We say it’s “just curiosity”… but let’s be real — we’re addicted to the thrill.
From Dahmer to Gacy, Netflix and Peacock have turned murder into binge-worthy entertainment, and we’re all pressing play like it’s self-care.
But why? What makes us fascinated by the darkest corners of humanity? Why do we feel safe watching horror as long as it’s someone else’s nightmare?
In this episode of Talk to Me Michele, I’m diving deep into our obsession with serial killers — the psychology, the danger, and the dopamine hit we pretend isn’t there.
We’ll unpack why fear feels good, how Hollywood cashes in on our morbid curiosity, and what this says about the world we live in today.
It’s real talk, raw truth, and just the right amount of spooky.
Because let’s be honest… It’s all fun and games until the documentary starts to feel a little too familiar.
00:00:02 --> 00:00:08 Why are we so obsessed with serial killers? I mean, Netflix drops a new true
00:00:08 --> 00:00:12 crime series and all of us become detectives and judges and therapists overnight.
00:00:13 --> 00:00:18 From Dahmer to Gacy, we say we're just curious, but to be honest,
00:00:18 --> 00:00:20 there's something about the darkness that keeps us watching.
00:00:21 --> 00:00:26 Is it fear, fascination, or do we just love a good story about evil?
00:00:27 --> 00:00:32 On this episode, we're going to talk about why we can't stop watching Killers, so hit play if you dare.
00:01:03 --> 00:01:08 Michelle Podcast. I am your host, Michelle, with the one L. I hope everybody is doing good.
00:01:09 --> 00:01:12 And this week is Halloween, one of my favorite little things to celebrate.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:17 And a lot of people feel differently about the holiday, but for me,
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 it's all, you know, fun. That's all it's about.
00:01:19 --> 00:01:24 You ever notice how we love being scared, but only when we know we're safe.
00:01:25 --> 00:01:29 That's the magic of true crime. It gives us the thrill without the threat.
00:01:30 --> 00:01:33 We can stare danger dead in the face from the comfort of our couch under a weighted
00:01:33 --> 00:01:35 blanket with a snack in hand.
00:01:35 --> 00:01:40 Now, our human brain is very unique, but it's wired for drama.
00:01:40 --> 00:01:44 It's like a little hit you get when you're watching something terrifying.
00:01:45 --> 00:01:48 It's that dopamine, the messy cousin that shows up uninvited,
00:01:49 --> 00:01:51 and we keep letting it in because it feels good.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:56 Psychiatrists say that fear and excitement light up the same areas of the brain.
00:01:56 --> 00:02:00 Translation, you're not wired for binging serial killer documentaries.
00:02:01 --> 00:02:05 Your brain just doesn't know if it's being chased or entertained.
00:02:05 --> 00:02:09 Basically, we're just sitting there in our pajamas, we're eating the popcorn,
00:02:09 --> 00:02:13 while our primal brain's over here thinking that we're running from Dahmer.
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 It's chaos, but it's our kind of chaos.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:22 The truth is, we like to flirt with fear. As long as we get to control the lights
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 and the volume and the pause button, we are good.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:29 So what's really going on in your brain? Because it's not just entertainment.
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 It's psychology with a splash of crazy.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:38 See, part of us wants to understand how people could do something so dark, so unthinkable.
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 That's empathy. The other part
00:02:40 --> 00:02:44 of us, that's pure curiosity with a little side of thank God it's not me.
00:02:45 --> 00:02:49 We're fascinated by evil because it's foreign. It's the part of humanity we
00:02:49 --> 00:02:52 don't want to claim, but we can't stop watching it.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:56 Then there's the illusion of control. You know that little voice that says,
00:02:56 --> 00:03:01 if I understand how a serial killer thinks, I'll never end up in a documentary.
00:03:01 --> 00:03:06 Okay, you could be Nancy Drew all day, but newsflash, your true crime binge
00:03:06 --> 00:03:11 doesn't make you a survival expert. It just means you've memorized every red flag except your own.
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 And we also have a hero complex.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:18 You know, we're all in our armchairs, and we're armchair detectives out here.
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 Everybody on Reddit swears they would have cracked the case faster than the
00:03:22 --> 00:03:26 cops from their couch in a robe with a glass of wine.
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 Plus, true crime has turned into its own social club.
00:03:31 --> 00:03:37 We've got podcasts, Reddit threads, TikTok sleuths, whole communities barring
00:03:37 --> 00:03:39 over, did you see the look in his eyes?
00:03:39 --> 00:03:43 It's like a murder mystery book club minus the snacks and trust issues.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:50 Soundbite? Easy. People knit. Others binge murder confessionals. Tomato, tomato.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:54 And Hollywood knows exactly what it's doing.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:58 These streaming networks have turned murder into primetime popcorn.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:03 Every time Netflix drops a new monster series, the whole world collectively
00:04:03 --> 00:04:08 cancels their weekend plans like, sorry, y'all, I'm going to be busy psychoanalysing a psychopath.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:13 And don't get me wrong, the production is good. They know how to make evil look cinematic.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:19 Perfect lighting, the eerie music, the childhood flashbacks that almost make
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 you feel bad for the killer. Almost.
