If you follow my blog in any capacity, it is no secret that my husband and I thoroughly enjoy watching true crime documentaries. We specifically enjoy the Netflix American Murder documentary series, and I believe we have seen all of them to date.
We are almost finished watching the most recent release depicting the tragic story of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundry, and, much like the rest of the productions in this series, it is excellent. Obviously, it is not excellent in terms of the content it covers, but it is a well-executed documentary that enthralls you from the first scene.
Since we are all being spied upon by our phones, once we started watching it, both Blaine and I have been seeing an influx of material addressing this case involving Gabby and Brian, both of whom are deceased, via our social media feeds. And, naturally, with social media comes conspiracy and personal theories regarding what individuals believe actually occurred between Gabby and Brian.
I’ve read through a handful of comments and theories, and while some are interesting and do prompt you to consider things from a different perspective, I can’t help but wonder if these true crime series do more harm than good. As much as I enjoy them, I find it a little dangerous how many people think this case is relative to them, and, furthermore, how many people think it is appropriate to discuss private components of this case publicly, with no repercussions.
Do random people on the internet making abhorrent suggestions about the deceased do anything constructive to assist the families of these two individuals during such a difficult period? No, and, if anything, I think these radicalized theories worsen the grieving process for the families, friends and loved ones. I realize the documentary was approved to be released, but sometimes I question whether these true crime depictions are more harmful than helpful.
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