I only intended on listening to one episode. I thought I could efficiently compare two podcasts by only listening to one episode, rather than all twelve. But when I plugged in my headphones and queued up Octagon, the computer game that gave my fingers something to do, I hardly noticed the hour-long episodes passing by as I learned about the case of Adnan Syed — a man convicted of killing his high school girlfriend 15 years ago.
Within five days, I had listened to 10 hours of “Serial,” equivalent to a roadtrip to Denver. I cleaned my room so excessively that I mopped my floors for the first time in my life, just to have an excuse to listen to it. I baked macaroons to hear friends of Adnan speak to his defense, proclaiming he could never strangle his girlfriend. I took an extra hour applying makeup before going out just to hear Adnan’s best friend Jay lie under oath about where he was during the crime. The story of a group of high schoolers in 1999 and the little-to-no-evidence case that led to an unstable conviction made me forego most of my usual weekend plans.
The podcast is narrated by journalist Sarah Koenig, who is articulate, well-paced and intelligible. I could tell she was concerned with the listener’s comprehension when she took a beat after a Adnan’s testimony to say, “He’s adamant about this, you can hear it in his voice, right?” Koenig wants to break down the case as much as possible, so the listener understands the speculation and discrepancies of the case — like how there were witnesses confirming Adnan’s alibi, but his attorney was speculated to have thrown the case.
Koenig believes in Adnan’s innocence. She notes what a “nice guy” Adnan, the alleged murderer, seems to be. He’s passionate about his Muslim religion, he loves when his family visits, he made friends quickly in prison because of his likable personality. Within months of being imprisoned Adnan had other inmates looking out for him, telling him “if anyone gives you a hard time, you let me know.” Adnan says he could always make friends anywhere, even prison. It made me doubt his ability to impulsively strangle his girlfriend to death.
“Serial” tells this individual murder case with attention to details, suspects and evidence. There are no witty jokes pertaining to the strangulation of Hae Min Lee, while Small Town Murder (read to the right) is a comedic podcast and pokes fun at each case of the killings they cover. In fact, Koenig is sure to warn the listener each time something mildly upsetting is about to be said, like describing the scene where Hae Min Lee’s body was found.
Using recordings of court hearings, elaborate explanations of time frames and phone interviews, “Serial” is able to unravel a murder mystery into a narrative while being sensitive to the subjects.
Small Town Murder
Small Town Murder is a lighthearted and comedic podcast told by comedians and long-time friends James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman. The two men recount stories of brutal murders that happen in small towns — I’m not going to give the title any points for creativity.
What bothered me the most was their tactic of drawing comedy from old murder cases. It’s dark humor, and supposedly edgy, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh at the children whose bones were repeatedly smashed by sadistic killers.
Not only did I find the pairing of laughter and child abduction inappropriate, I was bored. A couple times I hit play while I was lying in bed but switched to “Game of Thrones” within 10 minutes. Even if I did find humor in murder, I don’t think I’d be laughing. Their jokes weren’t funny. At all. Comparing the killers to rappers like Meek Mill or ridiculing their appearances cracked the narrators up, causing them to go off on tangents that led to more less-than-impressive jokes.
Some graphic content: One episode I listened to the story about a 14-year-old who was trapped in a house with a man obsessed with breaking bones. The boy’s captor repeatedly twisted and smashed his ankles until his legs were mush. Sorry if you ignored the content warning — but I was not given one. I unintentionally imagined the scene as I lay in bed that night, pissed that the story was plagued by bursts of laughter and teasing. Have some sensitivity, please.
Their vulgarity was overdone and annoying. Koenig dropped a few F-bombs in “Serial,” but these guys couldn’t get through a sentence without cussing for the sake of humor — and we all know that gets old.
I won’t demean Small Town Murder for not being as investigative or captivating or elaborate as “Serial” because that’s not their theme. Their purpose isn’t to unfold a meticulous murder case, it’s just to entertain. But if your purpose is to entertain, you’d better be able to do it.
In an interview with Chicago Tribune, Pietragallo and Whisman comment on their comedic contribution. They says, “Some of the best podcasts, even serious ones, are helmed by hosts with backgrounds in comedy.” This might explain their reluctance to abandon the comedy factor. They say, “Comedians have better timing and know to avoid rookie mistakes, like talking over each other, or pausing awkwardly while shuffling through their notes.”
I think their timing and fluidity was not as “on point” as they thought it was. The two men laughing so hard at their own jokes leading the listener into confusion can only be categorized as a “rookie mistake.” It’s like having to sit behind two people who must have just traded the funniest joke in the world, and you’re unamused and pissed to be in such close proximity to howls of laughter.