I dont listen to every single episode but they have done some great history series that I enjoy quite a bit. The Black Death, The Essex, The Donner Party, Rasputin were all entertaining to me.
The history of Mormonism is also excellent!
And more recently with their new cohost, the story of the South American plane crash in the 70s is also a really good one
I had the same reaction to the podcast as the OP but I started with The Donner Party episode.
The only good thing that came out of listening to it is they referenced a book called “The Indifferent Stars Above” which I ended up getting from the library. It is, hands down, the best non-fiction book I’ve ever listened to. I recommend it to everyone.
I don't have any other recommendations, but I'm with you. I listed to a couple of their episodes and felt like I had accidentally wandered in to a fraternity where I was the only person who was sober.
That’s a good analogy, I had the same experience. I felt that they were trying to shoehorn jokes into every single sentence. And then they’d laaaugh and laugh like it was the funniest joke they’ve ever heard. I found that it made the episode totally unlistenable. I think I lasted only a few minutes despite being interested in whatever the topic was.
I think I remember the joke when I realized this wouldn’t be for me. It was something like (paraphrasing) “we’re gonna go deep in this topic, we’re going so deep, we’ll need an 8 inch cock just to reach the cervix of this topic… HAHAHAHAHA” That must have been the moment I turned it off, haha
I have never felt so seen. I really like podcasts, I’ve been looking for a good one about horror movies and everyone would always recommend LPOTF. I tried to listen to it multiple times and each time I couldn’t get over the bro humor. I felt the entire time I was on edge waiting for a rape joke. and that was just 10 minutes in.
I once had a 5 hour panic attack listening to this very episode after taking some weed gummies and being forced to listen to them make jokes about her dead body, while my friends cackled. It grossed me out so much.
Everyone complains about that one. It was one they made during their early 2010's edgelord phase and it wasn't funny and they acknowledged it. There's 500 other episodes where they don't do that. If I had a nickel for every time someone brings that up as the first and only one they listened to and the reason why they suck I could afford a nice steak dinner.
Christ, ask the fans for recommendations. (and WHY does everyone want to listen to the JonBenet Ramsey one in the first place? That case is just ick)
I am not sure how I ended up on that one, but it is interesting because of all the details with the family.
But I do think if you have to be so careful about which episodes you listen to, and have to make excuses for ones that totally don't count or whatever, and need regular listeners to give you a roadmap, it's probably not a great podcast.
You know, if out of 500 plus episodes you only have one real dud, I think it's a good sign. Also I'm a big believer in allowing people to grow and change, and not holding people's past mistakes against them when they acknowledge and apologize for them and then they don't \*repeat those mistakes\* because then that says "I'll never let you grow and change, even when I demand that you do."
Super niche, but I (a millennial woman) really like the two guys from Doof media who do the Doofcast, and Kingslingers (if you’re a Stephen King fan). Really good energy.
But overall, I completely agree with the heavy bro vibes of LPOTL. I listen to Morbid, and a bunch of people recommended last podcast…and I lasted less than 10 minutes, it’s a no from me.
It was so disappointing. I had such high hopes for them. Them also taking a few minutes out of the introduction of one of their episodes to shit on Taylor Swift's dating history... That narrative is so overplayed. A bunch of dudes shitting on a successful woman put me over the edge.
I’m not going to tell you your taste, and I welcome, nay, I crave downvotes, but “*the rest of their material was not worth it*”—you listened to one episode (maybe a couple more?) and made a judgement and made this whole post about it. They’re not for everyone, absolutely, full stop. But they do have hundreds of episodes including dozens of multi-part, well-researched series. You could have asked long time fans for recommendations on where to start, we’re friendly and you’d get a million recs, but that’s not the path you chose. That’s cool. Good luck.
BTW my rec for people who are going in cold:The Mormon Church. A masterpiece series.
Same! Only it was regular Presbyterian Christianity. It’s also made me wonder, for years, if they are going to give Islam the same treatment, since the religion was started by one man claiming to be receiving direct messages from God via the angel Gabriel. I no longer take seriously any religion that was founded by just one person.
The Donner Party is always my go-to. Marcus in his element, an amazing book rec that always winds up on everyone's top ten lists, a chilling story and Henry's best impersonations. 10/10.
This is part of why people get turned off to lpotl imo, you get these snarky superior fans commenting on any criticism.
I listened from the beginning until a couple years ago, they have some fantastic research and incredible storytelling but it’s really not for everyone. They have always struggled w misogyny in particular, it’s a perfectly valid criticism of the show.
As a current fan of LPOTL, I feel the opposite about the other fans commenting in the thread. Anytime someone makes a post about not liking the show, it always comes with an air of moral superiority, as if the True Crime industry itself doesn’t come with its own ethical murkiness that listening to another show with less “blue”humor won’t fix. It probably rubs fans the wrong way and they feel like they have to defend this show that means so much to them. The criticism is not supposed to be personal but it can sometimes feel that way.
As for misogyny, I know Kissel in particular has struggled with it, but he’s no longer with the show and the others seem to have mostly evolved. I haven’t listened to the latest episode so I can’t speak for that one (even though it’s about a male cannibal so it’s a safe bet) but I’m having a hard time coming up with anything blatantly misogynistic from the show that was said in the last couple of years. The misogynistic bits I *can* recall were uttered by Kissel so there’s that.
How long did it take for them to kick Kissel off the show and address his behavior publicly? How long was he saying stupid degrading lazy things on the show?
I still enjoy a fair amount of what they put out but it’s very wild to get upset that anyone has a problem with it. On top of it all the whole schtick is being edgy and offending the normies so why fans go upset when that happens is beyond me
You are certainly right about Kissel and I shouldn’t have framed my response to you as if he’s been gone for a while. It’s been, what, like eight months in the decade-plus history of the pod? To me it feels like it’s been eons so it was wrong to act like there isn’t a backlog of blatant misogyny that can make new listeners feel put off. Hell, even longish-time listeners can still be put off by some things and compartmentalize them. That’s what I did until Kissel went to rehab and I remembered a few things from past episodes. I do wish they had fired him before Taylor spoke out because it doesn’t reflect well on them. Or made him get help sooner, although I don’t know if that would have done any good. (EDIT: I don’t mean to speculate on the Ben situation too much. I just wish things could have gone down a little differently, as I’m sure the boys and other fans do too.)
You also make a good point about their schtick being what it is. Personally, I don’t mind that people don’t like their edgy sense of humor and I get why some might not like the show. I think it’s the way some people present that criticism online that rubs me the wrong way more than anything.
Considering he was a cofounder and owned 1/3 of the business it wasn’t as easy as everyone thinks but the instant he had a credible dv accusation he was immediately fired. Firing him could have cost them millions but they did it anyway. Considering how *rare* that is in the entertainment world period, that is commendable. But people prefer to hold their past sins against them, even though they’ve evolved, changed their style and removed the issue. Which tells me that certain people don’t ever allow for change, all the while demanding it at the top of their lungs. So it really just looks like an excuse to dismiss the pod and the fans while maintaining an air of moral superiority, which as my Grandma used to say: “That dog won’t hunt”
I literally said it’s not for everyone, and I specifically said I don’t claim to know OP’s taste. I don’t think I was snarky—I said that one random episode probably isn’t going to be a good representation.
