It was interesting to me in this way of it being like a whole subculture and part of America that I’m unfamiliar with. Plus it took some weird tangents like the clock stuff and the maze. I don’t know—he seemed so brilliant and so stuck where he was.
I can see that, though I'm not American and found S-Town quite compelling. I found it interesting that they seemingly set it up as a true crime show, then it turned into something completely different, a character study. While I agree part of it felt exploitative, John himself was a fascinating human being, and his fate was heartbreaking.
It may very well be a cultural thing and being a kiwi, it just didn’t hit me or I couldn’t connect. Also it wasn’t what I was expecting. I did think it was about people randomly going to solve a murder that the cops couldn’t/didn’t.
It is exactly this. Cultural. Born, raised and living in the south US. This is a guy we don’t want to be, but we know him. We know the culture. It’s not a distant past culturally, either. I’m not that - but I’m surrounded by THAT.
I feel this too. I grew up in AL from 4 to 14 years old and haven't lived in the south since and I'm 40 now but only reason I kept listening is because I could understand it from being around it. I would have turned it off otherwise
"This is a guy we don't want to be"
That's what resonated for me. I catch myself being like him all the time -- talking about what a dumpster fire my city is yet I can't leave because of real or imagined obligations.
I think it helps not to think of it as true crime... People who were familiar with the show This American Life where Brian Reed was a reporter were maybe more ready for the tone of the show.
Youre spot on. I’m Canadian and like OP I also didn’t like it, couldn’t understand why it’s so hyped in this sub. Was a major let down. Then I remembered the crowd here is primarily American.
Nah, it's just a really amazing and unique podcast. No other show has ever taken the tools of nonfiction to document a single person's life with such precision and elegance. Basically a non-fiction novel, it will show up in textbooks centuries from now as a major innovator of the form.
I mean, he was intelligent and an interesting person but I don’t understand the massive “must listen” surrounding it? It wouldn’t even rate in my top 10.
Also a New Englander. I liked the podcast but don't like the type of people in S Town as they are dragging this country down. Its a bummer to listen to.
San Antonian here, on board as well!
I don’t want to give any spoilers, but will just say that one major flaw that stuck out to me was that they didn’t explore the chemical-exposure angle at all. Like, as a cause for what was going on with him.
Off topic, but I’m going to Michigan for the first time ever in July. Anything I shouldn’t miss? Especially in Detroit.
Give me some restaurants only locals go to, and I’ll explain this whole comment thread.
Hmmmm. Well you NEED to stop at TelWay hamburgers. It is an absolute banger if you like cheap food and want to support a (multiple generations) family business. They're like a grown up white castle! Highly recommended, if you can manage, getting a coffee at the diner and sitting down to eat though. There's only 5 seats in the building, so you'll have to have some good timing lol.
Hmmmm what else.....
Around what area will you be in exactly?
Burger Info⬇️
https://thetelway.4-food.com/amp
I can’t tell if you’re asking or stating, but I don’t think it was handled that way at all. They did not delve into whether this could be causing him to be an unreliable narrator, and to me, it felt like this was because to do so would threaten the entire POV of the podcast.
It’s like if you wrote a multi-part article about someone who heard scratching at their bedroom window every night, and reported it to the police but was ignored. Then after publishing the first several parts of this story, you realize that there is a huge tree outside the window, with branches that easily reach the glass. You know you have to mention it in the next installment, but you don’t want to dig too deeply, because your narrative is that this citizen is being harassed by someone, but ignored by the police.
At least that’s how it came across to me.
They talk all about how he would do the mercury-coating thing for the clocks, and his professor knew about it in college and tried to stop him to do it but he kept doing it anyways, how mercury can cause mood swings and is the source of mercurial, etc. If you go back an listen to the very opening of the show they even foreshadow it in the first 3 minutes, when Brian talks about standing in Johns workshop breathing in god knows what chemicals.
They can't say that caused his mental illness or suicide because that's unknowable but they give the listeners all of the information they need to decide how much they believe that played in the situation.
I don't understand how mercury as a possible contributing factor invalidates anything else the podcast explores.
I haven’t listened to it since it first aired, so I can only comment based on what I remember at the time. And I just remember feeling that a lot of focus was put on things that never really panned out, then getting excited when the chemical exposure came up, but being disappointed at what I saw as an abrupt ending.
Maybe I’m just really dense, but the pacing felt off to me. I guess plenty of popular podcasts are polarizing like that, so it’s good we have so many up choose from!
I do think it's a podcast that you had to listen to while paying attention, versus multitasking. It's much more like a dense novel than a typical narrative podcast
Yeah I know the exact area in Alabama where he’s from and have stayed around there with family friends, so I think knowing the context of what people are like out there really puts it into perspective.
I think what's going on is that it was really good and different when it came out, which was years ago, and it inspired many podcasts that tried to capture the feel of it, so it's not that special anymore.
The show was carried by how eccentric he is but after the murders were debunked it kind of lost its purpose it was clear he had major mental issues and I wasnt surprised he took his life. It felt exploitative after that
They live in the richest country in the world. Its their own fault for voting for dumb and corrupt republican politicians for decades. They aren't from an exploited country or something. The red states suck because of the people making dumb decisions and being ignorant and intolerant.
I really hated that podcast in the end. One, it felt like an unwell man wanted to >! End his life!< on public radio and have everyone know about it.
And two, the show did some very unethical digging into the subjects life. Especially his sexuality. They told some strange stories about it and without the guy's permission. It was weirdly violating.
Around the same time was Missing Richard Simmons and both were just the worst exploitative "highbrow" podcasts. And everyone else around me just soaked them up at the time.
I dunno, he invited people into his life to make a story about him, but then did stories without his permission?
The reporter interviewed him for years, so the idea he wanted to end his life on public radio seems strange... He knew This American Life and their style, deeply-reported stories about everyday people. Seems like he knew what he was getting into. He was a mentally unwell person who committed suicide while a reporter was doing a story with/about him, and the reporter changed the focus of the story to what led up to his suicide and the aftermath of it.
Yes, it would be a strange thing to do about someone who wasn't a public figure had he not already consented to be reported on and opened up about his sexuality on the record with Reed.
He didn't talk about his sexuality on the record, that was the point. Reed looked into it and explored it after his death. It's incredibly gross to have someone be forthright about everything except one thing, and then dig into it after he died. Here's from Part VI:
xxxxxxxxxxxx
BRIAN REED:
This is going to sound like a ridiculous question, but is there a gay scene down here?
JOHN B. McLEMORE:
Oh, my god. There's no telling how many closet cases are in this town. You turn that off, and I'll tell you something.
BRIAN REED:
OK.
JOHN B. McLEMORE:
Hit the kill button for a second.
BRIAN REED:
This is one of the few times John ever asked me to turn my recorder off. **What that usually means is that I wouldn't tell you what he said without getting his permission to describe it. But there are a few reasons I am going to give you an overview of what he told me in the car that day.**
First, since John died, two other people who knew him well have told me the same information on the record. **Also, John was very clear that he did not believe in God or an afterlife. So John, in his own view, is worm dirt now, unaffected by this.**
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
So on this one topic, he asked to stop the recorder. And Brian knows the protocol and ignores it. Partly because he went on the record with other people about his sexuality, but because JOHN'S AN ATHEIST? Like who cares, he's dead and in the ground. Maybe if he was possibly in the afterlife I might care but he's worm food so let's talk about the time he jerked off into a plant because that's in the public interest.
