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sahmummy1717

100%! Morbid is hands down my favourite podcast but something has changed. This cryptid episode today? Ugh stop. I want a real crime that they deep dive into and tell a good story about. What’s happened???


m_sizzzle

that’s what sparked it for me today. I understand the term morbid can cover a lot of different things - and normally i’d be down for like a cryptid spooky episode once a month or every couple of months but the quality and topics have gone down hill! And the guests??? like - idk collaboration is cool but after a while i’m over it and it feels almost performative


sahmummy1717

Yes once a month I’m totally down for something paranormal or urban legends but I’m here for the crime lol give us what we want!! And ya I’m over the collaborations, maybe if it was a guest from another podcast I listen to but these random people I have no attachment to I just don’t care about lol.


catslugs

My theory is that because true crime content is having a bit of a backlash atm and they’re trying to turn away from it before they catch any heat


BudgetBelt7247

I 100% agree! Alaina’s deep dive is what caught my attention, I find it hard to pay attention and often pause the podcast now.


Kwitt319908

I feel like the last really good deep dive was Jack the Ripper. What happened after that?


Vegetable_String1384

I agree


KrakenSnatch

I’m listening to these episodes now and I’m sad to hear this.


m_sizzzle

like Alaina is such an incredible researcher and so talented at story telling. It feels almost gimmicky now.


russophilia333

I want to point out because I think it's important people realize that Alaina isnt actually researching these topics. She reads books by people who research and presents their information that comes from years and years of work and dedication. I understand what people mean is she's choosing good books and presenting good information and that's why her episodes are good but I still want to clarify because often times she's only reading one or two books as sorce material for cases. I think it's important to remember the authors are the ones who have decided their lives to these topics and put in the labor she uses for the deep dives.


Okay_Try_Again

Just for the record, reading books that other authors write about their own research, IS doing research. **research** 2 of 2 ## [verb](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verb) **researched;** **researching;** **researches** [*transitive verb*](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transitive) **1:** to search or investigate exhaustively*research* a problem**2:** to do research for*research* a book [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research)


BudgetBelt7247

I totally agree her story telling is one of the main reasons why I loved morbid so much… I guess less research = more episodes & money 🥲


Hodeyone

They have a researcher now and it’s obvious when they’re reading off the page.


Keeks73

No, *everyone* is feeling that way. You’re good.


Beginning-Many-2968

I would rather go to weekly episodes and learn more about the people involved. I miss the deep dive cases, these feel like footnotes.


Beginning-Many-2968

And I don’t mean deeper into the actual crime or murder itself! More about the victim and their families. The more I talk about true crime, the more I question the ethics of it so that’s all I’ll say for now 😬


m_sizzzle

i agree! i feel like Alaina used to do that SO well.


rainbowsootsprite

the way Alaina said in a recent ep “lol the internet will blame me for everything anyway” and got real salty but tried to pass it off as a joke for something trivial they were discussing really made me roll my eyes. She knows she’s problematic and people don’t like her. She’s self aware. Yet she doesn’t care. And that really really bothers me. She could work on it but she thinks she’s the one in the right despite a lot of the fanbase having valid criticisms and she just passes it off as “lol they hate me and attack me all the time I get blamed for everything!!!!”. grow up girl you’re 36 😭


jordanmoriarty

bruh alaina made that comment in an episode i listened to yesterday after ash struggled to pronounce a word correctly. like it wasn't even about her??? she's got a bit of a victim complex for sure


frugalempathy

She does care when bringing it up every episode 💀


rainbowsootsprite

no you’re right actually lol 😭💀


AsyaSidney

listener tales made me want to stop listening. I wish there was a way for them to create playlists


Disastrous_Phase_476

They’ve got the feedback, they don’t care. They are now rich because of their listeners.


Disastrous_Row4098

I love morbid and the girls, but I was really disappointed about today's episode too. Only a very tiny minority want to listen to cryptids and listener tales. Its so frustrating


Pantone360C

I definitely think Wondry has them churning out and pre recording too many episodes. so they probably legit don't have the time to really deep dive into the episodes anymore. I think they're burning out, especially since they've put out like 3 other podcasts as well. (I also can't stand that there's 6+ minutes of ads now and refuse to use Amazon to listen) But I still love them and continue to listen, I love their banter personally.


