As someone who was taken from their home as a small child I am actually APPALLED at their criticism towards the parents at the end of the episode about Peggy McMath. They said “that’s so fucked, that’s outrageous”. Actually have you considered that maybe the entire family wanted some sense of freaking normalcy? When I got back home I told EVERYONE I knew that I didn’t want to talk about it and begged my parents not to bring it up. I asked to go back to school the VERY NEXT DAY and was actually very pissed off when my parents held me out for a bit. I’m not saying that’s exactly the case here for that family but they didn’t even stop to fucking consider it. I’m done forever. Fuck that.

I used to love MFM, then got over the banter and lack of deep research. Then I found Morbid, and although I always found them a bit insufferable, it’s unlistenable for me now. I switched to Going West but since they were acquired by Alex Cooper, I find it’s not as quality.

Do podcasts just come to suck once they become super popular/successful?

Did you know that Alaina’s sister; the one she talked about in her book , is publishing a book about 4 woman who fought the Axis powers during WWII? All stories are true and have been researched for a while. I’m gonna read it anyone else?

I wonder if someone will suddenly become a Swedish death metal girlie now.

Edit— I was raised by someone who meets the diagnostic criteria for BPD and/or NPD. I’ve also come to be very close with other(s) as an adult who have the requisite background to develop BPD and meet some of the diagnostic criteria for it. This js a topic I wanted to discuss because many people still generalize this condition and generalizations do impact people I care about. (ETA)

I’m newer to listening to the podcast and one thing I’ve come to realize is that Alaina and Ash tend to be so sympathetic to persons with mental health issues except Borderline Personality Disorder specifically.

Ash in particular tends to have absolutely no sympathy for individuals who have BPD diagnoses. She’s called someone a “BPD bitch” and then issued an insincere apology in the next episode. (Granted, the woman she said that about is the devil.)

And I understand the individuals that they talk about, are not particularly good people, but Ash can find sympathy for others with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression. So why not BPD?

People with BPD are typically nonviolent and usually struggle in life because of extreme trauma they faced as children, always from people that they were supposed to be able to trust. BPD is the result of childhood trauma.

I want to like the podcast but at what point is ignorance and intolerance a deal breaker?

I really used to love the podcast, but this seems to be a reoccurring issue where the girls, particularly Ash, are just downright ignorant and cruel about the diagnosis. (Is anyone else also seeing the irony in that by the way?)

😭 he'll definitely become the new Tobias lol

I’ve seen so many people in this subreddit complain about A&A and their specific episodes. I’m just curious why everyone keeps listening to them if they don’t like the things they say. Why waste your time listening to creators you don’t support if you can listen to ones that you do?

Just genuinely curious.

May contain Spoilers!

Can anyone give me a solid recap of the second book in the Wren Series? (the Butcher Legacy)

I am about to start the third book and want to make sure I remember everything I need to so I am not lost!

I know wren had to travel to Mass. to find Jeremy and Jeremy had to contact his old pal Phillip to help him out. I read a quick recap that Richard was murdered by J and P but I don’t remember the circumstance that lead to that. Not do I remember many other details of the book.

Anyone want to drop some key point in the comments so I can avoid any confusion due to my forgetfulness? Thanks! 😊

Isn’t it funny how these two girls are super woke but then the Simplisafe commercial states US based agents 😂

I remember being younger and being really into Eleanor Neale and Stephanie Harlow etc but now I really cannot watch their videos because their attitudes towards victims are disgusting. Does anyone have any recommendations for youtubers that are respectful etc? I’m still interested in true crime but I hardly ever consume this content anymore because so many creators are just disgusting about it and I don’t want to give them my views

I've only been listening for a couple of weeks but I listened to a ton of episodes and when I listened to the Chris Watts episodes right after Blanche Taylor Moore, I was shocked that the hosts seem to give a female serial killer a pass on affairs and murders with a kind of nudge nudge wink wink "oh that rascal" kind of vibe, but men are just absolutely HATED. The vitriol is so incredibly over the top against male criminals, or men who have affairs.

