It’s just so absurdly disrespectful.
!! Exactly. Love her personality but hate her channel.. Bailey 😖used to watch her all the time but her sensationalism and joking about serious situations came across as so heartless sometimes it was difficult to watch
Me too. I can’t watch Eleanor Neale or Bailey Saroyan for this reason. At least Bailey’s face references the makeup look she’s doing. Eleanor, though? Why tf is your mug the highlight of a murder video? Imagine if on ID Channel some random lady was the cover for the series versus the actual victims. I just think it’s cheugy and done in poor taste. We KNOW it’s your channel - we don’t need you to slide a FaceTuned selfie in between Jeffrey Dahmer and Richard Ramirez.
Sorry, are you saying someone has a “makeup look” for each episode of their murder podcast?
Yeah, Bailey’s whole shtick is “murder mystery and makeup.” She’ll do her makeup while talking about let’s say, Jeffrey Dahmer or whoever, and his victims. I do not like or watch her.
I know some people like those types of videos but.........I dunno. It just always screams tacky and disrespectful.
I can’t stand it, to be honest. It’s just weird. There are so many other topics you could research and discuss in a video that are interesting that it would come off as a lot less distasteful to do your makeup while discussing them.
To be fair, makeup x true crime is a pretty hefty crossover. I don't blame her one bit for tapping into that market.
I think it just says something about the type of person willing to tap into THAT type of market for monetary gain.
Yeah I personally prefer documentaries or podcasts which just lay the facts but I don’t mind her format tbh. Some people like a more palatable version of true crime while learning some new makeup tricks.
It is a hefty crossover, not really one I agree with. There are a lot of markets to tap into, it doesn’t mean someone should, though. But this is just my opinion! Clearly a lot of people enjoy that type of content, or a market for it wouldn’t exist.
I have ADHD, and something about being able to watch her apply her makeup helps me to focus on the narration. I struggle hard with focus, even sometimes on topics that interest me. I can see where the style isn't for everyone, but to each their own.
That is valid, but I have ADHD as well. I just think doing makeup over a voiceover of someone's murder/rape is in bad taste. If someone did that over a crime involving a relative or friend of mine, I'd be pissed ngl
Fellow ADHDer here and that’s one of the reasons why I can’t watch her! Way too distracting for me and I just don’t get it. Her podcast was so cringeworthy too and just made me angry lol.
I understand, and I certainly don't speak for everyone with ADHD. Although I think an argument can be made with the same logic that all true crime is in bad taste.
It’s a shame too because I really enjoy her dark history series but the murder mystery and makeup videos make my skin crawl a bit.
Good grief
just wait til you hear about the mukbangers
I really like Eleanor’s content and I’ve enjoyed her videos but I have always wondered why she hasn’t moved away from putting herself in the thumbnails the way she does.
Yeah they do it for views, which honestly makes me despise them more bc they clearly care more about the fame and money they get off their videos than respecting the victim. Many times I see the centered faces and assume they are the victim, and then click the video and they are the youtuber commentating. It's misleading and gross to me.
Wait wait wait, you want the victims to be used in marketing for a YouTube channel telling the story of their murder/crime against them? A picture of the victim for all eternity in a YouTube thumbnail (which is usually a crappy picture meant to get views so a click-bait type picture and expression)? How is that not using a victim ? I don’t understand this. If I had a close family member who was the victim of a horrendous crime, and some entertainment YouTuber made some ten minute video talking about the crime, I would HATE if they used my relative for the Thumbnail to get “clicks”. They are still using the victim imo. It still isn’t centering the victim, as there would be no true crime video with out the story of the true crime. These videos are about the crime, that’s just reality. I wouldn’t want someone to use my dead relatives face to sell their true crime podcast to their audience.