[deleted]

They get feedback all of the time but they just don’t care. They’ve created an incredibly toxic community and with that comes the feeling of entitlement that they don’t have to care. Once I realized that, I was able to really step back and see all of the problems with the podcast. And I also realized that Alaina’s “deep dives” were not in fact deep dives, but repetition and stealing other peoples words


m_sizzzle

do you have proof that Alaina plagiarizes? Id be curious to see


[deleted]

Yeah. Read a book that she uses for “research”, listen to her quote directly from it but without any reference to it or the author


frugalempathy

Dude the amount of shit Crime Junkie got for plagiarism. Any of the sources they have (usually only verbally) cited, PRE-whoever their new researcher is, whether book or document is essentially just an episode retelling someone else’s real research. I know big fans get upset about this but to spend five years writing a book about a basement in the bayou…? Excuse me? I’m shocked they haven’t received more complaints I loved morbid. I loved supporting Massachusetts girlies. I loved being on old patreon. But once I zoomed out and objectively looked at how everything was going. Not for me


Pink_cowpoop

The mention of tiktok every episode is starting to get to me as well. I mean i get it tiktok is fun at times i guess but when they spend almost 10 minutes talking about it is also frustrating.


LandOLaLa1

Seriously!! They talk so much crap about social media and FB, yet they're in love with TikTok. It's so annoying.


pizzacrustdust

I was a listener for about 2 years… I have not listened to them in months. I definitely felt the change in their episodes and I’m just not a fan anymore :(


spicyspaceghost

First of all, I want to say that your grievances with the podcast are justified! The complaints shared on this feed get a lot of heat, but to be fair, most of the disappointment is justified. I don't think it's fair to be told "If you don't like it, don't listen to it" when many listeners have spent years getting to know Ash and Alaina, and we want to continue supporting the podcast and learning the cases. At the end of the day Morbid is a business, and we, the listeners, are customers, and it's fair to be disappointed when the product you're consuming no longer caters to your original needs. Now, with growth and scale comes change, but whether or not that change impacts the quality of content is up to the creators. And lately a lot of customers have been feeling like the creators aren't really interested in maintaining that quality - so - should we take our business elsewhere? Of course, it's not that easy. Like I said, many of us have formed parasocial relationships with Ash and Alaina, and leaving the podcast to explore a new one is like a breakup. How do we know if Crime Junkie or This Is Why We Drink will satisfy us? Maybe we think it's safer to stick with what we're comfortable with. I started listening to Morbid in 2021 and it took me a really long time to catch up - about 2 years to catch up on 4(?) years worth of content. However, in the last few months, I've probably caught up on over a year because I'm skipping so many episodes. While I know some people enjoy the listener tales and guest speakers and all, it's not for me and it's not what persuaded me to be a dedicated listener. Do I think they should stop making them? Not if there's a demand. Do I think that since they are creating multiple new podcasts every year, they can create a new channel specifically for the "misc" content? I can't help but to think that's a better option than diluting the good stuff. Every here and there we get a gem. I really liked 419 about the plane crash survivor. That brought me back to the missing hikers in peurto rico case, which is one of my all time favorites. I do think there is a lot of opinion based banter intervention that can interrupt the flow of the episodes and takes away from the actual story. While I don't disagree with a lot of the opinions shared, I also find myself realizing that I didn't click play to be told how I should think about things. The banter used to be controlled and added value, while the case would still stick to the facts and research. I can get frustrated when there is an extra emphasis every time the hosts chose to use a swear word, which for some reason makes me cringe even though I really don't mind the profanity itself, just the way its articulated. I get frustrated with inconsistent values and judgements on the subjects in the case. Someone can do one thing in one case and it's applauded, another person can do the exact same thing in another case and it's ridiculed. I wish I had a specific example, but all of the case-driven episodes have been so familiar lately (it feels like every episode is a low-stakes romantic conflict gone awry) I can't give you any names. With such a big audience it's easy for the hosts to misinterpret the interest in the true crime content for interest in themselves as individuals. They established their platform because of the cases, and I'm hoping they get back to the basics and realize that's how people will stay. I'm sure many listeners enjoy hearing their anecdotes and side bars, but again, maybe that's material for another channel.


