148. Smells Like Rotten Excusers And True Crime Abusers

On this episode Melissa gets real about a couple of true crime-related issues - one about those delightful folks who use (far too) easy racism as a way to excuse or further their awful or simply stupid deeds - and the other involving the very nature of the True Crime genre itself.  We start off with a silly story from a detective contact Melissa converses with from time to time - involving a car, a gun, an alleged carjacking, a bullet hole in a...er...um...very personal part of the male anatomy - and a "victim" who isn't really a victim at all.  We follow that up with the story of one Hannah Potts, a 23 year-old woman living in rural Gibson County, Indiana - who, with a couple of idiot friends, perpetrated a hoax abduction in which Ms. Potts herself was the "victim," terrifying her family, friends and loved ones, and tying up law enforcement resources for days - all in the cause, evidently, of writing a novel.  Right.  And what do these two stories have in common?  A simple, sad and unfortunately tried-and-true scapegoat - the fictional African-American male with a gun.  Melissa reflects on the evil of this worn out trope - and unleashes on those who continue to use it.  Then - Melissa tackles one of the most nagging criticisms arising out of the popularity of True Crime - is the genre taking advantage of the suffering of victims in the service of entertainment?  Does any actual good comes from it?  Well.  Melissa answers the question with an unequivocal YES - and explains why.  A fascinating and compelling discussion.