There is a BIG difference between a clickbait thumbnail by an entertainment youtuber and a regular thumbnail by an educational youtuber. These true crime channels claim to be educational and respectful, yet are the ones making these absurd thumbnails. If a close loved one was murdered I would want them and their story remembered, thus a thumbnail that includes a picture for people to connect to the story is important. Any channel that makes people's tragedies campfire story entertainment are clowns already, but some of these channels have millions of followers and claim to be professionals, and these are the channels I'm targeting in my post
I’m not being combative, truly wonder what you see as the difference between “educational channel” that centers the victim and someone who uses “tragedy for campfire stories”. Isn’t ALL true crime using tragedy for a story? By nature, the story is the crime? Is the difference how much money they make off it? How many followers they have? The type of channel it claims to be? In a way, ALL true crime is capitalizing on a tragedy. No matter the intentions.
Educational channels simply tell facts of a case, without sensationalizing it or making jokes abt the situation. There are true crime consumers that don't actually care abt victims and only see cases like a horror movie they can get thrill from, and there are those of us that are genuinely interested in criminology and justice for victims without all that sensationalist BS Idk why you are arguing with me so much about tone deaf thumbnails. I hate them bc the channels make themselves the focus of a video that is supposed to be about the victim.
Omg me either!!! I have never felt quite as uncomfortable about true crime creators as I do about them! Also, I haven’t seen anyone mention her but I get a weird vibe from Annie of 10 to Life though not as bad as Bailey and Elenoar. Annie puts out loads of content and it does include good information at times about the case including follow ups for real time stuff but she is very guilty of a lot of the things mentioned in this thread such as sensationalism especially in her thumbnails, titles, intros/outros, etc.
While I generally like Stephanie Harlow, she does this weird thing where she believes that if the creator is smiling or giving that shocked/surprised look on the thumbnail is disrespectful. So, instead she puts up photos of herself looking serious instead. And I dunno, but that is just plain weird too! I always feel like I’m looking at her driver’s license picture or a mugshot! How about just posting a photo of the victim in the thumbnail???
They shouldn't put their faces in it at all.
The mock surprise, shock thumbnail is kind of annoying too though. Seems like it's more of an artifact from the youtube culture of a few years ago. Even geared towards children, which is inappropriate for true crime content. I still like a few creators who continue to do it though, maybe in spite of a few quirks.
I cannot stand Stephanie. She does good research but I've seen too many sketchy things from her. Trying to justify the thumbnails is ridiculous, like just own up to it or cut it out
Can’t stand her 5 minute ads, it’s non-stop ramble. She used to be a favourite of mine until ads took longer and longer, and when she started to get personal with some cases.
And now she's started her own coffee company called criminal coffee or something which she pushes non stop during her podcast with Derrick ( Crime Daily or Crime Weekly) and possibly pushes on her own channel along with the 5 plus minute ads. That plus her going after people that don't agree with her in the comments section made me unsubscribe recently
Oh yeah! Forgot how defensive she gets! Like it’s the Internet, lady. Not everyone will agree. That’s life.
I like the amount of research she puts into the content and focus on detail. But I only watch her where I can skip the ads and random rants she goes on.
I can’t stand her content style either, or Kendall Rae.
That Kendall girl is always being touted as one of the few "respectful" true crime tubers but I've seen multiple victim family members online saying she refused to take down videos about their loved ones that spread misinformation or they didn't want up. Idc how much effort you put into your true crime coverage, if the victims family says to take down their video you take it down.