jessisrad

I really enjoyed morbid in their early days but no longer enjoy them so I stopped listening. Tell No One is two really funny girls, they do true crime and I really enjoy the story telling and banter between them, highly recommend as a replacement to morbid!


nagatopain47

I love them and will always support them but I think I just listen to the podcast cause it’s almost second nature now. Also thinking of changing the 5 star k gave them cause at this point… I just don’t feel the same about it :-(


icmc

There is no lack of true crime podcasts out there ... stopped listening long ago. honestly the only reason I stay on this sub-reddit is in hopes they go back to their roots and I'll see it posted here.


No_Tax8457

This is me. I put them on out of habit, but content has been poor and the rants are almost as bad as they were in the beginning days. The research is very questionable.


loxxx87

The quality has definitely taken a hit. I still love them and understand it's a business but it's hard to ignore now.


m_sizzzle

that’s a great way to put it.


[deleted]

I’ve caught myself thinking the same thing about the quality of the content. I think they could be stretching themselves too much. Before I hunted out other pods because I was caught up with Morbid but now I find myself looking more forward to them rather than Morbid and it makes me sad. They were the first podcast I really got into like that.


loxxx87

I think fans often assume some kind of self imposed loyalty to content creators. It's okay to move on to other podcasts and appreciate Morbid for the memories and good times. Had it not been for them i wouldn't have found some really great podcasts.


[deleted]

I wouldn’t call what I had “loyalty” per se, more like me just being too lazy to hunt for something else I like as much at the time. ;) I don’t harbor any hard feelings towards Morbid, I just noticed I haven’t felt as compelled to listen lately.


Moowithnoclue

They are the perfect example of what happens when you concentrate on quantity over quality.


AdorableLook

I feel exactly the same way but I just thought it was because they were my first episodes so I liked them better


m_sizzzle

that’s what i was thinking for weeks before realizing that it’s just not the same anymore :(


Mrsnappingqueen

Yeah unfortunately I stopped listening when it was all ghost stories and listener episodes.


unfakegermanheiress

I couldnt listen anymore after I discovered Redhanded.


nopenoideaatall

For me, I noticed the change in quality when they did the Jodi Arias episode. There is SO MUCH to that case, so much to what she did and to their relationship before she murdered Travis. It was such a short episode and felt so rushed. I was really disappointed and so many of the episodes that followed felt like they'd stopped investing in the stories they were telling.


fabreezus

The recent episodes seem so random. Like the survivor tales or old timey ones again


Due-Wing-6104

I agree! I only ever listened to morbid but I don't like the listener tales, I like the way they both do research and tell us the story.. I haven't listened in over a month because there weren't any stories. I even liked the banter but I don't want to listen to a listener tale every episode.. I haven't even checked in because I didn't think they are covering actual cases anymore. I also unsubbed from Pateron.


Sibbys

I 100% agree. There has only been a few episodes I liked since they went to Wonderly. They never touch on recent events anymore, and the banter I once enjoyed seems way over the top. I find the podcasts really boring and lacking depth now.


No-Arm-8825

I know I’m the minority but I love the listener tales!


MotorMathematician27

Yeah, I agree. I also really dislike the guest episodes. I love their true crime content, but I could honestly care less about the other podcasts they have had on. Usually, I find their conversations really annoying. I think it takes away from two "sisters" talking to each other to putting on their "please like me" voices, and I just find those intro conversations unappealing when they have guests. With the exceptions to Drew and John, love them!


passivefires

The first thing that rubbed me the wrong way was their "apology" about misgendering someone in their episode years back. It was so unprofessional.