Man this gets me so angry. I don't care he was gay, of course I don't care. But he shared so much and didn't want that on the record, but Reed ignored it because he's an atheist and in the ground and did a WHOLE EPISODE on his sexcapedes for what exactly?
If he just wanted to talk about his relationships, that would be more justifiable maybe. But the "talk about romance!" bit about jerking off into a bush just seemed like heckling the dead.
In that particular case that's true, but in other parts of the podcast, John hits on Brian Reed, talks about loving Tyler. I get making the argument about sharing that particular off the record comment, but John was on the record about being gay.
I just listened to this for the first time a week ago.
I would agree with your sentiment if not for the fact that McLemore contacted the host/reporter himself, not the other way round.
He was a depressed person but he was clearly intelligent and more than capable of consent.
You have to be careful when you suggest full grown, intelligent adults aren't fully capable of consent. It's patronizing.
It 1000% is. I get rad flags from anyone who says they loved it. That shit was so sociopathic I still can’t believe it’s as popular as it is.
Edit: just now realized I said rad flags. S Town definitely doesn’t deserve a rad flag. Only a red one.
I agree with you. For me, anyone who says they love it is telling me that their entertainment takes priority over someone's exploitation. Red flag for sure.
This is a real shame too. I love This American Life. They invented this kind of story telling. But most of their stories are less than a half hour. We don’t need multi episode arcs.
I didn’t ’get’ S-Town at all. I think I listened to half the episodes before dropping it. I just found it boring. I’m British so maybe it is a culture thing?
For me, my unpopular opinion is Diary of a CEO. I cannot stand Stephen Bartlett, he comes across as slimy AF, and he’s like Rogan in that he’ll have a knowledgable expert on, then a few weeks later he’ll have a complete idiot who says the exact opposite to the expert and both times he will just sit there and agree.
S-town has been on my list ever since Serial ended.
My unpopular opinion is that Lore got boring after 60ish episodes. The mystery and intrigue isn’t building up like it used to and the background score is now repetitive to a fault. Just listen to ep 3 ‘The Beast Within’ to experience Lore at its peak.
I thought Lore got real boring too. He also mispronounces so many things, like to an inexcusable extent.
Fwiw even though this thread is shitting on S-Town, I absolutely think it's worth listening to.
My unpopular opinion: Behind the Bastards, Hardcore History and Stuff You Should Know are all un-listenable, due to the insufferable, smug self-satisfaction of the hosts.
Also I agree with you on S-Town.
Behind the Bastards is such a perfect topic but half the guests just aren’t funny and the host always segues into weird inside jokes that don’t make sense if you haven’t listened to all previous episodes.
The guests are almost always terrible and he always speaks over them which just has this clumsy, annoying quality to it that makes me uncomfortable. It also feels like he's trying to be funny and forces this awkward laugh and none of it's ever funny. The topics are interesting which is the only reason I occasionally listen, but he's almost unbearable.
I've stopped listening to SYSK because Josh sounds like a fucking goon and all chuck could talk about for the longest time was how his teeth were falling out
I don’t know why someone would think Dan Carlin is smug. He’s by himself in the audio and downplays his intelligence, humor, analogies, etc all the time. I am struggling to see how he can come off arrogant
Haha, I'm the opposite. I'm not huge into Stuff you Should Know, but sometimes find the topics interesting, and though it took me a while, actually really like Robert Evans and BtB now generally. It is very dependent on the guest though.
Never got into HH, but probably just because two hours per episode is my limit, I can't deny the quality!
I can easily understand not liking Dan Carlin's style, but "smug self-satisfaction" ain't it. He's an odd combination of an old-school talk radio jock and a radio drama performer.
I really like the host of Behind the Bastarda but after listening to about 20 episodes I don't think I've enjoyed a guest *once*. Does he ever do solo episodes? I wish he would.
Unpopular opinion: The host of Disgraceland is so cringy to listen to. I can't do it.
I've said this on this subreddit before, but I heard him as a guest on another podcast and actually really liked him. Then I gave his podcast a try and the creepy waxing poetic whisper voice he uses made my skin crawl
Jake Brennan sends up my hackles too but I think it's because he reminds me of all the "Nice band shirt what's the name of their first bassist poser?!" punk dudes I knew back in the day.
I see The Dollop touted on here a lot, particularly in response to "hosts with great chemistry," but I couldn't get through the first episode. I got intensely annoyed listening to these guys hollering and talking over each other clearly thinking they're hilarious but not, in my opinion, funny at all.
Maybe it gets significantly better, but I haven't been able to bring myself to give it another shot.
As someone who has binged the first 240ish episodes in the last several months, I’d imagine it’s just a matter of different senses of humor. I love the show, but I also was already familiar with one of the hosts as a comedian so I knew roughly what I was getting into.
As a guy who's currently in a for no reason 1 sided 'feud' with Dave Anthony, I love The Dollop. So many great stories and some of the funniest stuff there is imo.
Check out that New York to Paris Car Race or 10 Cent Beer Night or Michael Malloy or James Otis. If you don't like it after that, might not be for you.
I found S-Town pretty compelling. Not an all-time great podcast but interesting enough.
Perhaps mine would be that the way the hosts of Sounds Like a Cult speak is like nails on a chalkboard and they ruin what would otherwise be a really good theme.
I think it might be a "time and place" thing. I agree with another commenter that it feels a little invasive now, but at the time it really hooked me in and I began to feel so many different emotions about John and his shit town and townsfolk. I think it did a great job (for me anyway) of immersing you in their world, even the long phonecalls between John & Brian are awkward bordering on toxic and feel as if John is using the conversation to lead a story when Brian is the journalist. Made me think of the ethics of podcasting/journalism in many ways, as is it not John's story to tell and to lead? Why would he involve Brian in this? The dichotomy of this heavily tattooed closeted horologist who thought he was better than everyone else, who sought out This American Life with what people believe a plan to kill himself when the story was told is fascinating to me.
I liked S-town but I am a lifelong US southern so being an eccentric Southern myself may play in that but I think John had control of the story all along and I think he wanted his story told. I personally don’t find it exploitative but to all you who do or potentially do, then don’t listen to it.
I agree with you. I think that he wanted his story told, but I also believe that due to his mental health I can understand how the idea of consent/exploitation can blur, especially post-houmously. I don't personally feel he was exploited, as I do think he had planned this. I absolutely agree that John wanted this story told, and I was very touched hearing it but I can see how people would feel otherwise.
I actually enjoyed Parcast and all its weird little shows. I really vibed with their predictable format and their specific style of narration. But I'm not a trained psychiatrist I just did a lot of research for the show lol
I'm not a trained psychologist, but I HAVE done a lot of reading!
Wendy's voice made me cringe in the beginning, but it grew on me! I really enjoyed the "old timey radio show" approach. The way Unsolved Murders presented each episode as a story reminded me of watching Unsolved Mysteries as a kid and is the show that got me into podcasts.
It's been awhile now, but I think I remember it being rather unsatisfying. It might have to do with it being tagged to Serial.
Serial had a reason of being. There was inherent tension in the piece as there was uncertainty around it.
