A tale of justice

The winter blues got me hard. For a time - weeks, maybe an entire month - we haven’t seen even an hour of sunshine, and the difference it makes is astounding. Today I write this while basking in sunlight, life slowly returning to my limbs. The sky is clear and blue, and even the low temperatures can’t stop the defrosting my heart is experiencing. I didn’t realize I felt numb until the sun shone on me.

I used to like true crime.

Although on a permanent divide due to the problematic in this statement, I thought the thing that attracted me to true crime was the feeling of safety. Like getting ready to the unlikely possibility of facing a criminal, being cornered by a serial killer or spotting a shady neighbor.

But too much in the true crime fad bothers me, the cult of horrific murderers taking top spot. Ted Bundy, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, these people that should be erased from history turned pop culture sensations for the simple fact they were able to exert cruelty like no other. A morbid curiosity that drives thousands to consume detailed accounts of gruesome crimes. Clinging to the illusion of having principles (because what kind of podcast name is “My Favorite Murderer”?) but with a weekly rotation of true crime podcasts and documentaries, I consumed this kind of content a little too much. Most of it focused on the victims, many on the ins and outs of investigative work, a select few on the injustices of justice. I am setting aside those that put the spotlight on (rightfully convicted) criminals, being what made me lose interest for the genre but also quite popular and widely criticized out there.

The mass appeal of the investigative angle is understandable - the same force that powers procedural detective shows, as I wrote here before about detective stories and their puzzle-solving allure. It’s not that much about who did it or who suffered it, but on how to solve it. The victims angle is complicated. Telling their story is relevant, for some even necessary, but not every victim or victim’s family want to remember. Many, if they could, would forever forget. Why not let them rest, move on? We relive terrible stories over and over despite lives being ruined by them, masking it as empathy and calling it justice. But is it?

The justice system, be it north-american, brazilian or norwegian, is essentially flawed. While trying to cover every possible law infraction, it often fails to punish or aptly recognize the full spectrum of crimes and their true perpetrators. The most complex element of any justice system is human - humans commit crimes, humans have crimes committed against them, humans demand punishment and humans make mistakes. Humans change their minds, act on emotions and don’t ever make the same things the same way. No “justice” is one size fits all. Sometimes the law will fail to acknowledge guilt when it’s right there, sometimes it will fabricate convictions to people they shouldn’t apply to. It’s the human factor that makes stories about justice so powerful.

Hence (my hypothesis) why true crime is so popular. Not for the morbid factor; well, not only that. But because justice is such a broad concept, so open to interpretation, that there might be some sense of justice in dissecting deaths, heists and kidnaps. In making sure we know what evil looks like so we don’t make the same mistakes again. There is a lot to question. Why we treat life and death stories like amusing puzzles, why are victims less important, why are criminals superstars, why and why. For now, I take a step back and look critically at what I consume. Gingerly picking the value I see in the genre and where to find it. But opinions are personal - disagreeing is natural.

Let Lady Justice decide.

-Maíra

This week’s recommendation:

• (Listen)(PT-BR) A breathtaking portrayal of the flaws of justice, Altamira just aired its last installment on a long run of 31 episodes filled with questions, outrage and ultimate sadness. True crime but also true journalism.

• (Watch) Note-taking games are arguably the best type of games, but how did this genre start?