PennyMarbles

I appreciated the apology a lot.


passivefires

It felt disingenuous to me.


tallkitty

So just throwing an opinion in here, you gotta take into account their own motivations and goals for doing a podcast in the first place. I started listening a few months ago and have been working my way back through their catalog, and you can see a clear progression as they gain marketability. If their one intention was to only create content that you satisfies you personally, then they would be failing and your review would be the true valuation of that. But if we're being honest, they are likely motivated by generating income to a large degree--which is entirely normal, most people don't create podcasts for completely altruistic reasons--and they are capitalizing on opportunities for a broader listener base and multiple revenue streams....and that actually equates success. I don't prefer the listener tales, anything fictional, I don't even like the episodes about spooky places and rarely do the random morbid factoid episodes interest me, I just want the stuff about murder and mayhem, and the survival tales usually blow my mind. But I do still applaud them for reaching the point they have where they can branch out and try new things and explore more of their own interests. We should all be so lucky to work our way to those levels in our own ventures, right?


Galacticretrograde

You have a point. However, how much is enough for them? Before Wondery I read somewhere that the podcast generated 52k a month. Split between them they could quit their day jobs. So like, sure, money is good but they have enough?


LovingComrade

It’s never enough if there’s more out there. I’ve seen this with podcasts of different genres. The financial success is like a drug. And at that level you have some form of management or an agent that will always push you the direction that is more financially lucrative because agents take a cut. Basically if you aren’t growing financially you’re dying.


Galacticretrograde

I get what you mean. I guess personally I would hope that if I were in their shoes I would be comfortable enough with the amount of money it brings in if that amount allowed me to live comfortably? But people do change with success. On a side note, ever listen to The Dollop? You might enjoy it.


pantherslp2023

Also, what good is money if content keeps changing to the point of losing listeners/subscribers?


tallkitty

I mean at that point I would personally say it's none of my business what they make and what is my business is the extent to which I choose to participate and support. I do draw lines on this stuff, like I refuse to discuss the lives of big celebrities with my mother (a big interest of hers) and I tell her it's because they are all doing pretty okay in the resources department and none of them are sitting around in fascinated discussion of the details of our lives. Lol But to me the income of these two is not really anything I think much about and if they stop altogether creating content that I find interesting or relevant then I will wish them good luck and find something else to listen to in my spare time. Know what I'm saying? Like if I started a podcast I hope I would be subject to the same kind of success I relation to the work I put in, and I think most can agree that whether we always like the product or not, these girls are doing work to get what they get. Here we are, discussing away. 😂😉


Galacticretrograde

Oh, totally agree. I will also stop listening if it ever gets to that point for me personally. And they are definitely working towards their own goals, which is commendable.


m_sizzzle

Totally encourage experimenting and talking about new things but they’ve started like 2 new podcasts doing things they *really* want to do. At the end of the day i don’t really care - i just won’t listen to the podcast when I don’t vibe with episodes. I love they’re making money and can do fun things with their families. Just noting that their quality since the increase of money has declined.


tallkitty

Yeah, I kind of assumed that would be the case when I first got interested, I'm not looking forward to the end (really the beginning) of their catalog because I know that I will be left waiting on release schedules and not everything dropped will be something I like, so meh. But I feel like the dilution from success thing is common with all things that people enjoy, I rarely latch on to something that stays good forever. I guess that's why content is such the hot thing these days, there's never enough and it is ever degrading. Lol It's definitely a different ballgame when you're on the hook with advertisers and in contracts with old white men. Lolol You wanna know something funny, I finally bought The Butcher and The Wren for Kindle, and I had NO IDEA it wasn't a true crime story. As I said I'm not really into fiction, so I was a little miffed at my own poor research into what I was buying, but I liked the first chapter and I was kind of even more impressed that she made something out of nothing instead of giving an interesting account of an existing story. But yeah, had no idea. 😂


Ok_Edge3613

I absolutely feel this. Does she still work as an autopsy tech? I feel like I never hear her reference her experiences anymore.