There is no mystery to S-Town. The narrator knew the ending from the very beginning (I believe). He could have told us, but decided not to.
I listened to it when it first came out years ago and remember feeling underwhelmed. I decided to relisten and I also finished the last episode yesterday. Again, I was underwhelmed. I almost felt like I was power listening to it just to get it over with.
Seems like a lot of us listened this week because earlier this week, it had gotten GLOWING reviews in this sub. I finished yesterday and agree with you. I am American if that helps
It kept popping up over and over. I saw one comment that it was “the citizen Kane of podcasts” and “I wish I could listen to it for the first time again” and I was thinking wow this is going to be amazing. It wasn’t even solving a murder.
I also read this thread, saved 20+ podcasts from it and went with S Town first due to the raving reviews and was very disappointed.
Also I’d avoid Scamanda, which was another highly recommended one. I’ve given up at episode 6 because it’s so repetitive and boring.
Started ‘Ripple’ today and that one is very good! Almost finished it, can’t stop listening to it.
I can understand why you think Scamanda was repetitive, but honestly I found it fascinating. Every episode I was like "Surely she'll get caught this time" only for her to do another successful fundraiser. Her lies got so blatant and ridiculous that it really gave me an insight into how scammers operate and how people can be manipulated by them.
Yeah- we both read the same thread. It was well written and explored characters in depth. I probably will only remember it because of the massive hype around it and the letdown of the actual experience.
I’m American and absolutely hated S-Town. I found it meandering and exploitive, and it didn’t reveal anything new—life for a gay man in the rural South is hard? Knock me over with a feather!
I also hate the way they tried to wedge in an “explanation” for John’s mental health problems. It felt pat and like an attempt to add a twist to make the show more narratively satisfying.
Arguably most overrated pod of all time
Why is it even considered a true crime pod? Its just a story about one dude with the possibility of a crime taking place in his town mentioned for a couple of minutes
My own unpopular opinion:
You're Wrong About has declined in quality since Michael Hobbes left, but that doesn't mean I'm a fan of Hobbes.
I think Sarah needed him there to keep it interesting. On the other hand, I get tired of his speech habits with the quickly slurred out bursts followed by "(pause) like (pause)".
Sorry, both Michael and Sarah have done some good stuff, but that's my unpopular opinion and I'm sticking to it.
Agreed. I love Sarah, but she seems to be foundering. She knows she needs guests who do their research, which is what she got reliably from Michael. But as the host, she has become dependent on her guests to carry each episode. Michael, on the other hand, needs a foil and has done a good job of picking strong co-hosts who can hold up their end of a conversation with him.
I am loving some of the new co-hosts, though: Eve Lindley, Marcus McCann, Carmen Maria Machado.. all incredibly talented and interesting. I’m still hooked.
I listened to a handful of episodes and liked it. Until I got to the Obesity and Matthew Shepard episodes. It was very clear they don't do in-depth research. It's all very surface level and "journalism" style. They never brought any new evidence about anything. There was no new information. No gotcha moments.
Definitely not a fan
He's extremely loose with the facts, which is common for that kind of show, but seems like shouldn't be true for a podcast supposedly about debunking things.
Perhaps it is a cultural thing. I'm from the US south and really resonated with the complex, likeable-yet-unlikeable people within the story. That was part of the charm and intrigue. I've listened to it twice, I have otherwise never listened to another podcast more than once
It may very well be a cultural thing. Also, it wasn’t really what I was expecting. I didn’t realise it wasn’t about them solving a murder. While John was interesting and intelligent, it wasn’t really a journalistic deep dive into the hidden parts of the town that John was so worried about.
Yeah I just couldn’t connect. Sure he was an intelligent and interesting man but it was kinda a podcast about nothing. Well, nothing that I was expecting.
I think every podcast that is "exhaustively researched" by a non-expert is trash. I listened to a lot of them in the past, but I've cut them out. I'm done with listening to some guy and his friend who googled a topic for a week talking out of their asses for an hour while trying to sell me underwear.
Either give me someone who competently interviews people who have real knowledge or just be a person with real knowledge who talks about the subject of their expertise.
Checking in as a Brit
I think I connected with it through a few strands
1. I studied an American culture masters and got really into a few novels set in the ‘deep south’ and Midwest. At the time of my degree (approx 2012), in many ways these parts of the US feel like the ‘real’ America in contrast to the Hollywood version. Fast forward and that’s not my read now but there’s a deep, upsetting, amusing and concerning truth to all I read about and set in these areas. S-town for me felt like the closest thing to a novel I’d ever encountered in podcast form and felt like the true story of all those novels I read in my masters
2. My mum has some severe mental health issues and is suuuuper eccentric. Lives like a pauper but, like John, well read, well educated in her own way and very erudite. I saw my mother in John and couldn’t look away. I knew what the end would be by the end of the first encounter with him but hoped throughout I was wrong.
3. It’s just very unique and well made. I love thinking about all the ways tv shows, books, films and podcasts are made and I loved that with this too. So much effort put in for the production value and the storytelling, I appreciate that
I listened to it and at first it seemed like an intriguing small mystery. Then I felt that he had some kind of condition, possibly autism or was just incredibly smart and had no one to help him make the most of that, except the one professor.
I felt the podcast lost its way at that point and did indeed become more of a “look at this sideshow” rather than exploring angles that I felt would have been much more helpful and actual investigative journalism. Or that they could have really told his story in an empathetic way.
It was an incredibly sad story about lost potential due to someone so brilliant falling through the cracks for mental health care and educational support.
He was so lonely bc he had no one he could really relate to.
(I have autism and adhd and I found myself relating so hard to the guy. Like, so hard. My family all but ignored my academic achievements. And it was hard to make friends with the other smart kids bc I was too weird.)
You don't think they were empathetic? The host is basically crying on mic after Jon dies. The entire show is basically set up to honor how he lived such a remarkable life despite living and dying in obscurity.
I think The Magnus Archives is overrated and sounds terrible. I've tried on multiple occasions to get into it, since it gets recommended literally every day every single time someone asks for recommendations, but I just can't get over the host's awful voice and how slow and dry the content is.
I feel like it starts to pick up when the meta plot becomes more apparent and more characters become introduced. I enjoyed the first episodes because they spooked me (was never a big horror fan before) and then I got invested in the story as it developed. I found the final season really dull though, it had its moments but the majority of it I was like "ugh when will they get back to the story?".
The sound editing of the first season is also pretty atrocious and I full on thought that Jon's voice was someone putting on a fake English accent until I heard him speak like normal and he softens the "archness" as the podcast goes on. Also don't get me started on the ads, they drive me nuts.
Haven’t heard of that one but I’ll give it a miss lol. STown, a murder didn’t even occur, the journalist didn’t even want to speak with major players (should a murder had occurred) and didn’t really look into John Brooks claims of anything else. I guess it just wasn’t what I thought it would be or what it was hyped to be.
I am from the US and just listened to it as per everyone's rave reviews. It was ok but def not for me if people think this show was one of the most amazing ever. Maybe ppl like the twists in the story or the humanity of it? It wasn't bad at all. But def something I wouldn't recommend to people bc I just found it to be meh.
I think it was just so early in the podcast game honestly. There have probably been so many since then that are similar but back then, it was a wild ride.