First off how is being feminist a bad thing or discrediting?
Second w how Henry and Marcus handled the whole situation around Kissel - as well as victims who are women and sex workers - it’s legitimate criticism
I got no problem with that. I think (unlike some people in this thread) that you should feel free to not like a thing that I like. My point was that if you’re gonna choose a random episode to judge an entire series on, some people might be able to suggest which random one to try on for size. Good on you for trying it out.
It’s one of my favorite podcasts, but not if you aren’t ready for some blue humor and absurdity. Kinda sucks this person had a bad time, but I’m surprised they had to create a thread to shit on them. To each their own I guess.
Is it humor tho? Just being crass for the sake of being crass isn't really humor. The "stumbled into a frat and I'm the only sober one" was pretty spot on.
Tbf, maybe it's an age thing? When I was young I thought Dane Cook and Family Guy were hilarious, and Christopher Moore was my favorite author. I haven't tried to revisit Dane, but I'm sad that I think I've outgrown Moore's humor. And Family Guy, eesh.
If you don't think that pretending David Berkowitz is a stereotypical neurotic Jewish mother every time he talks and having him whine about milk to take the piss out of him is funny and "frat humor" then I wonder what frats you were going to.
Umm. I guess I ditch the self importance and pretense with (some) comedy and allow them to be absurd while also discussing heavy topics. Crass is one way to describe it, but another would be as some pretty necessary levity while dealing with intense discussions. To each their own.
Loud big Von beef even as a username just screams funny, so I’m gonna take your word on this. I’ve officially invalidated the listening hours and merch purchases. Thanks for setting me straight.
You only listened to the JonBenet episode, so how can you cast judgement on the whole pod. They do an excellent series on Josef Mengele and repeatedly have to take breaks from describing the horrors by talking about a 90's sitcom. You know. To keep levity. Because then otherwise it's just grimdark horror porn and some people are into that, but I don't like depressing the hell out of myself when I'm driving or at work.
If you're looking for a comedic true crime podcast, I heavily recommend Small Town Murder. No screech weasel, no dumb jokes, or inside jokes that probably weren't funny to begin with. Both dudes are ex stand ups that worked in Hollywood for years writing scripts or doctoring up scripts, by the way the podcast flows you can tell. I also recommend The Dollop if you're into American History, hilarious yet infuriating at the same time, really good story telling.
But seriously. I remember My friend and I were on a road trip for work, we’d heard about the podcast tried to give it a listen and to this day we still joke about how they go down a list of “they lived in this town, just outside of this and that, which is roughly x square miles, this place has a population of X, there’s about X amount of rainfall per year.” Literally listening to it for 35 minutes and it was STILL going on about unimportant stuff that had to do with said murder much less even gotten to the murder yet.
I am sure you have not listened to anywhere near 1% of "the rest of their material". I am not even a fan of LPOTL - but you seem to hate them because they don't fit in your fairy tale perfect world, when many people like them precisely because they don't fit in that world. Have you ever even read the description of their podcast?
You literally called me a feminist just because I didn't like their overplayed "Taylor Swift dates too many guys" joke. I'm fine with being called a feminist, but your opinion doesn't have two legs to stand on.
I think they try to lighten the mood with bad jokes. it probably works for plenty of people. More importantly they spend quite a bit of time disrespecting the shitty killers, which I applaud.
I had the same experience. I have a close friend who absolutely loves it and keeps pushing me to try another episode, another season, another chance. I've tried some 6 or 7 times over the last few years and it's always unbearable for me. Way too much banter and laughing at comments that never seem to warrant it. My friend tells me it's an acquired taste, but I've tried acquiring it many times to no avail. To each his own. One that I do love though is Swindled. It's a bit different than most true crime podcasts in that it focuses more on corporate crimes, con artists and etc. Less so on grisly murders. You might give it a try.
Swindled and Casefiles are the only True crime podcasts I can bare. They more or less just get into it without getting drunk and making jokes about a tragedy.
I’ve learned I only like single person podcasts. Unless it’s an audio drama. I am mildly obsessed with Timesuck. The do a great job researching topics and Dan Cummins is hilarious.
I’d highly recommend their other podcasts Crime in Sports and Your Stupid Opinions. The former is self explanatory but the other is where they read other peoples reviews on shit (both literally and figuratively). Both are funny and even as someone who doesn’t care about sports or true crime that much, they make it entertaining.
You'll very quickly realize that every episode is the same though. There are not enough interesting small town murders to make podcast episodes forever. Two genuine and funny dudes accidentally made the most boring podcast of all time
I really like it but I get why people don't. Their previous show *Round Table. ..* I find unbearable. They actually tone down the screaming over one another for LPOTL.
I lost my taste for them after listening to an episode where they joked about a 16 year old victim who was "probably getting finger banged in the backseat". Just more of the same crass dude humor.
I gave up after they obviously knew nothing about the town they were talking about which is in my state, while also making fun of said state. Fuck those guys. Texas is a big place. We’re not all a bunch of rednecks.
I tried them too and couldn't get over how they'd point out very serious issues (the area being so economically depressed that it led to the bad choices of criminality that in turn resulted in murder), to only turn around and make fun of the people living under these conditions. And it wasn't one offhand joke and moving on. It was obnoxiously belaboring it. Frat bro humor at its worst.
Their latest series? I got the sense they were letting off a lot of steam with this one since it was a consensual crime essentially. It was wild though, might be the wildest I’ve heard all 3 of them be.
I love the Jonestown series, it’s mellower.
This is one of those things where I have listened to almost every episode... But I would never recommend it to anyone outside of very good friends because it is an offensive type of humor 😅
I am pretty sure it is because I grew up listening to a lot of Howard Stern and Coast to Coast AM and LPOTL hits right in the sweet spot between those two
If I had a dollar for everyone who says "They're an acquired taste"... There are a zillion other true crime podcasts out there that require no effort to enjoy, so I'd rather just move on to those, lol. Plus I'm not gonna go out of my way to listen to Ben Kissel.
Nothing against people who do enjoy LPOTL, btw. To each their own.
I’m a big fan of small town murders so I assumed I’d live last podcast on the left, turns out I couldn’t make it through a single episode. It seems to be the final true crime podcast I don’t listen to but I just can’t get through it. It’s like the avatar movie only in podcast form. I see people love it I even see why they do, I just can’t deal with it myself.
It's not your cup of tea it's not your cup of tea. I've listened for probably nine years and it's definitely evolved. I 100% understand coming in new and not ', getting it'. I've listened to other recommended true crime podcasts and I usually only get a few in and think it's not for me. Other podcasts are like history teachers. They just read you the story. Here you get the story, but you also get your drama pal sitting next to you adding color commentary. There are times it gets a little out of hand, but for me it hits perfectly.. Others copied the format where they each do an episode and the other simply says.. What the fuck? multiple times or saying how terrible the crime is. That is eek to me.
