Picture It….2019
The world was dying, unarmed Black people were being murdered for no reason, there was chaos in the White House, and everything was looking very bleak. At this time, I stopped watching the news because I couldn’t handle it anymore. I really couldn’t. Things that used to bring me joy no longer did and I was trying to find something that would make me laugh and not just sit in silence while I worked.
I love Spotify and listen to music all day, but I stopped dancing, I stopped singing, I stopped getting my 10k steps in. Life just was really doing a number on me. Not to mention the fact that I have bipolar disorder and was in the apartment with my daughter all day every day. If you read my blogs, you know about my daughter and her disabilities and how, paired with mine, it can be a challenge.
One day I decided that since I had literally watched every crime show on Oxygen, maybe I should check out podcasts. I didn’t really know what I was looking for and I think I asked some Facebook friends that were into true crime if there were some shows they liked. That was when I was engulfed in the world of true crime COMEDY podcasts.
How Can True Crime Be Funny?
I know, I know. It’s kind of hard to explain this but true crime CAN be funny. No one makes fun of the victims of the crimes. It can be a joke about how dumb some law enforcement can be, how dumb the criminal is, sometimes the hosts make fun of one another for saying something wrong. Yes, they are bringing attention to serious crimes (some of which are unsolved) but they educate and entertain at the same time. It takes a certain skill. Just as the beautiful ladies and gent in the YouTube post (see: YouTubers and Their Lifesaving Channels (Part One) I made talk about true crime in an interesting way, this is the same but there are at least two hosts, and you can’t see them.
Once I found one true crime channel, I had to binge it. Once I was done with that one, I would find another one and binge it. This went on and on until I caught up. Now, I’m pretty much caught up on them all. So, with that said, let me introduce you to my favorite true crime podcasts. I listen to them all on Spotify (because I truly love Spotify) but you can find them on all the podcast platforms.
True Crime Obsessed
This show is hosted by Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle. They do a lot of different subjects and true crime documentaries that their viewers request. Their episodes can come from HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Dateline, and other platforms. These two just did a Broadway debut of True Crime Obsessed (no I didn’t go). Gillian has a background in theater, is very smart, does her best not to go off, and tells everyone to STFU and pull over. She has requests that are simple like putting flood lights in “known” dumping areas. Her new podcast is called “Let the Women Do the Work”. This is her phrase because they love to see female detectives and lawyers that just take care of everything. She even has the best newscaster voice “It’s CHAOS down here, Tom!”
Patrick (Patricia) has a background in everything. This man has written a book, thought about opening a daycare (until the kids came), launched Obsessed Network, and is in the midst of writing another book. He is an avid lover of The Indigo Girls and speaks and laughs in a high-pitched voice much to the chagrin of many husbands (and dogs) in the world. I have to say that this man did a lot to find his niche and I’m here for it. This isn’t the last I will talk about this man as…. well…. it’s Patrick.
Because of this show, I was then introduced to another show that actually has impacted me more than any other podcast I have ever listened to.
Obsessed With: Disappeared
This show is the show that I put my clothes on and went into the wild for (see: I Went to a Podcast Show “Alone”). Meet Ellyn Marie Marsh, a Broadway star that was unemployed when Broadway died because of dang on COVID (yeah, I said it). She has starred in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Pretty Woman, Kinky Boots, has a role in Better Nate Than Ever (Disney +), and is currently one of the stars in Sarah Silverman’s “The Bedwetter”. Oh, we also got to see her on the Netflix game show, Bullshit.
Ellyn and Patrick have been friends for a very long time and their chemistry is nuts. They literally just go in on one another with insults while doing the stories. The show that they cover is Disappeared. They literally have to be obsessed with Disappeared because they even know the narrator of the show. Christopher makes cameos on the show and it’s so funny. He was even in DC at the live podcast.