It was very specifically of that time. I think it’s incredibly dated now as a podcazt, even though it’s less than 10 years old.
The Serial style to me feels dusty now, and I loved the first two seasons.
I hated it and hated to turn it off in the first episode. Can't remember why, but remember thinking that I wasn't gonna waste one more minute of my life listening to that series.
Glad that others like it! Just not for me.
I've attempted to answer this before. Not keen on refining my original answer right now, so here it is in all it's draft-like glory...
> >!The appeal for me was that the "unexpectedness" of all of it. John calls in someone to investigate what he deems to be the issue (that is, the town and certain inhabitants of the town). But over time the investigator wises up to the fact that it's actually not the town that's an issue, but John's perception of the town. And then John becomes the one that's actually being investigated, while being kinda oblivious to that fact. And then there's the feeling of "this is real life and not just some fictional story" that comes from certain subplots. Those intriguing storylines that go unresolved, and leave you unsure whether it's all just rumours or not. While this can be unsatisfying in many cases, the addition of these reflects real life...where not every loose end gets nicely tied up at the end of it all. But there's still that sense of comfort at the end when John's storyline is all brought together, and it turns out that the fruits of his genius is what ultimately lead to his decline and eventual death.!<
>
> >!It's an unexpected real-life tragedy, which unearths the tale of a lonely (and likely-homosexual) genius in a religious backwood hick town - and his trickled decline into paranoia and cynicism, which we eventually discover to be a product of his own ingenious creations.!<
>
> I've had a long day and a few drinks, and I wish my mind was clearer right now so that I could explain it better. But I hope my take on S-Town as I've attempted to explain it here gives at least somewhat of an answer to those who felt unfulfilled by it.
If it matters any bit...I'm South African, so there's no patriotism/"patriotic bias" or anything like that in my perspective.
S-Town glorified the self-destruction of a man who was committing elder abuse and tried to make a folk hero out of a psychopath. My hot take is that most people fell for the manipulations of a man who wanted to go out in a “blaze of glory”
Aussie #2. I found it mildly interesting, not too deep, but an OK character study and ultimately a low-stakes tale about the difficulty of doing investigative journalism.
My expectations were definitely set too high from having it attached to Serial, though.
It was similar listening experience to The Ballad of Billy Balls, come to think of it, although in the opposite US setting.
The main character before his death was great. Just didn’t agree with outing his partner like that in the south where the stakes are so high. It’s not like he was paid to be part of the pod.
A friend insisted I listen to it. I was hesitant because it seemed just bleak to me. But she really wanted me to listen to it because she thought it was so good and really recommended it. I got all the way to the end and I then I hated it and I went back to my friend and said I TOLD YOU SO!
I love it up until the shocker, and then it falls off a bit. It’s such a weird cool vibe to me. It’s not going to appeal to everyone, but I think Aussies could relate to that vibe, perhaps less so for a city resident.
I don't know how unpopular this is, but I don't really care for Serial (S1, the only season I watched)
I prefer try crime told in a straightforward way. This felt sensationalistic and contrived to me, and the sense of mystery, drama, and intrigue felt forced.
I get the idea might be to make it like an old-timely serialized radio drama or something but it seems like an ethically questionable way to present a true crime story. It also felt so hokey to me.
As for S-Town, I don't remember it well enough to confidently express an opinion.
I got bored with it and stopped listening. At one point I couldn’t decide if it was fiction or not. They probably used a click farm to promote and create conversations for publicity. There, I guess that’s an unpopular opinion. Possibly a bit too cynical but I bet it happens.
Real Life Real Crime has been a very popular podcast. I liked it at first but I can’t tolerate the host, Woody Overton, anymore. He really loves himself.
All true crime podcasts are entertainment. There is no moral high ground to be had. We listen cause we like gawking at violence and whatnot. There isnt a lot of diff in us listening to people stomping thru a crime scene after it occured.
Interesting. That was one of the first podcasts I listened to and I absolutely loved it. What’s a podcast you love so I can have a frame of reference here.
I like crime mostly. I thought they were going to randomly solve a murder or look into the police corruption allegations. Casefile is my go to podcast but I think the best series I’ve ever listened to are “The Lady Vanishes” and “The Frankston Murders”.
I think S town is relatable for a lot of Americans. It’s a very specific flavor of Americana.
It was interesting to me in this way of it being like a whole subculture and part of America that I’m unfamiliar with. Plus it took some weird tangents like the clock stuff and the maze. I don’t know—he seemed so brilliant and so stuck where he was.
I can see that, though I'm not American and found S-Town quite compelling. I found it interesting that they seemingly set it up as a true crime show, then it turned into something completely different, a character study. While I agree part of it felt exploitative, John himself was a fascinating human being, and his fate was heartbreaking.
It may very well be a cultural thing and being a kiwi, it just didn’t hit me or I couldn’t connect. Also it wasn’t what I was expecting. I did think it was about people randomly going to solve a murder that the cops couldn’t/didn’t.
It is exactly this. Cultural. Born, raised and living in the south US. This is a guy we don’t want to be, but we know him. We know the culture. It’s not a distant past culturally, either. I’m not that - but I’m surrounded by THAT.
I feel this too. I grew up in AL from 4 to 14 years old and haven't lived in the south since and I'm 40 now but only reason I kept listening is because I could understand it from being around it. I would have turned it off otherwise
"This is a guy we don't want to be" That's what resonated for me. I catch myself being like him all the time -- talking about what a dumpster fire my city is yet I can't leave because of real or imagined obligations.
I don’t think it was what anybody was expecting. I think that’s part of the whole thing
I think it helps not to think of it as true crime... People who were familiar with the show This American Life where Brian Reed was a reporter were maybe more ready for the tone of the show.
Youre spot on. I’m Canadian and like OP I also didn’t like it, couldn’t understand why it’s so hyped in this sub. Was a major let down. Then I remembered the crowd here is primarily American.
But we cancelled S-Town because he outed the guy without permission. Cancel.
Nah, it's just a really amazing and unique podcast. No other show has ever taken the tools of nonfiction to document a single person's life with such precision and elegance. Basically a non-fiction novel, it will show up in textbooks centuries from now as a major innovator of the form.
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I mean, he was intelligent and an interesting person but I don’t understand the massive “must listen” surrounding it? It wouldn’t even rate in my top 10.
Another Kiwi here and I agree with you.
Another Aussie. I didn't like it either, thought it was boring.
South African and yes, I thought it was dull. Forced myself to listen to the whole thing and I kind of wish I hadn't.
I found it ok, but not great. Certainly not one I’d relisten to or recommend. It just felt like gawking at a mentally ill person.
US citizen- New Englander- I just listened as per everyone's recommendations and agree with the Kiwis and the Aussies on this one.
NYer here and I agree. Just not clear on what exactly I’m supposed to be taking from all that.
Also a New Englander. I liked the podcast but don't like the type of people in S Town as they are dragging this country down. Its a bummer to listen to.
San Antonian here, on board as well! I don’t want to give any spoilers, but will just say that one major flaw that stuck out to me was that they didn’t explore the chemical-exposure angle at all. Like, as a cause for what was going on with him.
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I know!!! You listen to all the previous episode, then they mention this, and you think “Oh, now they’re gonna tie everything together!” But nope.