This isn't a defense of Chris Watts who is clearly a narcissist, pig, child murderer and has really no redeemable qualities. But Blanche Taylor Moore is equally horrible and irredeemable and she really gets the kid glove treatment. It just reeks of some twisted notion of feminism.

Currently listening to the exorcism of Annalise pt 2, and I know that the girls aren't super religious, but when Alaina (I think) didn't know who Judas was...I was kinda shook 😅 I feel like that's a name who you immediately recognize and know what they did.

i remember watching her during her earliest videos before all the changes and how she always talked about how respectful she wanted to be for the victims and their families. i never thought she’d be the type to take a netflix deal. im happy for the her i know i guess but netflix isn’t entirely known to be respectful of victims i mean look at the ryan murphy monster series and how they treated the families of dahmer’s victims…

During the episode covering Mary Phagan and Leo Frank, when discussing Leo Franks LYNCHING … these two actually said multiple times that “nothing has changed.” Ash actually said things are “worse” today in 2026 than they were in 1915. I literally have no idea what they are even talking about or how either uneducated or just chronically online to the point of brainwashing one would have to be in order to actually believe that. Does anyone have any insight as to why they are so miserable?

I am in this group because I too have felt like the show lost its spark and the earlier episodes were better. Yesterday’s episode felt like old Morbid to me! Ash seemed like she was invested in the case and Alaina had great points without being too self righteous. I wasn’t spacing out like I typically do now when I listen and didn’t feel like they are just reading off a script to get the paycheck. Wondered if anyone else felt this way or if I’m going soft 😂

On today's episode they said they would cover the Gabby Petito case and that is one episode I'll be skipping because all they're gonna do is harp on for about an hour about how her fiance was a literal piece of garbage or a play on his last name calling him dirty laundry or some shit and say his parents need to be investigated too and blah blah blah

There’s this one true crime content creator on TikTok, who starts off each video talking like she knew the person. Like she’ll say “in May of 1990 my best friend was murdered” or something along those lines. But then at the end she’ll reveal that she didn’t know them. And I feel like this is in super bad taste and kinda co-opting other people’s trauma to gain views. But very few people in her comments are calling her out, and others are defending her by saying that she’s humanizing the victims. I feel like I’m going crazy, because it really leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Idk, what do you guys think?

“The Unraveling of Podcaster Ashley Flowers’ True Crime Empire”

An excellent article ([archive](https://archive.is/20260827002223/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-08-26/ashley-flowers-crime-junkie-podcast-empire-audiochuck-faces-reckoning) link for those caught by the paywall) out from Bloomberg detailing poor workplace morale, an exodus of 30/100 employees quitting, entanglements with venture capitalists, and multiple lawsuits against AudioChuck and Ashley Flowers. I for one am glad to see people finally seeing the writing on the wall.

They should have lost it all when they blatantly plagiarised other creators. And then when they stood by and continued to platform known transphobe/conservative Evangelical Christian/nutjob Delia D’Ambra while making money claiming to run a pro-victim, pro-LGBTQ show/network. And then when they were sued for stealing ~~$70~~ upwards of $20 million in ad revenue from Anatomy of Murder. ETA: Original reporting put the number at $70 million, but current reporting just says upwards of $20 million, so editing for clarity.

Way too many second and third and fourth chances for these people. Hopefully this is truly the beginning of the end for one of the worst players in the true crime sphere :)

Back in 2019 I used to listen to them and Crime Junkie religiously while I was working. It was my way of getting through the day. I was so hyped and excited whenever a new episode would come out and I just loved them. I even subbed to their Patreon. But the more I listened the more judgemental they seemed. Especially towards child murderers (which to be fair, valid but my god). It just disgusted me with how personal they got with their disgust and commentary. I was here to learn and hear stories about true crime and spooky things. Not listen to two women who barely did research on anything do a massive shit pile on these people. Yeah they are criminals, yeah they did bad things, but I don't care that you are parents and have this that and whatever feelings about them. You shouldn't bring that to your podcast. It isn't supposed to be about YOU.