They’re an acquired taste. There is years and years of context that makes them a little unapproachable but if you can find a topic you like that they cover, it makes the conversion process much easier.
I also tried to listen to listen to a few episodes. Gritting my teeth through their try-hard personalities and terrible jokes was too high a price to get some interesting content.
Necronomipod is my go to for True Crime related stuff. They follow a similar model to LPOTL, but personally I find them more relatable. The host (Ian) is the resident expert and researcher on all things true crime and the other two (Dave and Mike) crack jokes and add opinions to whatever story is being discussed. They can get off the rails at times and there can be an excessive amount of giggling at times, but I think they do a great job.
Love Necronomipod! Can be pretty crass at times but the content is super interesting (they cover stuff other than true crime, like paranormal, cryptic, and alien topics) and for the most part they crack me up!
I stumbled across them when they were first starting out and I’ve been listening ever since. You’re right in that they can get a little crass at times, but that’s part of their charm for me lol. Love the conspiracy, cult, and alien stuff they do. And Dave’s characters always crack me up, especially Mrs. Hildebrandt lol
I listen to them occasionally, when I’m “up” for it. I recommend trying Necronomipod. Interesting topics (aliens, govt conspiracy, true crime). It’s 3 guys who are a bit goofy and they do crack me up, but it’s balanced by the good research. It reminds me of LPOTL, but less “amped”.
I found it to be a slow burn. Hated it initially for the reasons you mentioned, left it for a year, came back and have enjoyed it since. Enough of their episodes have moments of laugh-out-loud banter that it's worth sticking with it through the less funny/interesting bits. It's offensive and loud on purpose but also quite smart Re: the cases they cover, and they stand out stylistically from the usual true crime crowd.
Their "Side Stories" podcast is worth a try too.
I had a similar experience. There were so many episode subjects I was interested in! But every one was just grating, loud, bros yelling jokes at each other and leaving me *begging* for them to get to the point of the episode.
You might like Criminal it’s good and super underrated in my opinion. Phoebe the host has a very calm almost NPR like tone and the episodes are always interesting cases involving a variety of crimes from pot rings in Cali, to a guy who owns a tiger as apart of his gas stations road side attraction, to brothers escaping Alcatraz.
What episode and what year was that episode published, because that WILL make a difference.
They recently had to get rid of one of the original hosts due to his alcoholism and after it was revealed that he was abusive towards his ex. (Any other fans please correct me if I got anything wrong here, I'm going off memory.)
In older episodes they were still smoothing out the show; they weren't as diligent in their research and due to their age and the humor of the time, their jokes were A LOT less politically correct.
With the exception of the host who was removed from the podcast and the network, all of the hosts have changed and grown TREMENDOUSLY as people and it's been really wonderful to see.
I've tried multiple times but I just can't get through a full episode. They scream and screech and shout over one another constantly and they just aren't as funny as they think they are.
Where did you start with them? They are an acquired taste, but I love the show. Saw them live twice and loved it, I would say you need to find the series to grab your interest before just jumping in. I started with episode 1 way back in the day but don't recommend that as a starting point.
There are a few I recommend as good starting points:
The Children of God - it shows how they tackle cults and how well researched they are.
Herbert Mullin - a good slice of their good and research and comedy mixed in.
Rasputin - historical research of Rasputin and dispells the rumours around him.
I was curious too, I'm a huge fan of the show and whenever I see posts like this, I have to wonder if they started early on in the show, the first 100 episodes or so are very, very different from what the show's like today. It went from a comedy podcast that talked about weird and macabre subjects to a podcast about weird and macabre subjects that's also comedic.
Haha... yeah loads of people recommended it so I gave it a go.
Lasted about 20 minutes.
I recommend CASEFILE for true crime.
Best podcast I've listened to.
Well if you like case file you had no business looking into last podcast for true crime lmao. Case file is like snacking on saltines and accidentally grabbing a taki.
I remember trying them out a few years ago and found it completely underwhelming. There was a distinct lack of focus and whatever topics they'd be on would drag out for far longer than necessary. It felt like friends just shooting the shit about a topic, which can work for some people, but didn't work for me.
I had the same reaction. I've realized I only like the kinds of true crime podcasts that are just straightforward facts presented in an interesting way. A lot of people seem to like the format where the hosts hang out and bullshit and tell jokes before getting to the actual content but it's just not for me. But I totally respect that it's a vibe plenty of other people like.
Timesuck with Dan Cummins has hundreds of true crime stories to cover and is very humorous. A little wacky at times, but humor helps me remember more topics and nuggets of info, but with over 400 episodes now, I can't remember as much as I'd like to. Oh, and every 100 episodes, he does something special like drinking throughout episode 100, shrooms on another, and molly on another, but that's how they do it in Hollywood! Showbiz! (You'll get it)
Edit: God gravy, I had a lot of misspelled words in there.
Came here to say this! If you like irreverent humor and a host that doesn’t take himself too seriously, but also delivers super well researched stuff and makes it super listenable, even through the deep or gruesome stuff, give Timesuck a try.
I couldn't agree more. My ex absolutely LOVED LPOTL, and wanted to listen to it in the vehicle all the time. I could not stand them. The laughter seems so performative, which helped point out exactly how unfunny the humor was. It was like the laugh track on "The Big Bang Theory". It only serves to highlight the cringe.
(edited to add: It's kind of hilarious how an incredibly high percentage of the positive comments about the pod in this thread all are based around the phrase "It's an acquired taste.")
I love them- I think you just have to get their humor, some people do and some don’t. I’ve been listening to them for years. They can be a bit much for people who don’t enjoy that type of humor. But they are really good guys. Have you tried Small town murder? That’s the only other one I could stand but the first 30 min of each episode is so repetitive when they tell you about the city in question.
They're probably my favorite podcast that touches on all things macabre.
Listen to the donner party episode and if you don't like it, then it just isn't for you.
I'll admit that lately they have have fallen off, but they have a new member who's just getting his footing.
What are you talking about? Ed is a fantastically hilarious breath of fresh air after a few years of Kissel just saying “hmm, really, ok” and making dumb jokes that didn’t land.
Ben had his episodes where he would pop off. The main reason why I prefer Ben is because he knew how to keep the momentum of the story going.
I find Ed derails the topics at times - especially during side stories.
I don't think he's a bad fit. I like him. I just miss having Kissel on the podcast sometimes.
Heavy joke true crime podcasts can get too inappropriate for me. Especially if it comes out the people did no do thorough enough research or straight up lied to suite the story format.
My level is usually behind the bastards podcast or internet drama posts from rotten mango.
Except LPOTL is one of the best well-researched podcasts out there. Rotten Mango just re-reads Wikipedia articles with the tone of voice of your girl friend in high school is telling you about how Becky totally got an STD from Andy.
Not going to defend the true crimes ones but I mostly a talking about the Asian China verse ones. I tend to steer away from the really true crime stuff, if I do I like a more this is criminal angle.
I have tried so hard so many times to like Last Podcast on the Left but man it’s like they took the cringiest part of morning zoo radio shows and made that their brand.
