Intimate Yet Exploitative: Representations of Gender-Based Violence in Platformed True Crime Narratives

Abstract

True crime is a highly controversial yet successful entertainment genre that is widely available on streaming, video, and podcast platforms. The content often includes visual depictions of victims and survivors of gender-based violence, as well as depictions of the acts of violence themselves, such as surveillance footage, police or court videos, or photographs. Additionally, producers and account holders on social media platforms frequently use stereotypical, clichéd, and even eroticized representations of violence. True crime formats rarely address neither the structural causes and backgrounds which lead to crimes, nor the impact on victims, survivors, and their relatives. To address these issues, we apply audio-visual content analysis, focusing on the YouTube channel of Bailey Sarian and her content combination of narrating true crime stories while doing her makeup. Drawing on communication and media studies, we explore the dual tenor of subversive-empowering versus voyeuristic-exploitative representations in the context of narratives of gender-based violence. Our analysis highlights that the unreflective and voyeuristic tone of commercialized true crime narratives can lead to the unethical exploitation of real events and the people affected. The Murder, Mystery & Makeup Monday series exemplifies a dual approach, blending affective storytelling, which fosters viewer intimacy, with sensationalistic portrayals that often simplify and stigmatize those involved in criminal cases. Although some empowering and informative voices regarding gender-based violence exist online, they are frequently overshadowed by the sensationalism typical of commercial true crime. The series underscores a tension between intimate engagement and ethical responsibility, shaped by platform-driven pressures that prioritize engagement over quality. Our findings emphasize the need for platforms to actively enable nuanced, balanced portrayals that foster a more informed and empathetic media environment.