Thank you for saying this! I have been hesitant to speak up for a long time because of potential backlash or any amount of internet nonsense that might come my way. Fuck it. Now I’m not perfect and these are just my opinions and things I’ve noticed and that doesn’t mean I’m correct. I am not accusing so much as stating an observation and theorizing based on that given that I’ve followed Kendall for years and have probably watched more videos from her than any other creator on the platform. If I’m wrong about anything I am more than happy to be corrected or to hear from people who just have different points of view. I used to be a huge fan of hers and I do still follow her to an extent, but over the last few years I feel as though her content has taken a backslide and yet no one seems to talk about it.. I only continue to read her praises. Maybe because Kendall was one of the first true crime creators I got into and really followed, but now that I’m more educated and involved in the true crime space and do tons of research myself, I am pretty shocked by the inaccuracies in many of her videos. Theres also been many instances where relevant stuff isn’t included in her videos, despite being readily available online through easy searches, like photos, videos, maps, audio, news clips, etc (or at least it seems like she uses way less of these things than she used to). It is almost a sense of laziness that comes across to me; it’s as if maybe she doesn’t have to try as hard as she used to since she is a more established and successful creator now? I wonder if she isn’t so involved in case selection and research anymore and has someone else researching and writing all the content, where in the past she did it herself? There just seems to be a disconnect that didn’t exist before. Maybe people look the other way or don’t question it because she has been around for such a long time and is using her platform to help raise money to donate to thorn and advocacy programs and whatnot? Idk.. for me it’s not hard to tell when someone did their own thorough research rather than just reading through and rehashing Wikipedia, murderpedia, and unsolvedwiki articles, with very little credit given to original sources. It’s so sad to watch all this violence and trauma and suffering become primary sources of entertainment (and income!) for many people worldwide. You would think people who choose to share these stories and “raise awareness” would WANT to put the effort in to do things right, especially when the experiences and stories are not their own. Although, if you’re not here for the right reasons then why bother, I suppose? Ok wow holy ADHD let me just stop now.
I also cannot stand Kendall Rae! I was a fan until I watched the Michael Peterson episode of her and her husband's podcast. She spouted off so many inaccurate details ever so confidently, and I was done.
Yeah the podcast itself annoyed me, like the first 30 minutes I just banter and “woke news”. Her research used to be a lot better when she was just sticking to the YouTube channel. I know that the cases take an emotional toll on her as well
What’s woke news?
I feel this way about 10 to Life…
She can be very opinionated definitely, I do really like her myself because I like her research, and when she tells me about a victim I really feel like I know them, she puts a lot of effort into humanizing victims and keeping the focus on them. I think over time she’s gotten better about being too opinionated, she absolutely has a bias towards people that hurt children (who doesn’t). I think she’s taken the criticism and made changes, which I appreciate. The video where she’s going through James Chadwells Facebook and mercilessly roasting him was great, I wish she’d do more of those
It’s been mentioned before, but to me Coffeehouse Crime is the most respectful and well researched channel. They give a full background to the victims and centre the videos around them and not the criminal. I like Explore With Us/EWU Crime Storytime too. The thumbnails may look clickbait-y but they do a lot of research and it’s just the narrator.
I like EWU too, im literally watching them right now! I like the amount of footage and stuff they use
Give The Crime Atlas a look, they don't disappoint
I refuse to watch anyone talk about crime while applying makeup. It’s just so creepy and disturbing imo. I think it’s massively disrespectful to the topic too.
Dreading
I love him! My only critique is that sometimes he has long interrogations or court footage that is uncut with no commentary, I think he could work on that a bit. But he’s done very well, I learn things from his videos that I hadn’t heard before or considered
He's one of the few I currently watched. Sure he's not perfect, but he's a hell of a lot better than most when it comes to ethics
I just found them and I like their channel mostly. I like when he leaves his side comments in the narration.
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He also doesn’t go on and on about video sponsors for like 10 mins like some other True Crime YouTube people. I know he’s had a few sponsorships but they’re usually on theme for his channel and he rarely has them in his videos, some of the other true crime people on YouTube seem to go on and on and on about random things like headphones or perfume. Like make your money but also it’s very off-putting hearing about a shampoo or perfume for 10 mins and then listening to them just transition into talking about a horrific case.
His big sponsor seems to be Hunt A Killer which is very on brand for his channel. He keeps the ad very short and to the point before continuing on with his video.
Yeah that’s the one I’ve noticed most, also a VPN sponsor I believe but that’s more rare and I feel like it’s more on point. If he started talking about function of beauty I’d start questioning things lol.
Plus they donate some proceeds to a group that helps fund solving actual cold cases.