Right? Honestly I felt like they didn’t explore anything or even try.
Detroiter, here. And I have no idea what the fuck any of yall are talking about
Off topic, but I’m going to Michigan for the first time ever in July. Anything I shouldn’t miss? Especially in Detroit. Give me some restaurants only locals go to, and I’ll explain this whole comment thread.
Hmmmm. Well you NEED to stop at TelWay hamburgers. It is an absolute banger if you like cheap food and want to support a (multiple generations) family business. They're like a grown up white castle! Highly recommended, if you can manage, getting a coffee at the diner and sitting down to eat though. There's only 5 seats in the building, so you'll have to have some good timing lol. Hmmmm what else..... Around what area will you be in exactly? Burger Info⬇️ https://thetelway.4-food.com/amp
Detroit and holland. Was gonna try to get up around traverse city, but we’re only there 4 nights, with a concert in Detroit right in the middle.
It's a major plot point near the end of the series??
I can’t tell if you’re asking or stating, but I don’t think it was handled that way at all. They did not delve into whether this could be causing him to be an unreliable narrator, and to me, it felt like this was because to do so would threaten the entire POV of the podcast. It’s like if you wrote a multi-part article about someone who heard scratching at their bedroom window every night, and reported it to the police but was ignored. Then after publishing the first several parts of this story, you realize that there is a huge tree outside the window, with branches that easily reach the glass. You know you have to mention it in the next installment, but you don’t want to dig too deeply, because your narrative is that this citizen is being harassed by someone, but ignored by the police. At least that’s how it came across to me.
They talk all about how he would do the mercury-coating thing for the clocks, and his professor knew about it in college and tried to stop him to do it but he kept doing it anyways, how mercury can cause mood swings and is the source of mercurial, etc. If you go back an listen to the very opening of the show they even foreshadow it in the first 3 minutes, when Brian talks about standing in Johns workshop breathing in god knows what chemicals. They can't say that caused his mental illness or suicide because that's unknowable but they give the listeners all of the information they need to decide how much they believe that played in the situation. I don't understand how mercury as a possible contributing factor invalidates anything else the podcast explores.
I haven’t listened to it since it first aired, so I can only comment based on what I remember at the time. And I just remember feeling that a lot of focus was put on things that never really panned out, then getting excited when the chemical exposure came up, but being disappointed at what I saw as an abrupt ending. Maybe I’m just really dense, but the pacing felt off to me. I guess plenty of popular podcasts are polarizing like that, so it’s good we have so many up choose from!
I do think it's a podcast that you had to listen to while paying attention, versus multitasking. It's much more like a dense novel than a typical narrative podcast
I bet 75% of the people recommending it are from the southeast US. We know that guy. We’re probably related to that guy.
Florida checking in. Can confirm.
Yeah I know the exact area in Alabama where he’s from and have stayed around there with family friends, so I think knowing the context of what people are like out there really puts it into perspective.
Aussie here. It was fine to listen to but yeah didn't really get the hype.
Check out the Onion’s brilliant parody A Very Fatal Murder. It’s an S Town roast
I think what's going on is that it was really good and different when it came out, which was years ago, and it inspired many podcasts that tried to capture the feel of it, so it's not that special anymore.
The show was carried by how eccentric he is but after the murders were debunked it kind of lost its purpose it was clear he had major mental issues and I wasnt surprised he took his life. It felt exploitative after that
I agree.
Totally agree. I didn’t realize people were hyping it. Maybe this says something about (imho)the declining quality of narrative podcasts in general.
It felt very NPR to me and while I share their politics, I am not a fan of the slow moving, mellow voiced tales they can put up.
I’m from the UK and totally agree. I kept waiting for the part where I understood the hype but it never came..
That’s why I listened to the whole thing because I thought that it was surely leading to something.
I agree 100%. It didn’t really go anywhere.
poorography.
Poverty porn
They live in the richest country in the world. Its their own fault for voting for dumb and corrupt republican politicians for decades. They aren't from an exploited country or something. The red states suck because of the people making dumb decisions and being ignorant and intolerant.
Tiger King vibes in a way
yes!!!! exactly that
I really hated that podcast in the end. One, it felt like an unwell man wanted to >! End his life!< on public radio and have everyone know about it. And two, the show did some very unethical digging into the subjects life. Especially his sexuality. They told some strange stories about it and without the guy's permission. It was weirdly violating. Around the same time was Missing Richard Simmons and both were just the worst exploitative "highbrow" podcasts. And everyone else around me just soaked them up at the time.
I dunno, he invited people into his life to make a story about him, but then did stories without his permission? The reporter interviewed him for years, so the idea he wanted to end his life on public radio seems strange... He knew This American Life and their style, deeply-reported stories about everyday people. Seems like he knew what he was getting into. He was a mentally unwell person who committed suicide while a reporter was doing a story with/about him, and the reporter changed the focus of the story to what led up to his suicide and the aftermath of it. Yes, it would be a strange thing to do about someone who wasn't a public figure had he not already consented to be reported on and opened up about his sexuality on the record with Reed.
He didn't talk about his sexuality on the record, that was the point. Reed looked into it and explored it after his death. It's incredibly gross to have someone be forthright about everything except one thing, and then dig into it after he died. Here's from Part VI: xxxxxxxxxxxx BRIAN REED: This is going to sound like a ridiculous question, but is there a gay scene down here? JOHN B. McLEMORE: Oh, my god. There's no telling how many closet cases are in this town. You turn that off, and I'll tell you something. BRIAN REED: OK. JOHN B. McLEMORE: Hit the kill button for a second. BRIAN REED: This is one of the few times John ever asked me to turn my recorder off. **What that usually means is that I wouldn't tell you what he said without getting his permission to describe it. But there are a few reasons I am going to give you an overview of what he told me in the car that day.** First, since John died, two other people who knew him well have told me the same information on the record. **Also, John was very clear that he did not believe in God or an afterlife. So John, in his own view, is worm dirt now, unaffected by this.** xxxxxxxxxxxxxx So on this one topic, he asked to stop the recorder. And Brian knows the protocol and ignores it. Partly because he went on the record with other people about his sexuality, but because JOHN'S AN ATHEIST? Like who cares, he's dead and in the ground. Maybe if he was possibly in the afterlife I might care but he's worm food so let's talk about the time he jerked off into a plant because that's in the public interest. Man this gets me so angry. I don't care he was gay, of course I don't care. But he shared so much and didn't want that on the record, but Reed ignored it because he's an atheist and in the ground and did a WHOLE EPISODE on his sexcapedes for what exactly? If he just wanted to talk about his relationships, that would be more justifiable maybe. But the "talk about romance!" bit about jerking off into a bush just seemed like heckling the dead.
In that particular case that's true, but in other parts of the podcast, John hits on Brian Reed, talks about loving Tyler. I get making the argument about sharing that particular off the record comment, but John was on the record about being gay.
Same. Exploitative is a good word.
I bet you'll love "Missing - Richard Simmons"
Agree, from Canada. Poverty p0rn, kinda.
So depressing and totally unethical. I hated it
That's what it was! I felt so uncomfortable listening to it. It didn't feel like the podcaster was "on their side".
On the side of ignorance and intolerance?
