I’m somewhat embarrassed at how long it took me to realise that the advertisement in the Serial
Killer Podcast was for a different show… Despite the fact that the prersenters say something along the lines of “Hello Cults listeners”, I didn’t realise that there was, in fact, a Cults show. I know. Cults fascinate me even more than serial killers. I read every memoir I can get my hands on that delves into life inside and post-cults. If there’s a book I haven’t read on the FLDS, I want to know about it! Something about the psychology of the cult leaders, paired with how “normal” people can be sucked into something that the standard bystander can clearly see as not-right, just makes me crave more. Cults let me fall even deeper down the rabbit hole of new and mind boggling cults. Some I knew - FLDS - some I had a vague knowledge of - the Manson Family - and some I had no idea about - The Moonies. There is a wealth of information here, and I particularly enjoyed learning about cults that I was not aware of. At the end of each Parcast Episode, the presenters mention places in which they found the information on the topic at hand, which usually includes some books, which allows for further discovery if you are interested. Content Warnings: Gore, strong language, discussions of child abuse, discussions of rape/assault, discussions of murder, cannibalism.
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I began my foray into podcasts via this very cast - Serial Killers. I’ve always had a fascination with the weird, with the strange, with the incomprehensible. I think it’s one of the reasons why I write - the world is full of so many fascinating things, that ideas just tend to fly at me from left and right.
Anyway! Serial Killers attracted me because of the name. I wasn’t really sure what I was going to be listening to - and by that I mean, at all. I had no idea what format a podcast takes, who “reads” it, nothing. These episodes are great for someone who wants a detailed look at a specific topic - in this case, various serial killers - without having to sit down and read a 500 page book. The podcasts tend to follow a similar pattern - we open with a scene: what happened when the killer struck; then we learn a little about the overarching crimes. The presenters then go into detail about the history of the killer (provided the killer's identity is known) - their upbringing, childhood trauma which may have led in part to their crimes. With this podcast, I started at the very first episode, The Werewolf of Wisteria. This isn’t necessary, you can start anywhere in the list. Most serial killers get two episodes - some three - and as long as you start with the first of the two, you’re good to go. The Werewolf of Wisteria was fascinating to me for a couple of reasons, the main one being how long ago it was. I don’t know why, but apparently in my head I had the mindset that serial killers were a modern thing (I mean, duh, Jack the Ripper? Not my finest moment haha). The Werewolf of Wisteria was active in the 1920’s. He was a serial killer, serial rapist, and a cannibal. That’s all I will tell you now, as I was attempting to keep these short and sweet…! Other notable inclusions on this podcast are: Jeffery Dahmer, The Zodiac Killer, The Death House Landlady and Son of Sam. At the end of each Parcast Episode, the presenters mention places in which they found the information on the topic at hand, which usually includes some books, which allows for further discovery if you are interested. Content Warnings: Gore, strong language, discussions of child abuse, discussions of rape/assault, discussions of murder, cannibalism. |
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