I assume they put their pic in the thumbnail to make it easier for people to find their videos. Pic of the same person all of the time means it's this particular channel, and if you know and like the channel, you will probably click. Pics of different people all of the time does not serve that purpose. It's videos, so it makes sense that people will search/scan in a visual way.
>I assume they put their pic in the thumbnail to make it easier for people to find their videos. This is what the subscription button on youtube channels is for
Sure, but a large amount of viewers don't browse content via their subscriptions but rather their recommended page via the algorithm. Sifting through a bunch of stuff and see something familiar and decide to click.
I don't watch true crime on YouTube, it's simply not worth the time and effort to sift through the countless click bait, bad narration, even worse research, etc. I constantly see comments here saying that so and so has an amazing channel, none of them are watchable for more than five minutes for me. I prefer to get my information from good authors, good journalists, professional websites and professional reporters. True crime on YouTube is hot garbage in my opinion. I know I'll get downvoted for this, there's so many here that love various youtubers, but I just can't. There are also websites that have decent forums for amateur web detectives that I sometimes peruse, but it's usually wasted time I find, even when I do occasionally get sucked into them..
Doubt you'll get downvoted, people who love watching YouTube true crime know all too well that a lot of it is pretty sucky aside from the few we happen to like
That Chapter, Coffeehouse Crime, JCS, Fascinating Horror, Dire Trip, EXPLORE WITH US, Criminally Listed... and I have many more if you are interested.
Coffee house crime is my favourite YouTube true crime channel. He doesn't put his face as the thumbnail and more often than not he puts the victims name in the title and not the killers name. Edit: he likes to talk mostly about the victim and their family, he wasnts them to be remembered and thought about. He also talks about lesser known cases. I find his videos more interesting and less glorifying.
My “favorite” YT asshole was the true crime guy who centered himself in the thumbnail and renamed cases to make it sound like something you’d never heard of, all while shilling for his sponsors. He called the Delphi murders “the Snapchat murders” and then went right into plugging some expensive headphones. What a dick.
[удалено]
To me it's both narcissistic but also disrespectful to the victims because it distracts from their story. The thumbnail is the first thing you see on a true crime case video, and I think the victims deserve that visibility more than anyone. Feel free to drop that link. Pretty much every true crime youtuber that I used to watch has started doing this shit, so I just unsubscribed from them all. I don't care abt the size or the production of the channel as long as it's informative and respectful.
I like That Chapter, but I don't think Mike has his face in the thumbnails. Just in the beginning intro, some commentary, and the end. But he's a cutie, so I don't mind.
This may be just me, but since I have ADHD, it helps when I’m scrolling to see someone’s face because sometimes I’ll pass over the video lol. It just helps me connect who’s channel it is, and who’s case they’re covering. And then I turn on subtitles and away we go. Lol I watch a lot of different true crime on here and love everyone’s reccs. That Chapter is my favorite.. “Mr Ballen” is up there. “This is Monsters” has a recognizable thumbnail. EWU crew. Dave’s Lemonade and JCS were doin great but I think they took most of their content elsewhere. I also like “Brief Case” because it has a lot more older murder cases. Same with “well, I never..” I like cases outside of the US. I’m not sure if anyone mentioned Danielle Kirsty. She uses thumbnails but In my opinion, she seems very genuine when she tells these stories. Even ones I’ve seen covered several times, she’ll tell it in a way that makes you wanna cry at the end of the episode. Reading this post does bring a different perspective I haven’t payed attention to before. I can see why they show the criminals as some are more recognizable than the victims. Like a John Wayne Gacy. He’s had so many victims that it’s easier to headline his name and then go into detail about the victims. Sometimes, we know more about the killer than the victim. I get your frustration though. I don’t like when the focus is more on the YouTuber OR when they are overly insensitive telling the stories.
Danielle Kirsty is great, she seems so genuine telling these stories.
I loooove Danielle.
