Have you ever felt like you and your best friend are absolutely hilarious and that people would enjoy listening to your weird conversations about your super strange and, sometimes, disturbing interests and experiences? My Favorite Murder, a podcast hosted by Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff, feels exactly like that. Both Karen and Georgia are professional writers and have worked in comedy before. Even though they are both talented writers and comedians, this show feels effortlessly funny and casual.
My Favorite Murder was started in early 2016 as a place where Karen and Georgia discuss their obsession with true crime. Each week, they both pick and research a murder, a famous or lesser known one, and they tell each other the story of the murder. This whole process usually takes about two hours, sometimes more, so the episodes are quite long. However, the show isn’t just two women sitting and telling each other about murders; a majority of the episode is spent on long asides and funny/stupid jokes. Each episode, it usually takes around an hour of them talking, catching up and joking before they get to discussing the murders they’ve researched.
It sounds like it could be flip and callous, but Karen and Georgia do an incredible job of respecting the victims of these crimes. While they are silly and carefree most of the time, there are moments of gravity and reflection. Both Georgia and Karen are reflective about how the subjects of their stories are victims of trauma, and show respect for the victims that they talk about. They also discuss the flaws of and critique the criminal justice system. Despite the fact that they are talking about these heavy topics, My Favorite Murder still feels like a lightweight and funny podcast, rather than a discussion of horrific murders.
My Favorite Murder covers a variety of different crimes. They cover some of the most famous murders alongside lesser known crimes. I recently listened to their coverage of the Son of Sam murders in New York City in the 1970’s. While Georgia and Karen discuss their horror at the crimes of David Berkowitz, this episode is also hilarious. Both Georgia and Karen are from California, so they have no knowledge of New York City at all. Listening to them attempt to name all the boroughs of New York City, and cackle while they read the very wild Son of Sam letter is absolutely hilarious.
I’ve also been fascinated by the smaller, lesser known crimes that Karen and Georgia talk about. Episodes about the Collar Bomb Heist and the Amish Killer both showcased fascinating cases. These are also incidents that I otherwise would never have heard of unless I listened to My Favorite Murder. For anyone who is a fan of true crime, of any sorts, but also enjoys weird comedy that makes you feel like you’re just hanging out with your friends, My Favorite Murder is the perfect podcast for you.