00:04:21 --> 00:04:26 Some of these shows are so well shot, you forget real people actually died.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:30 It's entertainment until you remember someone's mom, sister,
00:04:30 --> 00:04:32 or friend was the headline.
00:04:32 --> 00:04:35 But streaming services don't care about closure. They care about clicks.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:42 Every based on a true story means one thing. Money. but we still watch it because
00:04:42 --> 00:04:46 the storytelling is addictive the characters are fascinating and let's be honest
00:04:46 --> 00:04:51 we all have that one dark curiosity we feed when no one's watching,
00:04:52 --> 00:04:58 Then we get to the dangerous part, where they start humanizing the killer more than the victims.
00:04:58 --> 00:05:03 Like, I don't even know his favorite serial or what trauma made him misunderstood.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:08 No, he's not the victim. So Hollywood keeps cashing checks, and we keep watching,
00:05:09 --> 00:05:12 half disturbed, half entertained, and fully invested.
00:05:12 --> 00:05:15 Because apparently murder sells better than morals.
00:05:16 --> 00:05:21 Now, here's the uncomfortable truth. Our obsession with serial killers isn't
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 really about them. it's about us.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:29 We're not just fascinated by monsters, we're fascinated by what makes people become them.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:33 It's that psychological mirror moment. What could make a human do that?
00:05:34 --> 00:05:38 And somewhere deep down we're wondering, how far from that am I really?
00:05:38 --> 00:05:42 Now don't panic, I'm not saying that we're all Dahmer in the making,
00:05:42 --> 00:05:46 but we're drawn to chaos because it reflects parts of humanity we can't control.
00:05:47 --> 00:05:52 It's fear, it's anger, it's curiosity, and that tiny spark of what if.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:57 We say we watch it for understanding, but straight up, it's like we're peeking
00:05:57 --> 00:06:01 into darkness just as long as we can close a tab before we go to bed.
00:06:01 --> 00:06:07 It's like emotional skydiving, scary, thrilling, and completely safe from your living room.
00:06:08 --> 00:06:13 Seriously, we have been desensitized. We have seen so much crime content,
00:06:13 --> 00:06:16 a serial killer confession that barely moves us anymore.
00:06:16 --> 00:06:21 So we're like, okay, he chopped up 12 people. Anyway, what's for dinner?
00:06:22 --> 00:06:26 We've gotten comfortable with horror as long as it comes with good lighting
00:06:26 --> 00:06:27 and a killer soundtrack.
00:06:27 --> 00:06:31 But just maybe we're not obsessed with killers.
00:06:31 --> 00:06:36 We're obsessed with control. Because watching the worst of humanity reminds
00:06:36 --> 00:06:38 us of how much we don't want to be like that.
00:06:39 --> 00:06:41 It's reassurance in disguise.
00:06:42 --> 00:06:47 Or maybe we just like a good story. Either way, it says a lot about our species
00:06:47 --> 00:06:51 that we find comfort in chaos and peace in someone else's nightmare.
00:06:52 --> 00:06:56 But hey, at least we're self-aware, right? Next time you hit play on another
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 true crime doc, remember, you're not just watching the darkness,
00:06:59 --> 00:07:03 you're studying it and maybe trying to make sure it never finds you.
00:07:03 --> 00:07:07 Oh, that's going to wrap it on up for this episode. And if you've made it this
00:07:07 --> 00:07:11 far without checking your locks twice, congratulations, you are officially braver than myself.
00:07:11 --> 00:07:15 At the end of the day, our obsession with serial killers might say less about
00:07:15 --> 00:07:22 danger and more about curiosity, control, and how twisted human beings can really be.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:29 But hey, life's about balance, right? A little self-care, a little true crime, just don't mix the two.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 So as we roll into Halloween, my wish for you is simple.
00:07:33 --> 00:07:38 Stay curious, stay aware, and keep your candy safe. Because trust me,
00:07:38 --> 00:07:41 even the sweetest neighbor can be suspicious on October 31st.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:46 And before you run off to binge another Murr documentary, don't forget to like,
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 share, comment, and subscribe to the Talk To Me Michelle podcast.
00:07:49 --> 00:07:55 If you love what I'm doing, you can show your support at buymeacoffee.com backslash
00:07:55 --> 00:07:59 talktomemichelle because caffeine fuels these late night deep dives into madness.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:03 And if you're dreaming about moving abroad and starting fresh under a palm tree,
00:08:04 --> 00:08:07 make sure you join us over at Panama Life Network on Facebook,
00:08:07 --> 00:08:11 where we share real life resources, community, and a whole lot of peace.
00:08:11 --> 00:08:16 No true crime energy allowed so until next time I'm wishing you a happy spooky
00:08:16 --> 00:08:21 and safe Halloween lock your doors trust your instincts and don't invite strained energy.