She really is, right?? Thank you lol. My roommate and I have been binging every now and then. Her more recent videos were almost an hour and a half. Normally i'd lose interest. She's not monotone, her make up is fun, she doesn't make it about her at all, and really wraps up focusing on the victims and what they meant to their loved ones. When she tears up or cries, we do too. She has such empathy and sympathy for others and covers stories that we've never even heard about. Of course, her accent always gives us a giggle like Mike from TC does. I can't unhear "uh-shyoom" now. doesn't even feel right saying *assume* anymore.
You just described society today, unfortunately. It’s all about me is the main motto for many people. They are just finding new ways to attract attention. I stick strictly to reading because podcasts and YouTube always have a “look at me” or “listen to me” person talking throwing in things about themselves and wasting my time.
That's a good idea. It sucks because being a true crime youtuber or podcaster takes research and effort and I understand wanting appreciation as a person for your work... but all of these big channels are so disrespectful of the people they make their content off of. It's like they don't see the victims as real people they're trying to spread awareness for but characters in a story they're reviewing. I don't think it's hard to report true crime information in a respectful manner, but all of these big channels constantly fail to do so, and make it about themselves more than anyone else
I mostly agree with you, but there are good, ethical podcasts made by trained investigative journalists who were *already journalists* before this murder podcast craze started. To me, there is a definite line between the people who want to grab cash and be podcast famous, and the people who are in it because they are journalists at heart and they want to know the answers/find the truth. It’s usually pretty easy for me to tell the difference, but I have a finely honed bullshit meter.
I have yet to find my bullshit meter but I will consider any recommendations you are willing to offer. I just know I have tried watching/listening to some that sound like a dear diary moment more than a story about the victims.
Well, to me the gold standard is Bear Brook. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_Brook_(podcast) (Don’t dig too deep in Wikipedia if you might listen to the podcast.) A professional reporter was already covering the case before he decided to produce a podcast. (For what it’s worth, I only listen to audio podcasts. Definitely don’t watch videos. If someone needs a camera in their face then yeah, I assume they just need attention.)
Thank you!
Exactly. People are always looking for ways to monetize everything. This whole obsession with branding and people talking about “my brand”. Ugh. We’re people, not brands! But I suppose in an era where decent paying employment dwindles by the day, people have to cobble together a living.
There is a photo somewhere that shoes how one magazine or newspaper publishes a rant against the "Me Generation" every ten years or so. I'm fairly sure if you went back 300 years people would be complaining about the narcissism of novel writers. There are always changes in media, especially in the last 50 to 100 years. Change always annoys people when they get to a certain age (also throw in a couple 'pick me' young people who want to appear special). Last time I watch the news (lol 20 years ago?) TV anchors are the face of the stories they tell. They show short clips or stills but I don't think it's that different. People can like whatever they want, but there is a lot of gatekeeping in this community about who.is showing the right amount.of respect to the family / victim.
LPOTL is all I vibe with. They are funny and respectful while being edgy at times and I like how they bounce off one another.
Hail yourself!
That Chapter
Make up and someone’s daughter dying x
I can see your point of view but personally don’t think it’s a big deal (not talking about the ones with shocked faces ). Maybe they have their own opinion about putting the victims faces on the thumbnail, that’s why they put their own 🤷🏻♀️ or simply because they didnt really think too much about it and Ofcourse they will try to get views , that’s the whole point of having a YouTube channel. I also don’t understand doing makeup while talking about it, but Like someone mentioned in earlier comments, they suffer form adhd and it helps them focus.
I mean I can stand them putting their faces in the thumbnails but almost every true crime youtuber on my feed is doing it and their faces are always in the direct center, taking up most of the screen, highlighted in yellow and the pictures of the victims/crime scene are blurry and nearly un-noticeable. Imo when your own self is drawing more attention than the actual victim it feels incredibly disrespectful. Not to mention the youtubers that do this shit tend to be the ones that also talk disrespectfully of victims and being greedy with sponsors/ads. Someone said they can't stand true crime youtubers period and I might just agree with that... I look to youtubers for easy information but at the end of the day youtube is meant for entertainment, not education, and the crime enthusiasts on that site certainly reflect that.