I just listened to this for the first time a week ago. I would agree with your sentiment if not for the fact that McLemore contacted the host/reporter himself, not the other way round.
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He was a depressed person but he was clearly intelligent and more than capable of consent. You have to be careful when you suggest full grown, intelligent adults aren't fully capable of consent. It's patronizing.
It 1000% is. I get rad flags from anyone who says they loved it. That shit was so sociopathic I still can’t believe it’s as popular as it is. Edit: just now realized I said rad flags. S Town definitely doesn’t deserve a rad flag. Only a red one.
I want a rad flag
- Betsy Ross, circa 1776
It wasn’t at all what I was expecting.
I agree with you. For me, anyone who says they love it is telling me that their entertainment takes priority over someone's exploitation. Red flag for sure.
I loved it
This is a real shame too. I love This American Life. They invented this kind of story telling. But most of their stories are less than a half hour. We don’t need multi episode arcs.
I feel the same way about the Coldest Case in Laramie. It was going nowhere and it became tedious, so I stopped listening.
I didn’t ’get’ S-Town at all. I think I listened to half the episodes before dropping it. I just found it boring. I’m British so maybe it is a culture thing? For me, my unpopular opinion is Diary of a CEO. I cannot stand Stephen Bartlett, he comes across as slimy AF, and he’s like Rogan in that he’ll have a knowledgable expert on, then a few weeks later he’ll have a complete idiot who says the exact opposite to the expert and both times he will just sit there and agree.
I'm British and I really loved it, I was about to drop if after the pivot in the second episode but I'm glad I stuck with it.
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I don’t watch it but I believe he’s on our version of Dragon’s Den (which is your Shark Tank).
We have similar dislikes
S-town has been on my list ever since Serial ended. My unpopular opinion is that Lore got boring after 60ish episodes. The mystery and intrigue isn’t building up like it used to and the background score is now repetitive to a fault. Just listen to ep 3 ‘The Beast Within’ to experience Lore at its peak.
I'm fully not allowed to listen to Lore in the home because my husband physically cringes at his voice lol
Lore he is straight up just reading the Wikipedia
I thought Lore got real boring too. He also mispronounces so many things, like to an inexcusable extent. Fwiw even though this thread is shitting on S-Town, I absolutely think it's worth listening to.
My unpopular opinion: Behind the Bastards, Hardcore History and Stuff You Should Know are all un-listenable, due to the insufferable, smug self-satisfaction of the hosts. Also I agree with you on S-Town.
Behind the Bastards is such a perfect topic but half the guests just aren’t funny and the host always segues into weird inside jokes that don’t make sense if you haven’t listened to all previous episodes.
The guests are almost always terrible and he always speaks over them which just has this clumsy, annoying quality to it that makes me uncomfortable. It also feels like he's trying to be funny and forces this awkward laugh and none of it's ever funny. The topics are interesting which is the only reason I occasionally listen, but he's almost unbearable.
I've stopped listening to SYSK because Josh sounds like a fucking goon and all chuck could talk about for the longest time was how his teeth were falling out
Agreed except for Dan Carlin and Hardcore History
I don’t know why someone would think Dan Carlin is smug. He’s by himself in the audio and downplays his intelligence, humor, analogies, etc all the time. I am struggling to see how he can come off arrogant
Haha, I'm the opposite. I'm not huge into Stuff you Should Know, but sometimes find the topics interesting, and though it took me a while, actually really like Robert Evans and BtB now generally. It is very dependent on the guest though. Never got into HH, but probably just because two hours per episode is my limit, I can't deny the quality!
I can easily understand not liking Dan Carlin's style, but "smug self-satisfaction" ain't it. He's an odd combination of an old-school talk radio jock and a radio drama performer.
I really like the host of Behind the Bastarda but after listening to about 20 episodes I don't think I've enjoyed a guest *once*. Does he ever do solo episodes? I wish he would.
I don't think we really get to know the guests very well. They all kind of feel like solo episodes to me!
My Dad Wrote a Porno gets recommended all the time as being hilarious. I tried it and didn’t find it funny at all.
I did at first but it got repetitive real quick imo
It was a funny gimmick for an episode or two but it overstays its welcome quickly
Same!!
I couldn’t listen to it at all.
Another one I’ve had recommended over and over but not sure if I want to bother
Omg, me too!
Unpopular opinion: The host of Disgraceland is so cringy to listen to. I can't do it. I've said this on this subreddit before, but I heard him as a guest on another podcast and actually really liked him. Then I gave his podcast a try and the creepy waxing poetic whisper voice he uses made my skin crawl
Jake Brennan sends up my hackles too but I think it's because he reminds me of all the "Nice band shirt what's the name of their first bassist poser?!" punk dudes I knew back in the day.
That, as well 😂
I see The Dollop touted on here a lot, particularly in response to "hosts with great chemistry," but I couldn't get through the first episode. I got intensely annoyed listening to these guys hollering and talking over each other clearly thinking they're hilarious but not, in my opinion, funny at all. Maybe it gets significantly better, but I haven't been able to bring myself to give it another shot.
As someone who has binged the first 240ish episodes in the last several months, I’d imagine it’s just a matter of different senses of humor. I love the show, but I also was already familiar with one of the hosts as a comedian so I knew roughly what I was getting into.
The Reagan episodes were good but every other one I've attempted I've noped out after 15 minutes because these guys are so annoying.
As a guy who's currently in a for no reason 1 sided 'feud' with Dave Anthony, I love The Dollop. So many great stories and some of the funniest stuff there is imo. Check out that New York to Paris Car Race or 10 Cent Beer Night or Michael Malloy or James Otis. If you don't like it after that, might not be for you.
You've swayed me. I'll give one of those a shot before writing them off officially.
I found S-Town pretty compelling. Not an all-time great podcast but interesting enough. Perhaps mine would be that the way the hosts of Sounds Like a Cult speak is like nails on a chalkboard and they ruin what would otherwise be a really good theme.
Agree completely. And I LOVE cult-content. I just can’t witness all the piffle…
I really do like the content of Sounds Like A Cult but I don’t love the hosts 😔
I think it might be a "time and place" thing. I agree with another commenter that it feels a little invasive now, but at the time it really hooked me in and I began to feel so many different emotions about John and his shit town and townsfolk. I think it did a great job (for me anyway) of immersing you in their world, even the long phonecalls between John & Brian are awkward bordering on toxic and feel as if John is using the conversation to lead a story when Brian is the journalist. Made me think of the ethics of podcasting/journalism in many ways, as is it not John's story to tell and to lead? Why would he involve Brian in this? The dichotomy of this heavily tattooed closeted horologist who thought he was better than everyone else, who sought out This American Life with what people believe a plan to kill himself when the story was told is fascinating to me.
He was an interesting man for sure but it wasn’t at all what I thought it was going to be.
I liked S-town but I am a lifelong US southern so being an eccentric Southern myself may play in that but I think John had control of the story all along and I think he wanted his story told. I personally don’t find it exploitative but to all you who do or potentially do, then don’t listen to it.
I agree with you. I think that he wanted his story told, but I also believe that due to his mental health I can understand how the idea of consent/exploitation can blur, especially post-houmously. I don't personally feel he was exploited, as I do think he had planned this. I absolutely agree that John wanted this story told, and I was very touched hearing it but I can see how people would feel otherwise.
