account or even a documentary
about a serial killer. Some won’t
watch the news because they decide
it’s so horrific and terrifying, yet
they’ll watch a crime account and
be enthralled by it. It’s that idea of
something less intensive that still has
an exciting quality to it.”T
he surge in
popularity of
modern-day
true crime media
may make the genre
seem like a newer
fascination, but that’s
far from true. While
the accessibility has
greatly increased,
our morbid
captivation with
crime—especially
violent crime—is as
old as time.
Historian Nell
Darby believes that
the subject has enthralled us for
centuries and explains that even
before we were literate we would
pass stories and dark tales through
generations. She says, “It’s not a new
phenomenon. In the 18th century,
broadsides were published and sold
at executions, with illustrations and
graphic depictions of the crimes that
led to an individual being hanged.
In the 19th century, newspapers
recognised this interest in crimeand were happy to cater to it. The
publication The Illustrated Police
News, was infamous for its full-page
illustrations of horrendous crimes,
including explicit coverage of the
Jack the Ripper murders in 1888.”
Darby points out that hangings
only became private affairs in
1868, before which they were very
public events.
“The most
notorious criminals
would have
thousands of
spectators flock to
their executions.
Hangings were a form
of entertainment,
with adults and
children all present to
watch others be put
to death.”
One argument
that many highlight
as an issue with
the engrossing-
yet-disturbing true
crime genre is the all too regular
need to aggrandise a story to gain a
following. Darby, who runs the site
criminalhistorian.com elaborates,
“Jack the Ripper is a clear case
of this, where some of the facts
get lost in-between rumour and
embellishment. We live in a society
where we want stories that are as
exciting as possible. It can be a bit
like Chinese whispers, with stories
getting more embroidered, until they72 • JULY 2019WHY ARE WE SO OBSESSED WITH TRUE CRIME?LORDPRICE COLLECTION / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO / HERITAGE IMAGE PARTNERSHIP LTD / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO.
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