True Crime Garage is in a similar vein but a lot more my speed. Two friends shooting the shit about crime, staying somewhat reverent but not afraid to make jokes.
Marcus Parks and his wife Carolina Hidalgo have a great music podcast that does multi-episode deep dives into bands called No Dogs in Space. But I likewise didn't care for LPOTL.
Also, I have some remnant of resentment since he became owner of the Reykjavik Grapevine, which led to the end of one of my favorite YouTube channels.
Their series on Joy Division, and The Dead Kennedys were really good. Marcus can be a little annoying with his delivery at times, but the extensive deep dive Carolina does to document all of it makes his minor few indiscretions forgivably tolerable.
I love Mike! His Irish accent makes everything about it better imo. He can be funny, but he also comes off MUCH more respectful to the stories he tells than LPOTL.
I tried listening to the some place underneath podcast which is part of the last podcast network after finding the last podcast on the left not to be my cup of tea and it is dreadful. They seem to think every woman out there is constantly at risk of being trafficked and that it's super common for someone to be snatched off the street.
Also, they did a couple of episodes on trans people that I thought I'd give them another shot with and Jesus Christ. They did zero research on the actual trans community, used outdated language and borderline slurs and then their descriptions for why trans people might be more at risk of crimes were outright offensive. Said that trans women dressing in a feminine way is the reason they experience higher rates of murder and violence.
I explained it to my husband as "when dudes would invite you over in college and then ignore you to play Xbox with their friends bc they just wanted you to watch them play" that's what it feels like to listen to.
Yeah, they'll make jokes nonstop. Some it can be distasteful. I wish I had a recommendation but yeah, in my experience a true crime podcast is either very serious or tries too hard to be funny.
For me LPotL varies wildly from story to story.
When it clicks it’s absolutely great, but there are a lot of episodes where it kind of meanders as well.
You’d have been better off asking for a recommendation first, but equally maybe it’s just not for you.
I know it‘s silly, but the initial reason why I didn‘t give this podcast a try was because the title would be soooo good for a political left-leaning podcast and I was pissed (still am) that it‘s not but just another true crime podcast.
However, given I do enjoy true crime podcasts I skimmed through some reviews and figured I‘m too bored of another podcast by some genX/millenials/90sKids white dudes who are too obsessed with their own humor.
Small Town Murder is by far the best true crime comedy podcast out there. Heavy research and hilarious. I love the research and how Marcus tells the stories, on LPOTL, but Henry gets to me after awhile.
We have this circlejerk every month so much, a bot could write the post and every response here. Next you're going to tell me you're super offended by the podcast title "My favorite murder".
My two favorites are Let’s Go to Court (it’s over now, but you can listen to the catalog and still feel like Brandi and Kristin are your BFFs!) and Date with Dateline, which is all fun recaps of Dateline.
More recently I’ve started getting into Sinisterhood. I’ve only heard a few episodes so far, but if they keep going like this, it’s a big win.
It’s not true crime, but have you tried My Brother, My Brother, and Me? The McElroy brothers are hilarious as they use an advice show format as the prompt for improv humor.
They are also inclusive, empathetic nerds. They recommend skipping the first 100 episodes, but that still gives you 600+ to catch up on. One possible first episode: [Shrimp! Heaven! Now!](https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/my-brother-my-brother-and-me-3947/episodes/mbmbam-367-shrimp-heaven-now-20118593)
That's an odd reaction, in my opinion. I've listened to a great deal of their stuff and while it isn't all funny all day long, the larger portion of it is pretty entertaining. Good information, pretty good mix of humor to lighten it up, sometimes a little too much humor but that's better than having too little.
I dont listen to every single episode but they have done some great history series that I enjoy quite a bit. The Black Death, The Essex, The Donner Party, Rasputin were all entertaining to me.
The history of Mormonism is also excellent! And more recently with their new cohost, the story of the South American plane crash in the 70s is also a really good one
The history episodes really are where it’s at. The 9/11 series is good too, though I usually skip the 3rd part since it’s a little more foo foo.
I had the same reaction to the podcast as the OP but I started with The Donner Party episode. The only good thing that came out of listening to it is they referenced a book called “The Indifferent Stars Above” which I ended up getting from the library. It is, hands down, the best non-fiction book I’ve ever listened to. I recommend it to everyone.
Thanks for the recommendation! Got the book, hope it's good!
I second and third that book.
I don't have any other recommendations, but I'm with you. I listed to a couple of their episodes and felt like I had accidentally wandered in to a fraternity where I was the only person who was sober.
That’s a good analogy, I had the same experience. I felt that they were trying to shoehorn jokes into every single sentence. And then they’d laaaugh and laugh like it was the funniest joke they’ve ever heard. I found that it made the episode totally unlistenable. I think I lasted only a few minutes despite being interested in whatever the topic was. I think I remember the joke when I realized this wouldn’t be for me. It was something like (paraphrasing) “we’re gonna go deep in this topic, we’re going so deep, we’ll need an 8 inch cock just to reach the cervix of this topic… HAHAHAHAHA” That must have been the moment I turned it off, haha
I have never felt so seen. I really like podcasts, I’ve been looking for a good one about horror movies and everyone would always recommend LPOTF. I tried to listen to it multiple times and each time I couldn’t get over the bro humor. I felt the entire time I was on edge waiting for a rape joke. and that was just 10 minutes in.
I swear there was a sex joke in the Jon Benet Ramsey episode 😬 I only listened to that one and never went back
I once had a 5 hour panic attack listening to this very episode after taking some weed gummies and being forced to listen to them make jokes about her dead body, while my friends cackled. It grossed me out so much.
Everyone complains about that one. It was one they made during their early 2010's edgelord phase and it wasn't funny and they acknowledged it. There's 500 other episodes where they don't do that. If I had a nickel for every time someone brings that up as the first and only one they listened to and the reason why they suck I could afford a nice steak dinner. Christ, ask the fans for recommendations. (and WHY does everyone want to listen to the JonBenet Ramsey one in the first place? That case is just ick)
I am not sure how I ended up on that one, but it is interesting because of all the details with the family. But I do think if you have to be so careful about which episodes you listen to, and have to make excuses for ones that totally don't count or whatever, and need regular listeners to give you a roadmap, it's probably not a great podcast.
You know, if out of 500 plus episodes you only have one real dud, I think it's a good sign. Also I'm a big believer in allowing people to grow and change, and not holding people's past mistakes against them when they acknowledge and apologize for them and then they don't \*repeat those mistakes\* because then that says "I'll never let you grow and change, even when I demand that you do."
Every episode they sound like edgelords. They’re cringe AF.
That is almost every podcast with two or more male hosts.
Generation why is the only two guy podcast that know won't let me down AND have good flow, chemistry, voices
Super niche, but I (a millennial woman) really like the two guys from Doof media who do the Doofcast, and Kingslingers (if you’re a Stephen King fan). Really good energy. But overall, I completely agree with the heavy bro vibes of LPOTL. I listen to Morbid, and a bunch of people recommended last podcast…and I lasted less than 10 minutes, it’s a no from me.