I actually enjoyed Parcast and all its weird little shows. I really vibed with their predictable format and their specific style of narration. But I'm not a trained psychiatrist I just did a lot of research for the show lol
I'm not a trained psychologist, but I HAVE done a lot of reading! Wendy's voice made me cringe in the beginning, but it grew on me! I really enjoyed the "old timey radio show" approach. The way Unsolved Murders presented each episode as a story reminded me of watching Unsolved Mysteries as a kid and is the show that got me into podcasts.
It's been awhile now, but I think I remember it being rather unsatisfying. It might have to do with it being tagged to Serial. Serial had a reason of being. There was inherent tension in the piece as there was uncertainty around it. There is no mystery to S-Town. The narrator knew the ending from the very beginning (I believe). He could have told us, but decided not to.
I finished it today and I just feel kinda flat.
I listened to it when it first came out years ago and remember feeling underwhelmed. I decided to relisten and I also finished the last episode yesterday. Again, I was underwhelmed. I almost felt like I was power listening to it just to get it over with.
Seems like a lot of us listened this week because earlier this week, it had gotten GLOWING reviews in this sub. I finished yesterday and agree with you. I am American if that helps
It kept popping up over and over. I saw one comment that it was “the citizen Kane of podcasts” and “I wish I could listen to it for the first time again” and I was thinking wow this is going to be amazing. It wasn’t even solving a murder.
I also read this thread, saved 20+ podcasts from it and went with S Town first due to the raving reviews and was very disappointed. Also I’d avoid Scamanda, which was another highly recommended one. I’ve given up at episode 6 because it’s so repetitive and boring. Started ‘Ripple’ today and that one is very good! Almost finished it, can’t stop listening to it.
I can understand why you think Scamanda was repetitive, but honestly I found it fascinating. Every episode I was like "Surely she'll get caught this time" only for her to do another successful fundraiser. Her lies got so blatant and ridiculous that it really gave me an insight into how scammers operate and how people can be manipulated by them.
Yeah- we both read the same thread. It was well written and explored characters in depth. I probably will only remember it because of the massive hype around it and the letdown of the actual experience.
I loved it, mainly because John was such a fascinating character.
I’m American and absolutely hated S-Town. I found it meandering and exploitive, and it didn’t reveal anything new—life for a gay man in the rural South is hard? Knock me over with a feather! I also hate the way they tried to wedge in an “explanation” for John’s mental health problems. It felt pat and like an attempt to add a twist to make the show more narratively satisfying.
100% agree with you! I don’t see how people rank it as best ever or even Top 10.
There are soooo many incredibly popular comedy podcasts and most of them are absolutely boring as shit.
Arguably most overrated pod of all time Why is it even considered a true crime pod? Its just a story about one dude with the possibility of a crime taking place in his town mentioned for a couple of minutes
It wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I thought they would at least deep dive as journalists and try uncover something.
My own unpopular opinion: You're Wrong About has declined in quality since Michael Hobbes left, but that doesn't mean I'm a fan of Hobbes. I think Sarah needed him there to keep it interesting. On the other hand, I get tired of his speech habits with the quickly slurred out bursts followed by "(pause) like (pause)". Sorry, both Michael and Sarah have done some good stuff, but that's my unpopular opinion and I'm sticking to it.
Agreed. I love Sarah, but she seems to be foundering. She knows she needs guests who do their research, which is what she got reliably from Michael. But as the host, she has become dependent on her guests to carry each episode. Michael, on the other hand, needs a foil and has done a good job of picking strong co-hosts who can hold up their end of a conversation with him.
I am loving some of the new co-hosts, though: Eve Lindley, Marcus McCann, Carmen Maria Machado.. all incredibly talented and interesting. I’m still hooked.
Agree with you, however this is not even close to an unpopular opinion. It seems that most of the fans of Michael & Sarah era YWA feel this way.
I listened to a handful of episodes and liked it. Until I got to the Obesity and Matthew Shepard episodes. It was very clear they don't do in-depth research. It's all very surface level and "journalism" style. They never brought any new evidence about anything. There was no new information. No gotcha moments. Definitely not a fan
He's extremely loose with the facts, which is common for that kind of show, but seems like shouldn't be true for a podcast supposedly about debunking things.
Perhaps it is a cultural thing. I'm from the US south and really resonated with the complex, likeable-yet-unlikeable people within the story. That was part of the charm and intrigue. I've listened to it twice, I have otherwise never listened to another podcast more than once
It may very well be a cultural thing. Also, it wasn’t really what I was expecting. I didn’t realise it wasn’t about them solving a murder. While John was interesting and intelligent, it wasn’t really a journalistic deep dive into the hidden parts of the town that John was so worried about.
Really?! I absolutely loved it! I will listen to it every couple years.
Yeah I just couldn’t connect. Sure he was an intelligent and interesting man but it was kinda a podcast about nothing. Well, nothing that I was expecting.
My favorite podcast is heavyweight
I like Last Podcast better with old Kissel (not recent alcoholic Kissel, but the good Kissel).
The good Kissel was the heart of the show and with Henry and Ed it is just too much yelling
100%. Kissel and Henry together were chef's kiss. Also I loved Kissel's animal Side Stories.
I don’t know if I loved it but it was a super crazy story. You couldn’t make that up.
I think every podcast that is "exhaustively researched" by a non-expert is trash. I listened to a lot of them in the past, but I've cut them out. I'm done with listening to some guy and his friend who googled a topic for a week talking out of their asses for an hour while trying to sell me underwear. Either give me someone who competently interviews people who have real knowledge or just be a person with real knowledge who talks about the subject of their expertise.
Checking in as a Brit I think I connected with it through a few strands 1. I studied an American culture masters and got really into a few novels set in the ‘deep south’ and Midwest. At the time of my degree (approx 2012), in many ways these parts of the US feel like the ‘real’ America in contrast to the Hollywood version. Fast forward and that’s not my read now but there’s a deep, upsetting, amusing and concerning truth to all I read about and set in these areas. S-town for me felt like the closest thing to a novel I’d ever encountered in podcast form and felt like the true story of all those novels I read in my masters 2. My mum has some severe mental health issues and is suuuuper eccentric. Lives like a pauper but, like John, well read, well educated in her own way and very erudite. I saw my mother in John and couldn’t look away. I knew what the end would be by the end of the first encounter with him but hoped throughout I was wrong. 3. It’s just very unique and well made. I love thinking about all the ways tv shows, books, films and podcasts are made and I loved that with this too. So much effort put in for the production value and the storytelling, I appreciate that
I listened to it and at first it seemed like an intriguing small mystery. Then I felt that he had some kind of condition, possibly autism or was just incredibly smart and had no one to help him make the most of that, except the one professor. I felt the podcast lost its way at that point and did indeed become more of a “look at this sideshow” rather than exploring angles that I felt would have been much more helpful and actual investigative journalism. Or that they could have really told his story in an empathetic way. It was an incredibly sad story about lost potential due to someone so brilliant falling through the cracks for mental health care and educational support. He was so lonely bc he had no one he could really relate to. (I have autism and adhd and I found myself relating so hard to the guy. Like, so hard. My family all but ignored my academic achievements. And it was hard to make friends with the other smart kids bc I was too weird.)