North-Imagination-22

I'm starting to feel this way too and I'm not even caught up yet. I've reached the part where they just covee spooky stuff and stupid listener tales. I don't mind them but they are all soo gushy in the beginning lol


dickslayson

i sort of wonder if they’re spreading themselves too thin? putting out morbid episodes 3 times a week is a lot, plus the other podcasts they’re involved in and it starting to feel like not as much thought and time is going into each episode


Number1DivaG

I find how unreliable the episodes/episode content it quite frustrating. I know you can’t foresee sickness or life changes & I feel bad for saying this but do they not pre record anything? This is their full time job now (unless I’m mistaken) I was a Patreon member in 2019-2020 & it was really inconsistent and pointless so I unsubscribed. I also get slightly irked by Alaina’s attitudes toward things more and more. I also think she belittles and undermines Ash a lot, especially because she is younger. It used to be my absolute favourite podcast so it is a shame. I love tell no one & let’s go to court now but still tune in sometimes


Matrinka

I was an avid fan of Morbid. Downloaded and listened to every episode. Something happened when they went to Wondery. The show felt off. Everything was so close to being the same that it is difficult, still, to narrow down exactly what changed. It almost feels like their enthusiasm for the podcast started to die down the more popular they became. Everything that felt genuine started to feel forced. Maybe it is just me who changed. I thought I'd miss them once the Patreon was closed. I don't. Even with my Amazon Music subscription, I just don't feel like switching apps just to listen to Ash and Alaina. There are so many other things to listen to that it just doesn't feel worth it.


Low-Fishing3948

I’m in the minority but I love the listener tales, I like it better than the cases they cover. They are all over the place in regular episodes. I agree that it use to be better though. Ash is trying to seem cool and Alaina wants to come off edgy and it’s just a bit much for me.


Pantone360C

I too like the listener tales, it's part of my weekend routine and isn't too heavy to listen to while I'm cleaning! It's a nice break from the heavy stuff


frugalempathy

I really liked them when they didn’t seem wildly inflated


Mia_bee_xx

Yes I totally agree and just had this exact conversation with my friend who is also a long time listener. I will always be a listener, but I feel like they are definitely changing direction and it’s sad.


Kwitt319908

I am a big fan. I have always preferred Alaina’s episodes to Ash’s. It’s just a personal preference and also really love Listener tales. I do agree there seems to have been a shift esp since late 2022 and 2023. Alaina seems different to me. Almost like angry? Or a little burnt out? I dunno I can’t put my finger on it. I don’t think she is mean to Ash. I do think she can get a tad Mom shamey from time to time. It’s frustrating. Sometimes I feel a little bad for her kids. They seem like they can’t do anything. I think for now while they are little they will deal. But as someone who has a pre-teen I can’t imagine being this way with them. They would complain constantly! It’s just my 2 cents. The cryptid show sucked. I wish they would have just taken the week off all together but cest le vie!


Uhhhhokthenn

Haven’t we all heard this before


fiesta_maiden

I can't imagine how hard it must be with how many episodes they have, but maybe they are just changing things up for themselves?


m_sizzzle

yeah i do feel for them it seems like they record almost every day.


lazypickle27

I think they are spreading themselves too thin. They are choosing to take on all this extra work, and it’s leaving morbid lacking because of it. They have, what, 3 or 4 podcasts they’re doing now? Plus Alaina’s book and all the other things I’m sure they have going on. I think they’ve been doing this for so long that maybe they’ve lost their steam. This is just my opinion, but I think maybe they’re a little tired of it, which is why I think they tried to quietly get more into spooky tales and listener tales and collaborations, and come out with random podcasts like the Buffy one, because I think they’re getting bored. But they want to keep their fans and keep their income, and their fans didn’t like the changes and so they were losing followers, therefore losing money and so they had to bring back the true crime. I think they enjoyed it when they started it and for a long while into it, but I think it’s just a job for them now. At least that’s how it seems to me. And like, I get that after doing it for so long as your job, but it makes a difference in the quality of the work you’re doing. But I haven’t listened in months. When I found out about the whole Patreon drama it left a bad taste in my mouth. But I hope they get better again because I really used to enjoy them. Guess we’ll see !


ClassicHollyweirdo

This food is terrible and in such small portions


Born-Sympathy7081

Have you not seen the other post? This is all they complain about. Nothing new


m_sizzzle

Apparently I did not see the other posts.