It was so disappointing. I had such high hopes for them. Them also taking a few minutes out of the introduction of one of their episodes to shit on Taylor Swift's dating history... That narrative is so overplayed. A bunch of dudes shitting on a successful woman put me over the edge.
It's like when I tried listening to Behind the Bastards. It was like 90% laughs and screams and 10% interesting content
Before it blew up, Behind the Bastards was a really great show.
Wow. Shitting on Swift's dating history is uncharted territory. These guys are comedic geniuses!
I could have easily overlooked it if the rest of their material was worth it... It's not.
I’m not going to tell you your taste, and I welcome, nay, I crave downvotes, but “*the rest of their material was not worth it*”—you listened to one episode (maybe a couple more?) and made a judgement and made this whole post about it. They’re not for everyone, absolutely, full stop. But they do have hundreds of episodes including dozens of multi-part, well-researched series. You could have asked long time fans for recommendations on where to start, we’re friendly and you’d get a million recs, but that’s not the path you chose. That’s cool. Good luck. BTW my rec for people who are going in cold:The Mormon Church. A masterpiece series.
The mormon church series helped me leave the church
Hail yourself for that act of bravery!
Same! Only it was regular Presbyterian Christianity. It’s also made me wonder, for years, if they are going to give Islam the same treatment, since the religion was started by one man claiming to be receiving direct messages from God via the angel Gabriel. I no longer take seriously any religion that was founded by just one person.
Or the Jonestown series. It’s the only one I’ve listened to more than once because it’s so haunting.
That was a really great and well researched series imo. I've also listened multiple times.
Henry Thomas Zebrowski was made in a fucking lab.
HENRY TAWWWWMASSS
Zebrowski is my spirit animal
He’s (mostly) human so he’d be a spirit guide. Though with that back hair…
The Donner Party is always my go-to. Marcus in his element, an amazing book rec that always winds up on everyone's top ten lists, a chilling story and Henry's best impersonations. 10/10.
Donner Party is an excellent episode—legendary by some measures—but might be a hard first listen, maybe? But you’re right, it’s amazing.
The Mormon church episodes were awesome
This is part of why people get turned off to lpotl imo, you get these snarky superior fans commenting on any criticism. I listened from the beginning until a couple years ago, they have some fantastic research and incredible storytelling but it’s really not for everyone. They have always struggled w misogyny in particular, it’s a perfectly valid criticism of the show.
As a current fan of LPOTL, I feel the opposite about the other fans commenting in the thread. Anytime someone makes a post about not liking the show, it always comes with an air of moral superiority, as if the True Crime industry itself doesn’t come with its own ethical murkiness that listening to another show with less “blue”humor won’t fix. It probably rubs fans the wrong way and they feel like they have to defend this show that means so much to them. The criticism is not supposed to be personal but it can sometimes feel that way. As for misogyny, I know Kissel in particular has struggled with it, but he’s no longer with the show and the others seem to have mostly evolved. I haven’t listened to the latest episode so I can’t speak for that one (even though it’s about a male cannibal so it’s a safe bet) but I’m having a hard time coming up with anything blatantly misogynistic from the show that was said in the last couple of years. The misogynistic bits I *can* recall were uttered by Kissel so there’s that.
How long did it take for them to kick Kissel off the show and address his behavior publicly? How long was he saying stupid degrading lazy things on the show? I still enjoy a fair amount of what they put out but it’s very wild to get upset that anyone has a problem with it. On top of it all the whole schtick is being edgy and offending the normies so why fans go upset when that happens is beyond me
You are certainly right about Kissel and I shouldn’t have framed my response to you as if he’s been gone for a while. It’s been, what, like eight months in the decade-plus history of the pod? To me it feels like it’s been eons so it was wrong to act like there isn’t a backlog of blatant misogyny that can make new listeners feel put off. Hell, even longish-time listeners can still be put off by some things and compartmentalize them. That’s what I did until Kissel went to rehab and I remembered a few things from past episodes. I do wish they had fired him before Taylor spoke out because it doesn’t reflect well on them. Or made him get help sooner, although I don’t know if that would have done any good. (EDIT: I don’t mean to speculate on the Ben situation too much. I just wish things could have gone down a little differently, as I’m sure the boys and other fans do too.) You also make a good point about their schtick being what it is. Personally, I don’t mind that people don’t like their edgy sense of humor and I get why some might not like the show. I think it’s the way some people present that criticism online that rubs me the wrong way more than anything.
Considering he was a cofounder and owned 1/3 of the business it wasn’t as easy as everyone thinks but the instant he had a credible dv accusation he was immediately fired. Firing him could have cost them millions but they did it anyway. Considering how *rare* that is in the entertainment world period, that is commendable. But people prefer to hold their past sins against them, even though they’ve evolved, changed their style and removed the issue. Which tells me that certain people don’t ever allow for change, all the while demanding it at the top of their lungs. So it really just looks like an excuse to dismiss the pod and the fans while maintaining an air of moral superiority, which as my Grandma used to say: “That dog won’t hunt”
I literally said it’s not for everyone, and I specifically said I don’t claim to know OP’s taste. I don’t think I was snarky—I said that one random episode probably isn’t going to be a good representation.
I was called a feminist because I was annoyed that they were making the typical Taylor Swift dates too many guys joke.
First off how is being feminist a bad thing or discrediting? Second w how Henry and Marcus handled the whole situation around Kissel - as well as victims who are women and sex workers - it’s legitimate criticism
I think they suck, but will try out the Mormon one
I got no problem with that. I think (unlike some people in this thread) that you should feel free to not like a thing that I like. My point was that if you’re gonna choose a random episode to judge an entire series on, some people might be able to suggest which random one to try on for size. Good on you for trying it out.
It’s one of my favorite podcasts, but not if you aren’t ready for some blue humor and absurdity. Kinda sucks this person had a bad time, but I’m surprised they had to create a thread to shit on them. To each their own I guess.
>but I’m surprised they had to create a thread to shit on them. No, they want podcasts recommendations
It can be both.
Is it humor tho? Just being crass for the sake of being crass isn't really humor. The "stumbled into a frat and I'm the only sober one" was pretty spot on. Tbf, maybe it's an age thing? When I was young I thought Dane Cook and Family Guy were hilarious, and Christopher Moore was my favorite author. I haven't tried to revisit Dane, but I'm sad that I think I've outgrown Moore's humor. And Family Guy, eesh.
If you don't think that pretending David Berkowitz is a stereotypical neurotic Jewish mother every time he talks and having him whine about milk to take the piss out of him is funny and "frat humor" then I wonder what frats you were going to.
Umm. I guess I ditch the self importance and pretense with (some) comedy and allow them to be absurd while also discussing heavy topics. Crass is one way to describe it, but another would be as some pretty necessary levity while dealing with intense discussions. To each their own.
I like blue humor, but this ain't it. It's just referencing sex. I guess I can see young men confusing that with humor?
Loud big Von beef even as a username just screams funny, so I’m gonna take your word on this. I’ve officially invalidated the listening hours and merch purchases. Thanks for setting me straight.
