On the Bobby Bones Show, the conversation took a sharp left turn into the world of true crime: who watches it, why it’s so fascinating, and whether it’s actually messing with our mental health.
It all started when Bobby asked the women on the show just how “true crimey” they are. Amy admitted she’s fairly invested: Dateline is her go-to, whether on TV or in podcast form. She tries not to overdo it, but at least every couple of weeks, she’s knee-deep in a story about a husband who went missing, a wife who had “a secret,” or neighbors who swear they saw nothing. The usual stuff. Morgan, on the other hand? Hard pass. She says it terrifies her. The more she watches, the more she believes the world is filled with danger, and then she’d never leave her house again. Abby? She’s all in. Netflix, podcasts, you name it. If it’s about mystery, motives, or someone doing something unthinkable, she’s watching it.
Amy says she doesn’t totally know why she watches it, but she gets drawn in by how unbelievable these real-life stories are, how someone so normal-looking and so close could do something so awful. She even wonders if it’s a weird sort of escape or maybe a way to feel more prepared for the unexpected. Abby agrees: it’s the mystery, the why, the human behavior behind it all. But then Bobby brought up an article from the Cleveland Clinic that says America’s obsession, especially women’s obsession, with true crime is creating actual long-term psychological fallout. Watching or listening to even one true crime story a month can increase anxiety, create hypervigilance, and make people trust others less, even if they don’t consciously connect it to the stories.
Amy suddenly realized: maybe her own extra dose of anxiety has a root cause. Lunchbox immediately jumped in with the comforting line, “Sometimes you don’t know who you’re sleeping next to.” Bobby confessed that he actually understands why people snap. Not that he would do it, but that he can see why passionate or frustrated people do passionate, terrible things. Of course, Bobby pointed out the other common motivations behind real-life crimes: money, affairs, custody battles, life insurance, general stupidity, because true crime isn’t just about emotions. It’s also about terrible decision-making.
Then the group moved on to the strangest question of the day: If you had to pick someone on the show (other than Scuba Steve, who everyone agrees is the obvious choice) who would most likely be a secret killer, who would it be? There was some hesitation… some nervous laughter… some side-eye… And then, all at once, the room landed on one answer: Eddie.
“Mr. Jolly over there,” Bobby joked. “Check the trunk.” Whether he liked it or not, Eddie was crowned “most likely to have a double life” by unanimous vote.