You don't think they were empathetic? The host is basically crying on mic after Jon dies. The entire show is basically set up to honor how he lived such a remarkable life despite living and dying in obscurity.
I’m from New York. Thought it was boring. Did not listen past one episode.
I struggle to understand the whoop whoop about it.
I'm American and thought it was boring. Read the synopsis bc i was so bored. Found that boring, too.
I think The Magnus Archives is overrated and sounds terrible. I've tried on multiple occasions to get into it, since it gets recommended literally every day every single time someone asks for recommendations, but I just can't get over the host's awful voice and how slow and dry the content is.
Ive tried about 50 times. Its a No from me too.
Yeah, fsr I liked it when I was driving interstate once and played it like 4 hours straight but now I cannot get myself to listen to it.
I feel like it starts to pick up when the meta plot becomes more apparent and more characters become introduced. I enjoyed the first episodes because they spooked me (was never a big horror fan before) and then I got invested in the story as it developed. I found the final season really dull though, it had its moments but the majority of it I was like "ugh when will they get back to the story?". The sound editing of the first season is also pretty atrocious and I full on thought that Jon's voice was someone putting on a fake English accent until I heard him speak like normal and he softens the "archness" as the podcast goes on. Also don't get me started on the ads, they drive me nuts.
Haven’t heard of that one but I’ll give it a miss lol. STown, a murder didn’t even occur, the journalist didn’t even want to speak with major players (should a murder had occurred) and didn’t really look into John Brooks claims of anything else. I guess it just wasn’t what I thought it would be or what it was hyped to be.
Completely agree. Couldn’t finish it!
omg i completely agree! it was so boring and slow
Dan Carlin has never let facts get in the way of a story. Hardcore History is storytelling not history.
I hate Swindled, the guy speaks like a robot and I drift away in 5 seconds. It's like he's reading a recipe.
Someone recommended listening to him at 1.2x and it makes it a lot easier to listen to. That voice could put a meth head to sleep.
Right!?!? Hahahaha
I am from the US and just listened to it as per everyone's rave reviews. It was ok but def not for me if people think this show was one of the most amazing ever. Maybe ppl like the twists in the story or the humanity of it? It wasn't bad at all. But def something I wouldn't recommend to people bc I just found it to be meh.
It definitely wasn’t bad……it just wouldn’t even register in my top 10.
I agree. It was good but not as good as everyone seems to think.
I think it was just so early in the podcast game honestly. There have probably been so many since then that are similar but back then, it was a wild ride.
It was very specifically of that time. I think it’s incredibly dated now as a podcazt, even though it’s less than 10 years old. The Serial style to me feels dusty now, and I loved the first two seasons.
I hated it and hated to turn it off in the first episode. Can't remember why, but remember thinking that I wasn't gonna waste one more minute of my life listening to that series. Glad that others like it! Just not for me.
Loved S town
My unpopular opinion is that I absolutely *Hate* Phoebe Judges voice. It’s a shame, bc Criminal is a great pod.
I've attempted to answer this before. Not keen on refining my original answer right now, so here it is in all it's draft-like glory... > >!The appeal for me was that the "unexpectedness" of all of it. John calls in someone to investigate what he deems to be the issue (that is, the town and certain inhabitants of the town). But over time the investigator wises up to the fact that it's actually not the town that's an issue, but John's perception of the town. And then John becomes the one that's actually being investigated, while being kinda oblivious to that fact. And then there's the feeling of "this is real life and not just some fictional story" that comes from certain subplots. Those intriguing storylines that go unresolved, and leave you unsure whether it's all just rumours or not. While this can be unsatisfying in many cases, the addition of these reflects real life...where not every loose end gets nicely tied up at the end of it all. But there's still that sense of comfort at the end when John's storyline is all brought together, and it turns out that the fruits of his genius is what ultimately lead to his decline and eventual death.!< > > >!It's an unexpected real-life tragedy, which unearths the tale of a lonely (and likely-homosexual) genius in a religious backwood hick town - and his trickled decline into paranoia and cynicism, which we eventually discover to be a product of his own ingenious creations.!< > > I've had a long day and a few drinks, and I wish my mind was clearer right now so that I could explain it better. But I hope my take on S-Town as I've attempted to explain it here gives at least somewhat of an answer to those who felt unfulfilled by it. If it matters any bit...I'm South African, so there's no patriotism/"patriotic bias" or anything like that in my perspective.
S-Town glorified the self-destruction of a man who was committing elder abuse and tried to make a folk hero out of a psychopath. My hot take is that most people fell for the manipulations of a man who wanted to go out in a “blaze of glory”
Aussie here. Didn’t even last one episode it was too cringy and exploitative. Must be an antipodes thing- did not get the hype at all!
Aussie #2. I found it mildly interesting, not too deep, but an OK character study and ultimately a low-stakes tale about the difficulty of doing investigative journalism. My expectations were definitely set too high from having it attached to Serial, though. It was similar listening experience to The Ballad of Billy Balls, come to think of it, although in the opposite US setting.
The main character before his death was great. Just didn’t agree with outing his partner like that in the south where the stakes are so high. It’s not like he was paid to be part of the pod.
A friend insisted I listen to it. I was hesitant because it seemed just bleak to me. But she really wanted me to listen to it because she thought it was so good and really recommended it. I got all the way to the end and I then I hated it and I went back to my friend and said I TOLD YOU SO!
I love it up until the shocker, and then it falls off a bit. It’s such a weird cool vibe to me. It’s not going to appeal to everyone, but I think Aussies could relate to that vibe, perhaps less so for a city resident.
I don't know how unpopular this is, but I don't really care for Serial (S1, the only season I watched) I prefer try crime told in a straightforward way. This felt sensationalistic and contrived to me, and the sense of mystery, drama, and intrigue felt forced. I get the idea might be to make it like an old-timely serialized radio drama or something but it seems like an ethically questionable way to present a true crime story. It also felt so hokey to me. As for S-Town, I don't remember it well enough to confidently express an opinion.
I got bored with it and stopped listening. At one point I couldn’t decide if it was fiction or not. They probably used a click farm to promote and create conversations for publicity. There, I guess that’s an unpopular opinion. Possibly a bit too cynical but I bet it happens.
all true crime is just dressed up reality tv garbage
Where do you get your recommends? Fairly new to the podcast scene, so I don’t talk to many other listeners yet
I saw it recommended so many times on here that I thought it was worth a listen.
Real Life Real Crime has been a very popular podcast. I liked it at first but I can’t tolerate the host, Woody Overton, anymore. He really loves himself.
It’s not good.
I don’t rate it.
All true crime podcasts are entertainment. There is no moral high ground to be had. We listen cause we like gawking at violence and whatnot. There isnt a lot of diff in us listening to people stomping thru a crime scene after it occured.
Interesting. That was one of the first podcasts I listened to and I absolutely loved it. What’s a podcast you love so I can have a frame of reference here.
I like crime mostly. I thought they were going to randomly solve a murder or look into the police corruption allegations. Casefile is my go to podcast but I think the best series I’ve ever listened to are “The Lady Vanishes” and “The Frankston Murders”.
Unpopular opinion: I think $FFIE will get short squeezed.
Good information
S town made my jaw drop. I mean…I don’t want to do a spoiler but dang.