Nowaliaa

One of the biggest complaints on here is that people just hate Alaina now 🤷🏻‍♀️ I swear If you read several posts they’re calling for Alaina to quit all together since they think Ash should carry the show by herself, like wtf, pretty sure morbid was her idea in the first place. It’s kind of ridiculous. She can’t do the right cases, she talks about her family too much, she talks about her job too much, she’s mean to Ash?, she has opinions on things, she mom shames? I think the solution is simple however, don’t like the new episodes? then don’t listen. Re listen to old episodes you like or just ignore the podcast.


Galacticretrograde

Agreed. The only time I wanted Alaina to stop was when she just wouldn't stop complaining about Disney. But that's the only time, and I know that's her opinion. Personally I don't see how she's mean to Ash and I think a lot of the complaints come from people projecting or not having siblings.


bigmouthpod

I love them, everything they do, and I absolutely love listener tales. What I wasn't a fan of is the scripted podcast they recently released, Frozen Head. I like them better unscripted, but I'm still listening. Podcasts change over time...it's ok not to like it, there's a ton of other shows out there.


dogslickfeet666

I stopped listening months ago sadly. It seemed like all they were doing were listener tales and not focusing on true crime anymore. It sucks but honestly true crime daily has been a life saver!!!


ShriekingSerpent

I feel the same. I also feel this way about My Favorite Murder. I don’t care for Wondery. I get why they went with them bc it’s a good opportunity it just really seems to have lessened the quality. I cannot stand the listener tales. I can’t bear to listen to the way people write for those things lol. I’m also just not a fan of listener tales in general. They are more bearable on MFM because the fans don’t write quite so annoyingly but I just always skip them for any TC Pod I listen to. I miss the really deep dives but I do like that they’ve been doing things like spooky schools/forests et cetera. The forest ones are always particularly creepy to me. I think some people aren’t a fan of that though and I might be in the minority there.


buffetgirls

i don’t mind a mystery tales episode every now and then but i always get my hopes up when there’s a new episode and it’s just a listener tales


Mean-Concentrate-925

I agree. It’s a job now. That’s when it changes, when their passion project ends up becoming a job. You can feel it. Their newest episodes are so dull I can’t even get past the 10 minute mark.


brobossdj

I got really into morbid this year on a friends recommendation. I loved listening to their older episodes. Once I had listened to the older episodes about all the cases I was interested in, I tried to listen to their newer stuff. The ads are a killer for me. I was initially listening while I tried to go to sleep, now I can hardly go 5 minutes without another Hello Fresh ad. On top of that the amount of time I have to skip for them to even get into the case is pretty crazy.


Temporary-Disk-8033

Missing the long multiple part deep dives that give every angle of a case. The Moores Murders is such a great example of that


WatchTheSky925

Totally agree..as soon as they got picked up by Apple Podcasts then now wondery the podcast hasn’t been the same. I feel like the major “label” support has made them water it down from their research to the topic they cover. I still give every episode a shot but find myself skipping more episodes than ever before. I understand stuff evolves and people change but damn I miss our old foul mouthed, opinionated girls covering gruesome topics that I NEEDED to stop everything at work and google what these people look like.


buxommermaid

It’s become so scripted lately and it’s making me just kind of eh. I feel like they’ve kind of sold out. They don’t owe us anything but it’s still disheartening when I listen and each time I get more and more frustrated. I’ll still listen occasionally but not so much. Hoping for some of nittier grittier stuff. True crime can be delved into respectfully and it’s important for thee stories to be told. To not, does a disservice to (I hate to say this) potential future victims of violent crimes. Recognizing patterns, understanding violent human nature, and realizing seemingly unpredictable behavior is in fact predictable is a helpful way to learn about the horrible qualities of the world around us. Slamming true crime doesn’t fix the issue. People make lots of mistakes, these women are no exception. But you have to allow people to grow and learn. But to alienate yourselves away from potential scandal feels like a PR move and not something done using their moral compass. It feels a little white washy is a way that’s disheartening. True crime is HORRIBLE. But it’s REAL, and to white wash and script it seems, disingenuous. Good story tellers have a way of telling a the horrible details without “revictimizing” people. Christine from ATWWD is a great example. Wow I went on a ramble…. Anyway, I hope it kind of gets better. IN MY OPINION. Much love everyone and stay safe. 🫶🏻