The Dead Beat

Mary Kate Gorman and Solana Quistorff

In the Summer of 2021, friends and colleagues Mary Kate and Solana were on a walk talking about what young ladies usually talk about: obituaries and murder. Well, in fact, many young women ages 18-35 are deeply interested in stories of death and murder. These women make up the dominant demographic listening to true crime podcasts. And these podcasts are a big deal, scoring millions of downloads a week. Other popular and creepy genres are also important to consider, like the obituary. Why are these genres such a big deal? Why aren't all kinds of people included? Join us as we consider genres about death and dying, and how some storytelling leaves certain kinds of bodies out.

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In the Summer of 2021, friends and colleagues Mary Kate and Solana were on a walk talking about what young ladies usually talk about: obituaries and murder. Well, in fact, many young women ages 18-35 are deeply interested in stories of death and murder. These women make up the dominant demographic listening to true crime podcasts. And these podcasts are a big deal, scoring millions of downloads a week. Other popular and creepy genres are also important to consider, like the obituary. Why are these genres such a big deal? Why aren't all kinds of people included? Join us as we consider genres about death and dying, and how some storytelling leaves certain kinds of bodies out.