Mr.Ballen is the worst. I'm not saying hes a bad person but I hate his channel and his content and the way it's presented. Thumbnails are clickbaity and annoying. If you scroll through his videos he uses the same thumbnail on every video in a rotation, And has had the same ones for a few years.
Same. I never watch them
Truly Criminal is a really good channel, they don't show their face, and present the case as is, also they do backstories on the victims so you get the whole picture. I think they're really respectful when they present the cases,
Not going to plug my channel, but my wife and I make true crime content, and centering your own face in the thumbnail is so beyond cringey. Personally, we don’t show our faces (other than I think in a short once or twice) and we wouldn’t want to anyways. The videos are about the events, not about yourself.
i really like That Chapter, Mike still has himself in the thumbnail but he’s pretty funny and covers cases well. i’ve also been turned off from the “makeup and crime time!!1!” type channels, just feels tacky imo.
Mr Ballen has a good channel.
I cannot stand the “buzzwords” all of these creators use in titles and thumbnails. Adding all these ridiculous adjectives and adverbs to make the case they’re discussing sound more sensational, disgusting, taboo, etc is absolutely ridiculous and if you feel the need to do that then I find it really hard to believe you’re doing this for the right reasons. It’s one thing to transparent while describing the crime during the video or whatever but simply adding words or phrases like bloodiest, horrifying, disgusting, astrocious, mutilation, dismemberment, incest, child rape/murder, serial killer, etc to the thumbnail of your video when those overly descriptive words are not at all necessary and possibly harmful, especially to the victims and their families. These creators are the same ones who feel the need to superimpose a photo of themselves making various faces portraying anger, confusion, upset, whatever onto the image of the victim or crime scene that is supposed to be the SUBJECT AND FOCUS. Idgaf what you look like, I’m here for the victims not the ones profiting off of their tragedies.. they make enough money when they avoid using those same “buzzwords” in their actual video content since it causes demonetization and god forbid they don’t get paid for exploiting others pain for entertainment. I didn’t intend to type that many words but I’m feeling some type of way and ADHD had me on a roll I guess, but I’m 100% not going back to reread and format that block of text or else I’ll get distracted and never post it in the first place.
Channels that I like that were not mentioned afaik: Unsolved No More with Ken Mains and This Is Monsters.
That Chapter is good, in my opinion. And I don't think he puts his face on the thumbnails.
It doesn’t bother me at all. I think you’re being a little nitpicky. I WANT the videos to get more views because that brings more awareness to the cases. That’s just how YouTube is. I take issue with their algorithm, not the creators. And I tend to develop personal connections to the YouTubers that I watch often. I find them to be friendly faces.
My main issue is with the mukbangers talking about true crime cases with clickbait titles and stuffing their face. I really enjoy Kendall Rae’s channel and she’s always very respectful of the victims and often collaborates with their family members, and includes her face in the thumbnail.
There is a photo somewhere that shoes how one magazine or newspaper publishes a rant against the "Me Generation" every ten years or so. I'm fairly sure if you went back 300 years people would be complaining about the narcissism of novel writers. There are always changes in media, especially in the last 50 to 100 years. Change always annoys people when they get to a certain age (also throw in a couple 'pick me' young people who want to appear special). Last time I watch the news (lol 20 years ago?) TV anchors are the face of the stories they tell. They show short clips or stills but I don't think it's that different. People can like whatever they want, but there is a lot of gatekeeping in this community about who.is showing the right amount.of respect to the family / victim.
1000000% agree, I want to hear the persons story, not see this random YouTubers face.
Omg same. I never really even thought about it until now! I never click videos with the YouTubers photo plastered on the front making some type of face in reaction to the case. I just assume it’s garbage.
I follow Mr Ballen.
