Bibliographic Information:
- Title: Morbid: A True Crime Podcast
- Hosts: Alaina Urquhart and Ashleigh (Ash) Kelly
- Published On: Podbay
- Dates: May 1, 2018 to present
Genre: True Crime
Format: Podcast
Rating/Interest Level: Teens and Adults
Awards: Nominated for 2019 The Adam Curry People’s Choice Award, Podcast Awards.
Summary: Morbid is a true crime podcast with a bit of comedy thrown in. The lighthearted banter between the hosts, Ash and Alaina, is very entertaining. The podcast covers serial killers, cold cases, ghost stories, urban legends, and conspiracy theories They bring levity to crimes without glorifying the criminals. They usually tell the story from the victim’s point of view. The cases covered are well researched. Some of the cases that the podcast has covered are the Golden State Killer, the Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders, the Chicago Ripper, and many more.
Host Background: Alaina Urquhart is an autopsy technician and aspiring writer. She has an extensive library of serial killer books and horror movies. Ash is a hair stylist, who is obsessed with reality television and Instagram, and is also Alaina’s niece. Although Alaina is ten years older than Ash, they were raised as sisters. Alaina always had a passion for crime and horror and passed this on to Ash. The duo decided to share their passion with “kindred weirdos” and Morbid: True Crime Podcast was born (Morbid Podcast, N.D.)
Reaction/Interest: Reviews for Morbid: True Crime Podcast are mixed. Reviewers seem to either love it or hate it. It has mostly one star or five star reviews. Some listeners love the lighthearted banter, while others find it annoying and distracting. Haters describe it as “not funny and unprofessional.” Fans say it’s like “hanging out with two friends who have a dark sense of humor” (Chartable, 2021). In general, it has positive reviews.
Critical Evaluation: Morbid: True Crime Podcast mixes serious true crime drama with jokes and lighthearted banter. The show is fast moving and funny. It takes serious subjects and makes them more palatable. The personalities of the hosts really come through, which listeners either love or hate. The episodes are long which might turn some teens off. In general, I enjoyed listening to this podcast even though I am not a fan of true crime. I can see the appeal to teens and to adults who like this genre.
Speed-Round Talk: Are you afraid of the dark?? If you like creepy stories that keep you up at night, Morbid: True Crime Podcast is for you! Listen if you dare!
Creative Use for a Library Program: For a library program, I would have the teens record mini-podcasts based on a crime, urban legend, spooky story, or other topic covered in the Morbid: True Crime Podcast. The teens could spend a few minutes researching their project, and then record short podcasts on their phones. The teens could play the podcasts for the group and have the other teens review them and vote on their favorites.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense:
Reason for Inclusion: Morbid: True Crime Podcast came up on every Google search that I did for “best podcasts for teens.” It was also the only podcast that was consistently recommended to me by teens. True Crime is a very popular genre at my library and teens are obsessed with it. Criminal Minds is one of the most popular TV shows for teens, even though its intended audience is adults. Morbid combines lighthearted banter with true crime and this will appeal to teens who are into this genre.
References:
Morbid Podcasts. (N.D.). We are Are Ash and Alaina. Morbidpodcast.com. Retrieved from https://www.morbidpodcast.com/hosts
Morbid A True Crime Podcast. (2021, May 8). Morbid: A True Crime Podcast – sleep paralysis. [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU_bs2DBN3c&ab_channel=MorbidATrueCrimePodcastMorbidATrueCrimePodcast
Debby's YA Mini Library Collection 