“I used to be a true crime girly”: True crime anti-fandom as cultural critique

Using true crime critique video essays on YouTube as case studies, this work explores how true crime anti-fandom offers forms of contemporary cultural critique which allow both content creators and their audiences to partake in a series of significant debates around the nature of true crime ethics. The chapter opens with an assessment of the creator’s tone, the areas on which they focus and the manner in which they reflect on their own true crime consumption, and argues that these video essays adopt a form of accessible academia to create spaces for debate and reflection. Thereafter, the chapter examines the comment sections of these videos, highlighting the rich forms of debate these videos instigate as well as the ways they unite otherwise disparate individuals around a collective goal. Ultimately, the chapter asserts that the anti-fandom stances of these video essays create spaces similar to feminist consciousness-raising groups, wherein audiences are encouraged to interrogate their true crime consumption, share experiences that have had an effect on their relationships to true crime, and discuss a range of socially important issues.