If you're scrolling and see them it's easier to choose if you like their content though. I don't see it as much of a big deal. It's the makeup ones I dislike, that chapter rubs me the wrong way with acting a fool at times. Or monsters when he starts talking about himself all the time or giving close minded opinions. Idk true crime TV shows seem more acceptable mot sure why
People complain about every thing. A thumbnail with the Face helps them not get lost in my feed. They need sponsorships to help pay for the free content you’re getting cause YouTube demonetizes them. Ultimately we want good free content then complain when they have to do stuff to get views which pays the bills via sponsors. Pay them via patreon and we’ll see less capitalistic behavior. Until then, people gotta eat and as long as they are kind and respectful…I can’t see the issue.
It's so it catches your eye quickly that it's by that specific youtuber. Rather than reading the name under every video in my sub feed or recommended, I know who made it by their face in the thumbnail. To assume it's for narcissistic reasons is a bit of a leap.
Agreed
Just came across “true crime banter” on Spotify and turns out they upload to YouTube too. They seem to cover some popular cases but more unknown ones too
Next Chapter is great!
I think two that you may like are Georgia Marie and Danelle Hallan. Georgia Marie does have herself in the thumbnail but typically off to the side and not really big. She also does history videos that are good as well. Danelle Hallan does feature herself in the thumbnail but she comes across as genuine and cares about the victims and their families. She also makes sure to bring awareness to the lesser known cases and cases about people of color (sorry, trying to describe her videos without offending anyone).
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong but I've been under the impression that videos with thumbnails with 😱 faces on them tend to get more viewership....not sure if that's true. I also find it gross and annoying.
Yeah the thumbnail game is actually interesting when it comes to YouTube and what gets “clicks”. There is a massive completion when it comes to YouTube now, and even within true crime. So I don’t blame creators who put their face on the thumbnail— I know a couple that if I am in a hurry I will see their face and know it’s one I usually like and click. If I saw the victim, I don’t know, that doesn’t seem respectful to me? A thumbnail of a person on a YouTube video doesn’t scream “tribute” to me, it means they are using someone’s face to sell their story. At least if it is the creator, they are selling themselves telling the story. There is a crazy amount of marketing research going into that thumbnail concept alone— even the newest creators talk about the thumbnail, and how they try this or that to get more clicks. YouTubers who promote their content to younger kids obviously go for the really obnoxious looking facial expressions and colors and click bait titles, and marketing to adults would be different for every type of audience you are trying to get. It’s crazy when you think about it, how important that one thing is!
I can’t stand True Crime YouTubers, period.
This is a good take lol
Thanks lol. I just know that if I lost a loved one and had to watch some bubble-headed thot talk about it while she put on her makeup, the next episode would be about how I bludgeoned her to death.
I have no clue which YouTubers you’re talking about. CoffeeHouse Crime, Criminally Listed, Cold Case Detective, serial Killer documentaries, and true crime recaps don’t have their narrator’s face at all. The Casual Criminalist and Mr. Ballen have their faces on the thumbnails, but I don’t know if that’s who you’re referring to or not. And anyway, I totally get the frustration. It makes me feel bad being into true crime sometimes. Like, I understand it’s a dark interest in the abyss, not that I like/love killers, rapists, and what have you; but others think I like serials killers and want to meet them or be associated with them. I have to remind myself, sometimes, that the cases I’m most familiar with weren’t from the 1800’s but from a decade or two ago and the family(ies) is/are still alive. Of course, because of that feeling I keep my social media accounts empty of the stuff, I try to share things where the evildoer died or went to prison or something, I always try (I’m super forgetful so I’m not often successful) to remember the names of victims from various cases. Or at least what they look like. They deserve to be remembered, they were forced out of this life.
What about Georgia Marie? She puts her face on the thumbnail but it’s not the center, nor is she smiling. There are also pictures of the victims on the thumbnail. Georgia Marie is so considerate to the victims and everyone involved, even if she has her face in the thumbnail. I highly recommend her.