I’m bad at podcasts. I listen to an episode here and there when the subject is interesting, but more frequently I start an ep, listen for 10-15 minutes, then get annoyed for some reason — whether the host annoys me, or the way they tell stories is just frustrating, or I just get distracted and have no desire to return.
This is never the case with This Is Awful. I look to it every week.
Trevor and Ali are both brilliant and hilarious, and on top of that, they dive into root causes and delve into social justice issues and socioeconomic facts that lead to situations where awful crimes are perpetuated for obscene amounts of time. Their banter and pop culture references give the perfect lightness to offset the harsh details of the cases they discuss. Their mission of not commodifying the victims’ experiences but raising awareness is a refreshing take from the norm, and I admire the research Alison puts into every case. (As a journalist, it’s obvious when others don’t, and I’m less likely to invest my time in that lazy behavior.)
As far as episodes go, The Women of Acres Homes two-parter is award worthy. (Is there an SPJ Awards for True Crime podcasts? Because these deserve one.)