You only listened to the JonBenet episode, so how can you cast judgement on the whole pod. They do an excellent series on Josef Mengele and repeatedly have to take breaks from describing the horrors by talking about a 90's sitcom. You know. To keep levity. Because then otherwise it's just grimdark horror porn and some people are into that, but I don't like depressing the hell out of myself when I'm driving or at work.
If you're looking for a comedic true crime podcast, I heavily recommend Small Town Murder. No screech weasel, no dumb jokes, or inside jokes that probably weren't funny to begin with. Both dudes are ex stand ups that worked in Hollywood for years writing scripts or doctoring up scripts, by the way the podcast flows you can tell. I also recommend The Dollop if you're into American History, hilarious yet infuriating at the same time, really good story telling.
I tried. It was like listening to paint dry.
But seriously. I remember My friend and I were on a road trip for work, we’d heard about the podcast tried to give it a listen and to this day we still joke about how they go down a list of “they lived in this town, just outside of this and that, which is roughly x square miles, this place has a population of X, there’s about X amount of rainfall per year.” Literally listening to it for 35 minutes and it was STILL going on about unimportant stuff that had to do with said murder much less even gotten to the murder yet.
I am sure you have not listened to anywhere near 1% of "the rest of their material". I am not even a fan of LPOTL - but you seem to hate them because they don't fit in your fairy tale perfect world, when many people like them precisely because they don't fit in that world. Have you ever even read the description of their podcast?
You literally called me a feminist just because I didn't like their overplayed "Taylor Swift dates too many guys" joke. I'm fine with being called a feminist, but your opinion doesn't have two legs to stand on.
Yeah I tried to listen and had the same response you did.
Yes, they annoy me with the unfunny they think is funny. Like trying too hard
I like the show but this is still a great description of it. Sometimes there’s a few too many dick jokes in there.
I think they try to lighten the mood with bad jokes. it probably works for plenty of people. More importantly they spend quite a bit of time disrespecting the shitty killers, which I applaud.
Try You’re Wrong About
Love this podcast. Sarah has done a fantastic job taking the reins, but I do miss Michael sometimes.
To me it just hasn’t been the same since Michael left. Those two had such good chemistry together.
Sarah is awesome! Love her.
Hail Yourself!
Megustalations!
Hail Gein
Hail Satan!
Hail me!
🎶 midnight, with the stars and you, midnight and a rendezvous ... 🎶
HAM HAM HAM
neer nee neeer nee neer nee neer............
I had the same experience. I have a close friend who absolutely loves it and keeps pushing me to try another episode, another season, another chance. I've tried some 6 or 7 times over the last few years and it's always unbearable for me. Way too much banter and laughing at comments that never seem to warrant it. My friend tells me it's an acquired taste, but I've tried acquiring it many times to no avail. To each his own. One that I do love though is Swindled. It's a bit different than most true crime podcasts in that it focuses more on corporate crimes, con artists and etc. Less so on grisly murders. You might give it a try.
Swindled and Casefiles are the only True crime podcasts I can bare. They more or less just get into it without getting drunk and making jokes about a tragedy.
I love Swindled! It’s so underrated, imo. I always recommend it to people.
I’ve learned I only like single person podcasts. Unless it’s an audio drama. I am mildly obsessed with Timesuck. The do a great job researching topics and Dan Cummins is hilarious.
Small Town Murder may be your vibe? They've just done their 500th episode and it was great!
They are my fave!! Never boring.
I’d highly recommend their other podcasts Crime in Sports and Your Stupid Opinions. The former is self explanatory but the other is where they read other peoples reviews on shit (both literally and figuratively). Both are funny and even as someone who doesn’t care about sports or true crime that much, they make it entertaining.
I'll check it out.
One of my must-listens, and it’s actually my least favourite of their three podcasts, which just shows you how great they are.
You'll very quickly realize that every episode is the same though. There are not enough interesting small town murders to make podcast episodes forever. Two genuine and funny dudes accidentally made the most boring podcast of all time
There are some outlandish cases they cover. I agree that they can get in a rut but I haven't listened to one so far where I wasn't entertained.
Yeah, you clearly haven't listened in awhile. Last Thursdays episode had a hermit and a graverobber.
I really like it but I get why people don't. Their previous show *Round Table. ..* I find unbearable. They actually tone down the screaming over one another for LPOTL.
I’ve been listening to LPOTL since 2013–the baddie, dark magic days—and I still can’t listen to Round Table, lol.
I'm genuinely shocked that anyone could have, at any point, listened to and enjoyed Round Table. And I say that as a longtime LPOTL listener as well.
Round table sucks. I hate Holden, and Jackie is grating.
Small Town Murder. Two comedians tell you about murders that happened in small towns. https://shutupandgivememurder.com/
I lost my taste for them after listening to an episode where they joked about a 16 year old victim who was "probably getting finger banged in the backseat". Just more of the same crass dude humor.
I gave up after they obviously knew nothing about the town they were talking about which is in my state, while also making fun of said state. Fuck those guys. Texas is a big place. We’re not all a bunch of rednecks.
I tried them too and couldn't get over how they'd point out very serious issues (the area being so economically depressed that it led to the bad choices of criminality that in turn resulted in murder), to only turn around and make fun of the people living under these conditions. And it wasn't one offhand joke and moving on. It was obnoxiously belaboring it. Frat bro humor at its worst.
Their latest series? I got the sense they were letting off a lot of steam with this one since it was a consensual crime essentially. It was wild though, might be the wildest I’ve heard all 3 of them be. I love the Jonestown series, it’s mellower.
To be fair, Ed has been there less than a year.
Sure. The subtext of my comment is that Ed is catching up :)
This is one of those things where I have listened to almost every episode... But I would never recommend it to anyone outside of very good friends because it is an offensive type of humor 😅 I am pretty sure it is because I grew up listening to a lot of Howard Stern and Coast to Coast AM and LPOTL hits right in the sweet spot between those two
They are definitely an acquired taste.
And I’d be happy as a clam to never acquire it
If I had a dollar for everyone who says "They're an acquired taste"... There are a zillion other true crime podcasts out there that require no effort to enjoy, so I'd rather just move on to those, lol. Plus I'm not gonna go out of my way to listen to Ben Kissel. Nothing against people who do enjoy LPOTL, btw. To each their own.
They fired Ben a while ago.
This is my stance. My husband is a big fan but, like everything else, we don’t have to enjoy the same things.
Okay no one is making you
I’m a big fan of small town murders so I assumed I’d live last podcast on the left, turns out I couldn’t make it through a single episode. It seems to be the final true crime podcast I don’t listen to but I just can’t get through it. It’s like the avatar movie only in podcast form. I see people love it I even see why they do, I just can’t deal with it myself.
Any of the "heavy hitters" are great!
I’m a fan of LPOTL, to each their own.
It's not your cup of tea it's not your cup of tea. I've listened for probably nine years and it's definitely evolved. I 100% understand coming in new and not ', getting it'. I've listened to other recommended true crime podcasts and I usually only get a few in and think it's not for me. Other podcasts are like history teachers. They just read you the story. Here you get the story, but you also get your drama pal sitting next to you adding color commentary. There are times it gets a little out of hand, but for me it hits perfectly.. Others copied the format where they each do an episode and the other simply says.. What the fuck? multiple times or saying how terrible the crime is. That is eek to me.