There are so many funny moments but my all-time favorite episode of Disappeared is Episode 3 which is the case of Amy St. Laurent. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much because they literally talked for a good period of time with a Boston accent about “the rental cah with the on stah” and the guy that tried to “bahtah with the toll taykah”. They are on episode 95 but that still is my favorite episode to this day. I must add that, although I am a Patreon member, I LOVE the advertisements. I don’t skip not ONE of them because even THOSE are funny.
It was great! But then something happened….
Patrick was losing his voice and working so hard on so many things that he figured that he had to have a seat and pass the baton to Ellyn to handle the show on her own. In steps Joey Taranto, ANOTHER Broadway star. And if you think that Patrick and Ellyn were a mess, then you haven’t met Joey. Joey is a preacher’s kid, I believe (inside joke), from New Orleans, and is beautiful. He also can SANG!!!! If you think that Ellyn is sassy, you get double the sass with Joey and both of them can sing so it’s bad or those of us that can’t when they break into song (and they do often, I mean, they’re Broadway actors).
Many people were leery of him at first (people don’t like change), but he introduced himself on Instagram and we instantly were in love. This man can sing, slay faces, do voodoo, and help you bury the body. Kidding! We love Joey and we just need them to lock the door when they’re recording because Patrick likes to pop in while they’re recording. We love it but also understand that he needs to get some rest and take time with his family. But you need to go away, Patricia.
Discussion Group
Many podcasters start out with Facebook discussion groups but then get burned out from all the negativity. I have seen this happen on a few occasions I have even seen podcasters say that their own group is horrible and to stay away from them. There are few groups where the hosts are active an actually care about the members of said group.
I can count on one hand the number of podcast Facebook groups that the hosts haven’t just left because of negativity. Patrick, Ellyn and Joey are VERY vocal in their group. Their admin are great and keep drama to a minimum. One can go to the group to talk about something that made them sad without being mocked because “that’s not what the group is for”. We give each other funny memes when people are feeling low, talk about our hate for the “outdoors” and their lack of knowledge of “sportsketball”, kicking vases, tarp, all kinds of funny things.
Last month, there was a beautiful moment where someone expressed a moment where they were triggered due to something that Ellyn said. Ellyn HERSELF approved the post and gave a beautiful response and that further sealed the love that this group of people that don’t know one another has. The group is fun, it’s where we can share our inside jokes that our friends don’t understand.
Although I don’t like people, that group is a group I can hang with. I’m going to have to make this a two- or three-part series because I have to talk about my other favorite podcasts.
If you’re a comedy true crime lover, I’m pretty sure you can guess the next few that I will be mentioning. One isn’t necessarily funny on purpose but, yes, they do make me laugh. TWO are from two stand-up comedians that call themselves dumb but are some of the best researchers there are. Another is a podcast of two childhood friends that will have you laughing until you cough. But sometimes they cry (it shows they are human). And, of course, I have to speak of a very well-known series where I ONLY listen to the true crime episodes, but their research is really high up there (top tier).
If you have gotten this far, thanks. Oh, and look at the picture for this: Obsessed Fest is in September. I can’t “people” for days at a time BUT this is going to be a great time. So many people are going to be there including my faves that I will be mentioning in parts 2 and 3 of this series.
Go here to find out more about Obsessed Fest: https://www.obsessednetwork.com/obsessed-fest
Patrick Hinds Info:
- Twitter: @patrick_hinds
- Instagram: @patrickhinds_
Gillian Pensavalle:
- Twitter: @gillianWithaG
- Instagram: @gillianwtihag
Facebook Group: True Crime Obsessed Podcast Group
Ellyn Marsh:
- Twitter: @ellynmash
- Instagram: @ellynmarsh
- TikTok: ellynmariemarsh
Joey Taranto:
- Twitter: @Joey_taranto
- Instagram: @itsjoeytaranto
- TikTok: itsjoeytaranto
Facebook Group: Obsessed with: Disappeared Podcast Discussion Group
TikTok Page for Show: Obsessed with Disappeared on TikTok
Rantings of a Mad Woman 
OMG I love crime documentaries! So interesting!