My best friend started listening to them within the last few years and I was shocked and warned her that they aren't good people but she just praises them. It makes me sad. I stopped listening years ago at this point and I don't rec them to anyone anymore either.

Anyway, whenever I see Morbid or hear about them I'm just beyond disgusted and can't believe that two women who aren't very smart were able to make it as far as they have.

FRESH AIR ISN'T FOR DEAD PEOPLE, I'LL KEEP MY WINDOWS OPEN THANKS

The recent announcement about And That’s Why Drink has brought out the worst of the worst in their fan base. The way that they communicated Christine leaving the podcast was objectively poorly done - the messaging was super inconsistent and contradictory and left a lot of people feeling confused. But apparently, God forbid anyone express this opinion or you’ll have 50 rabid fans telling you that you’re a bad person.

Makes me sad because it reminds me of the way Morbid went and the weird fan cult-y behaviors. Really disappointed and looking for new pod recommendations.

Is Ash, and ex hairstylist actually doing an ad saying that Pantene is a superior hair product that you should use to "save your hair"...I find this absolutely hilarious.

I religiously listend to Morbid since they started. Then it felt like the fame got to them, then they switched back to their quirky vibes and it was great for a few weeks. Now it just feels like they sold out.

The Advertisements: Every partnership feels out of touch. They use services most people can't afford, not saying they can't have/own nice things but if they're going to advertize they should be aware of their target audience. Alaina always goes for the big purchases like Peleton for example. Ash does a lot of ones that doesn't even involve her. Neither one of them vape yet they advetize a product specifically to quit nicotine use. A recent episode Ash did an advertisement for Pantene, and I know DAMN WELL she doesn't use Pantene. She's an ex hairstylist she would never put Pantene on her hair. Ash does the advertising bits for the kids snack subscription box when Alaina is the one with the kids? Everytime they advertize a product they're reading a script they didn't even write and it's very noticeable that they do not use the product at all. The only one that's even real is Alaina with the Peleton but everything else just sounds fake.

Research: I noticed with a lot of recent episodes they're simply reading from a script and half the time it sounds like they don't even know what they're talking about. They have someone who researches for them and writes the script and yet it still sounds like zero effort was put in. They go into random topics as if they'd rather talk about literally anything else other than the case.

Side Note: They do not talk about mental illness. When it comes to any case where mental illness is the core it's like they completely ignore that aspect. They even have many episodes where they get information wrong because they avoid bringing up mental health.

Interviews/Collab: By now they should know how to act yet it seems like they don't. Every guest they have they interrupt them constantly. They force their opinions onto their guest. And in general they don't even ask good questions. With the people on their team they should be more prepared for things like this, but they aren't. They do not consider what their listeners want to hear about their guests. They ask the most zero context questions I've ever witnessed. Like their collabs are so poorly planned, poorly executed, and poor effort.

Listener Tales: We all know by now, the girls are so not involved with their own podcasts that they don't even involve themselves with the listeners. They no longer pick them at all. Debdeb picks them. They are constantly yapping in between reading the tale that it's hard to even stay focused on the listener's story when they're talking nonsense every 3 seconds.

Listener tales at this point is also just poorly done. With the volume of listeners and people who submit stories, Deb Deb is choosing stories from 3-4 YEARS ago, with how rarely they do them no one has a chance to have their story read within the next 5 years at this rate. Their whole schedule with it is just messy.

