I'm a MURDERINO

My name is Gail and I am MURDERINO! Phew, I am so glad I can finally say it without any shame. So, if you don’t know what a murderino is then let me explain…

” A muderino is someone who has an interest in true crime. The term came from the podcast “My Favourite Murder”. Fans of the show adopted the term to identify themselves. Someone can be a murderino, however, without being a fan of show. Though it’s unsure who came up with the word first as a description, it’s said to come from the Simpson’s character Ned Flanders.” There you have it, I am a woman, a mother who is OBSESSED with true crime, especially unsolved one. I swear I’m not mad, well maybe a little but hear me out before you judge.

I have always found serial killers fascinating, even as I young child I remember flipping through history books and couldn’t help myself and stopped to read historic murders, Jack the ripper, Peter Sutcliffe (Yorkshire ripper) and doctor Harold Shipman. I drank in every little detail.

I watched the new as they found the bodies of Fred and Rose West’s victims, buried under the paving’s in their own garden. My little mind working overtime about how or why someone would do this to anyone and especially why they would do it to family members. I was hooked, I wanted to know why their mind worked so differently to mine and also, that shit scared me to the bone. I thought the more I knew about these events, the less likely it would happen to me. (Yep, I have always been an anxious mess!)

The introduction of the internet opened a bigger world for me as I could find out even more, more about the victims often learning about their life, seeing pictures and trying to work out “why them?” The backgrounds of the killers, their lives often a rough one with abuse, drugs leading to their life of murdering. Many with extreme IQ’s that made them smarter than the average person and often lacking the empathy and guilt seen in every day humans.

The true crime genre gives people a glimpse into the minds of people who have committed the ultimate unacceptable act but then again some may say the ultimate act of human natural impulse. We are drawn to the fascination of good vs. evil and this starts from a young age in many, we learn what acts are good and the ones that are bad and true crime demonstrates that obsession.

I am completely drawn on figuring out what drove these people to perform such acts, what makes them tick because I am pretty sure, I am never going to commit a murder. I want an insight to their mind, the psychology of a psychopath. Why? Well, because I want to know how I can protect myself from these people – I don’t want to get murdered! but also because I’m are curious by the weird behaviour and the many directions that f**ked up thought can take you.

I have also loved a good engaging story and what is more engaging that a “train wreak” murder? As humans we are far too curious and can’t turn away. Think spooky tales around the camp fire, we love to be scared but of course only in a totally controlled manner. It’s entertainment, it’s a grown up version of the stories we were told as children. The true crime stories allow us to experience all the fear and horror of the world in a safe environment where the threats only exciting and not really about to happen. Or is it? (insert evil laugh)

So not only to I watch endless forensic files on Netflix, I endlessly search the web and listen to true crime podcasts, my favourite at the minute being My favour murder. This podcast has everything I have talked about above in it and its also HILARIOUS! It helps make the killing a little more…lighthearted? My Favourite Murder regularly has me laughing out loud at the most inappropriate things. That’s not right, is it? It's a show about murder. Real people have died here and I’m chuckling away at the playful humour. But that’s what makes this podcast, it normalises murder which is really common and real, a part of life. People are killed daily and we must go on our day to day lives pretending it doesn’t put the fear of leaving the house, ever into us. Doing this, doesn't make it dark. It's our lives.

One of the show's quotes that resonated most with listeners was "F--k politeness. This points the way for anyone but especially women to not do anything they don’t feel comfortable with. Things like don’t get into stranger’s cars, don’t hitchhike, and defiantly never trust anyone you don’t know. They teacher that our instincts are always nearly right and it’s better to be safe than dead. They often have listeners comment on their beloved Facebook page, sharing stories of how they may have had many close calls but have heard the women’s words of warning and advice in their ears.

So there you have it, I’m obsessed with true crime. Watching, reading and listening, I don’t feel morbid about it. It’s something that I find helps my anxiety strangely - I’m a MURDERINO and I always will be.

“Stay sexy guys, and don’t get murdered”