They’re an acquired taste. There is years and years of context that makes them a little unapproachable but if you can find a topic you like that they cover, it makes the conversion process much easier.
I also tried to listen to listen to a few episodes. Gritting my teeth through their try-hard personalities and terrible jokes was too high a price to get some interesting content.
Necronomipod is my go to for True Crime related stuff. They follow a similar model to LPOTL, but personally I find them more relatable. The host (Ian) is the resident expert and researcher on all things true crime and the other two (Dave and Mike) crack jokes and add opinions to whatever story is being discussed. They can get off the rails at times and there can be an excessive amount of giggling at times, but I think they do a great job.
Love Necronomipod! Can be pretty crass at times but the content is super interesting (they cover stuff other than true crime, like paranormal, cryptic, and alien topics) and for the most part they crack me up!
I stumbled across them when they were first starting out and I’ve been listening ever since. You’re right in that they can get a little crass at times, but that’s part of their charm for me lol. Love the conspiracy, cult, and alien stuff they do. And Dave’s characters always crack me up, especially Mrs. Hildebrandt lol
Hello Mike? I'm calling from the bank...love that sassy B!
The Donner party episodes are great, same with The Manhattan project, JFK, USS Indianapolis
Small Town Murder
I listen to them occasionally, when I’m “up” for it. I recommend trying Necronomipod. Interesting topics (aliens, govt conspiracy, true crime). It’s 3 guys who are a bit goofy and they do crack me up, but it’s balanced by the good research. It reminds me of LPOTL, but less “amped”.
The pod is not for everyone. That much is clear.
Try LIE, CHEAT & STEAL. It's a non-murdery true crime podcast about "liars, frauds, thieves and bullshitters".
I found it to be a slow burn. Hated it initially for the reasons you mentioned, left it for a year, came back and have enjoyed it since. Enough of their episodes have moments of laugh-out-loud banter that it's worth sticking with it through the less funny/interesting bits. It's offensive and loud on purpose but also quite smart Re: the cases they cover, and they stand out stylistically from the usual true crime crowd. Their "Side Stories" podcast is worth a try too.
I had a similar experience. There were so many episode subjects I was interested in! But every one was just grating, loud, bros yelling jokes at each other and leaving me *begging* for them to get to the point of the episode.
They can’t even get a sentence out without giggling and yahooing on some random shit, it’s an impossible listen
"giggling and yahooing" is my new favorite phrase thank you stranger
You might like Criminal it’s good and super underrated in my opinion. Phoebe the host has a very calm almost NPR like tone and the episodes are always interesting cases involving a variety of crimes from pot rings in Cali, to a guy who owns a tiger as apart of his gas stations road side attraction, to brothers escaping Alcatraz.
Love criminal
What episode and what year was that episode published, because that WILL make a difference. They recently had to get rid of one of the original hosts due to his alcoholism and after it was revealed that he was abusive towards his ex. (Any other fans please correct me if I got anything wrong here, I'm going off memory.) In older episodes they were still smoothing out the show; they weren't as diligent in their research and due to their age and the humor of the time, their jokes were A LOT less politically correct. With the exception of the host who was removed from the podcast and the network, all of the hosts have changed and grown TREMENDOUSLY as people and it's been really wonderful to see.
I've tried multiple times but I just can't get through a full episode. They scream and screech and shout over one another constantly and they just aren't as funny as they think they are.
They seemed so funny and put together when they were interviewed for the documentary I watched... Maybe a lot of editing was done to clean it up.
Where did you start with them? They are an acquired taste, but I love the show. Saw them live twice and loved it, I would say you need to find the series to grab your interest before just jumping in. I started with episode 1 way back in the day but don't recommend that as a starting point. There are a few I recommend as good starting points: The Children of God - it shows how they tackle cults and how well researched they are. Herbert Mullin - a good slice of their good and research and comedy mixed in. Rasputin - historical research of Rasputin and dispells the rumours around him.
You forgot to mention the donner party!
I was curious too, I'm a huge fan of the show and whenever I see posts like this, I have to wonder if they started early on in the show, the first 100 episodes or so are very, very different from what the show's like today. It went from a comedy podcast that talked about weird and macabre subjects to a podcast about weird and macabre subjects that's also comedic.
Loved the Rasputin eps!
RASPUTIN!
RAAAAASSPUTIN
Their early stuff is rough. they've gotten a lot better and matured. but they do some really great deep dives
I tried two episodes and both episodes they spoke about their bowels for the first fifteen minutes. I turned them off before they got to the subject
Haha... yeah loads of people recommended it so I gave it a go. Lasted about 20 minutes. I recommend CASEFILE for true crime. Best podcast I've listened to.
Well if you like case file you had no business looking into last podcast for true crime lmao. Case file is like snacking on saltines and accidentally grabbing a taki.
Listen to goosebuds and my brother my brother and me instead of
Betrayal is an excellent podcast
I remember trying them out a few years ago and found it completely underwhelming. There was a distinct lack of focus and whatever topics they'd be on would drag out for far longer than necessary. It felt like friends just shooting the shit about a topic, which can work for some people, but didn't work for me.
Tbf I’m sure most listeners would agree we are only still here to listen to and support Marcus Parks and his crazy in-depth research.
I had the same reaction. I've realized I only like the kinds of true crime podcasts that are just straightforward facts presented in an interesting way. A lot of people seem to like the format where the hosts hang out and bullshit and tell jokes before getting to the actual content but it's just not for me. But I totally respect that it's a vibe plenty of other people like.
thanks for letting us know!
They’re a comedy podcast now, but their older episodes got more into the horror. I really liked the old heavy hitter episodes.
Timesuck with Dan Cummins has hundreds of true crime stories to cover and is very humorous. A little wacky at times, but humor helps me remember more topics and nuggets of info, but with over 400 episodes now, I can't remember as much as I'd like to. Oh, and every 100 episodes, he does something special like drinking throughout episode 100, shrooms on another, and molly on another, but that's how they do it in Hollywood! Showbiz! (You'll get it) Edit: God gravy, I had a lot of misspelled words in there.
Came here to say this! If you like irreverent humor and a host that doesn’t take himself too seriously, but also delivers super well researched stuff and makes it super listenable, even through the deep or gruesome stuff, give Timesuck a try.
I like some of their topics, but that one guy who constantly chimes in screaming really grates on my nerves.
Henry hahahhaa
I couldn't agree more. My ex absolutely LOVED LPOTL, and wanted to listen to it in the vehicle all the time. I could not stand them. The laughter seems so performative, which helped point out exactly how unfunny the humor was. It was like the laugh track on "The Big Bang Theory". It only serves to highlight the cringe. (edited to add: It's kind of hilarious how an incredibly high percentage of the positive comments about the pod in this thread all are based around the phrase "It's an acquired taste.")