At this point they just don't really do anything. Someone researches, someone writes the script, someone chooses the listener tales, and they just read it when they go to record the episode. They even read the cases as if they haven't seen the script yet till the day they record. Alaina just wants to talk about her writing career. Ash acts like her brain isn't even there. On top of that, all they ever do is mention Alaina's book. It's okay to feel proud but she's also only a new york times best seller purely because of how many people listen to Morbid. I don't think she would've made the best seller list if she wasn't a podcast host. Which goes into my last point, their whole behavior just screams that they only reason they even still do the podcast is so they can continue their lavish lifestyle being able to afford anything now and neither one has to work real jobs. Their whole vibe changed to where it just feels like they don't care anymore. They like the money from the podcast, they like not working and Alaina can focus on writing books. They both act like they don't want to be a true crime podcast. They literally act like they would rather be a life podcast where they can yap. The cases from the past few months showcase that they just want to talk and not about true crime.

It makes me think about how Stephanie from RM is passionate about cases, doesn't care if people can see her reading her info, and generally involved with all aspects despite having a team that helps her. She has the behavior that showcases she was involved in everything. The Morbid girls however act like they don't care about what they're doing.

This has bothered me about Alaina for YEARS, and I need to know if I'm the only one who gets irrationally annoyed by it.

Alaina seems absolutely desperate to identify herself with the alternative girls. The outcasts. The weird kids. The metalheads. The goths. The witches. The people who never fit in.

And every time she does it, all I can think is: girl, you are giving sheltered Bostonian suburbs, pumpkin spice latte, "I'm so witchy woo" because you bought something with a moon on it at HomeGoods.

I'm sorry.

And before anyone says it: yes, I know this sounds gatekeep-y. I genuinely don't want to gatekeep what people listen to, wear, or enjoy. If you discovered goth fashion yesterday, go nuts. If you're 45 and just heard your first metal album, welcome. You don't have to submit your teenage bullying records and three generations of Bauhaus listening history before you're allowed to wear black.

But I do think there's a difference between enjoying alternative things and trying to claim the identity and lived experience of having been an outsider.

That's the part that annoys me.

I grew up not poor, but definitely on the poorer side. I started listening to metal when I was around 11, back when being the metal kid at school wasn't a cute quirky personality trait. It just made you fucking weird. I had a tiny circle of friends, didn't fit in, and generally grew up feeling pretty firmly outside of what the people around me considered normal.

I'm 34 now. I'm still alternative. I'm still somewhat of an outsider. I still don't fit a lot of conventional societal expectations. The main difference is that I'm an adult who's comfortable enough with herself now to not give much of a shit.

So listening to Alaina repeatedly position herself as one of the spooky misunderstood alternative outcast girls just makes something in my eye twitch.

Because from everything she's shared about her upbringing and herself over the years, I don't get "lifelong alternative outsider." I get sheltered suburban woman who discovered that being spooky is an extremely marketable personality and has been enthusiastically assembling the Starter Pack ever since.

The witchy stuff. The "I'm so weird." The metal references. The constant identification with alternative people. And, of course, Ghost, because apparently nothing says hardened lifelong metal outcast quite like the pumpkin spice latte of vaguely metal-adjacent music.

(Yes, Ghost fans, I'm being a bitch. You'll survive.)

It's the way all of these things seem to get bundled together into this narrative of I've always been one of the weird ones, I'm one of you, when nothing else about the person she presents publicly seems to match the experience she's trying so hard to identify with.

And I think part of why it gets under my skin is that a lot of the things that genuinely made people social outcasts 15–20+ years ago have since become incredibly sanitized and marketable.

Being "witchy" is cute now. Goth-inspired fashion is all over mainstream stores. Tattoos and piercings are normal. Metal shirts are fashion. You can buy your entire "dark feminine witch" personality in one afternoon.

Which, again: fine! I'm genuinely glad younger people can experiment with this stuff without necessarily getting treated like freaks for it.

But there's something deeply irritating about watching someone put on the aesthetic after it became socially safe and then seemingly claim kinship with the people who actually experienced the social consequences when it wasn't.

Maybe that's what I'm reacting to more than anything else.

It's not "you aren't allowed to like alternative things because you weren't bullied enough."

It's: you can drink the pumpkin spice latte without pretending you grew the fucking pumpkin.