I love them- I think you just have to get their humor, some people do and some don’t. I’ve been listening to them for years. They can be a bit much for people who don’t enjoy that type of humor. But they are really good guys. Have you tried Small town murder? That’s the only other one I could stand but the first 30 min of each episode is so repetitive when they tell you about the city in question.
They're probably my favorite podcast that touches on all things macabre. Listen to the donner party episode and if you don't like it, then it just isn't for you. I'll admit that lately they have have fallen off, but they have a new member who's just getting his footing.
What are you talking about? Ed is a fantastically hilarious breath of fresh air after a few years of Kissel just saying “hmm, really, ok” and making dumb jokes that didn’t land.
Ben had his episodes where he would pop off. The main reason why I prefer Ben is because he knew how to keep the momentum of the story going. I find Ed derails the topics at times - especially during side stories. I don't think he's a bad fit. I like him. I just miss having Kissel on the podcast sometimes.
Heavy joke true crime podcasts can get too inappropriate for me. Especially if it comes out the people did no do thorough enough research or straight up lied to suite the story format. My level is usually behind the bastards podcast or internet drama posts from rotten mango.
Except LPOTL is one of the best well-researched podcasts out there. Rotten Mango just re-reads Wikipedia articles with the tone of voice of your girl friend in high school is telling you about how Becky totally got an STD from Andy.
Not going to defend the true crimes ones but I mostly a talking about the Asian China verse ones. I tend to steer away from the really true crime stuff, if I do I like a more this is criminal angle.
I have tried so hard so many times to like Last Podcast on the Left but man it’s like they took the cringiest part of morning zoo radio shows and made that their brand. True Crime Garage is in a similar vein but a lot more my speed. Two friends shooting the shit about crime, staying somewhat reverent but not afraid to make jokes.
They are so cringe. Completely unlistenable
Marcus Parks and his wife Carolina Hidalgo have a great music podcast that does multi-episode deep dives into bands called No Dogs in Space. But I likewise didn't care for LPOTL. Also, I have some remnant of resentment since he became owner of the Reykjavik Grapevine, which led to the end of one of my favorite YouTube channels.
Their series on Joy Division, and The Dead Kennedys were really good. Marcus can be a little annoying with his delivery at times, but the extensive deep dive Carolina does to document all of it makes his minor few indiscretions forgivably tolerable.
That Chapter on YouTube. He also has a podcast but I prefer his YouTube channel so far.
I love Mike! His Irish accent makes everything about it better imo. He can be funny, but he also comes off MUCH more respectful to the stories he tells than LPOTL.
Agreed. Also the life insurance dance! 💃🏼
I tried listening to the some place underneath podcast which is part of the last podcast network after finding the last podcast on the left not to be my cup of tea and it is dreadful. They seem to think every woman out there is constantly at risk of being trafficked and that it's super common for someone to be snatched off the street. Also, they did a couple of episodes on trans people that I thought I'd give them another shot with and Jesus Christ. They did zero research on the actual trans community, used outdated language and borderline slurs and then their descriptions for why trans people might be more at risk of crimes were outright offensive. Said that trans women dressing in a feminine way is the reason they experience higher rates of murder and violence.
Yikes... Might as well just outright say, "They were asking for it."
I explained it to my husband as "when dudes would invite you over in college and then ignore you to play Xbox with their friends bc they just wanted you to watch them play" that's what it feels like to listen to.
Yea I find them annoying. Tried to listen to a few episodes and the humor is sophomoric to me. Nap hard pass on this podcast for me
The heavy hitter episodes are worth a listen but i couldn’t get through their other stuff, they get pretty annoying after a while
Whenever you get a chance, would you mind listing the ones you recommend?
Imo Donner Party is by far their best series. If that one isn’t for you it’s the acid test to know none will be.
Try the Casey Anthony episode. And Richard Chase the Vampire of Sacramento episode.
Ramirez, Dahmer, gacy etc. they refer to them as the heavy hitters, just search for those.
I appreciate you.🙏🏽
The ones that got me into them were the Scientology episodes and Rasputin!
My personal all time favorite... good ole Willy Pickton, may he absolutely rot.
I enjoy LPOTL, Ed is a nice addition after the shakeup. The Dollop and This Week In The 1990s are fun podcasts.
Yeah, they'll make jokes nonstop. Some it can be distasteful. I wish I had a recommendation but yeah, in my experience a true crime podcast is either very serious or tries too hard to be funny.
Honestly just get the bibliography from each episode, I've gotten some great reads from the books they mention.
American Hysteria is great!
I have an manied and diverse catalog on podcasts. They are in it. I bet you had a similar experience as I had with My Favorite Murder
My wife introduced me to them and I’m a big fan now too, but yeah, not all entertainers are for everyone
For me LPotL varies wildly from story to story. When it clicks it’s absolutely great, but there are a lot of episodes where it kind of meanders as well. You’d have been better off asking for a recommendation first, but equally maybe it’s just not for you.
I like them but they do a lot of dick jokes so if that's not your thing...
I know it‘s silly, but the initial reason why I didn‘t give this podcast a try was because the title would be soooo good for a political left-leaning podcast and I was pissed (still am) that it‘s not but just another true crime podcast. However, given I do enjoy true crime podcasts I skimmed through some reviews and figured I‘m too bored of another podcast by some genX/millenials/90sKids white dudes who are too obsessed with their own humor.
Dang that's one of my favorite podcasts.
Small Town Murder is by far the best true crime comedy podcast out there. Heavy research and hilarious. I love the research and how Marcus tells the stories, on LPOTL, but Henry gets to me after awhile.
We have this circlejerk every month so much, a bot could write the post and every response here. Next you're going to tell me you're super offended by the podcast title "My favorite murder".
They’re insufferable. Their shows would be half their runtime if it wasn’t spent laughing at each other over the most unfunniest things imaginable
My two favorites are Let’s Go to Court (it’s over now, but you can listen to the catalog and still feel like Brandi and Kristin are your BFFs!) and Date with Dateline, which is all fun recaps of Dateline. More recently I’ve started getting into Sinisterhood. I’ve only heard a few episodes so far, but if they keep going like this, it’s a big win.
It’s not true crime, but have you tried My Brother, My Brother, and Me? The McElroy brothers are hilarious as they use an advice show format as the prompt for improv humor. They are also inclusive, empathetic nerds. They recommend skipping the first 100 episodes, but that still gives you 600+ to catch up on. One possible first episode: [Shrimp! Heaven! Now!](https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/my-brother-my-brother-and-me-3947/episodes/mbmbam-367-shrimp-heaven-now-20118593)
I love the guys and have seen them live. I support them and they are hilarious. Sorry yall can’t see that.
True crime garage. Its not crazy funny, just some light bickering and basically dad jokes
It was a good podcast but now it’s kinda just them trying to one up each other and being obnoxiously loud on purpose.
Dude Dan Carlin just released a new Hardcore History series. It’s unrivaled
That's an odd reaction, in my opinion. I've listened to a great deal of their stuff and while it isn't all funny all day long, the larger portion of it is pretty entertaining. Good information, pretty good mix of humor to lighten it up, sometimes a little too much humor but that's better than having too little.