Serial Podcast--Best Storytelling Ever!

[wildviolet]

My friend just told me about Serial (I've been a little out of the loop, and I don't listen to podcasts anymore since I don't drive long distances). I am so obsessed! Anyone else?

 

http://serialpodcast.org/

[ProfLorax]

Yup! I am hooked, even belong to a secret Facebook group of online buddies who are all equally obsessed. I sometimes wish the podcast focused more on the tragedy of Hae's murder, but I think this most recent episode responded to similar criticism by incorporating more stories of Hae. 

[wildviolet]

I really liked this last episode, but after reading the book Orange is the New Black (never saw the show), I'm interested in how the criminal justice system works or doesn't work. Have you ever read In Cold Blood by Truman Capote? I never thought I'd enjoy books about murder, but it was so well-written, and the psychology of the killer and the events that took place were so fascinating.

[smg]

Capote is good.  Serial is great!  I'm hooked. 

[ProfLorax]

So, who do you think did the crime? I keep telling myself to not worry about "solving" the mystery--after all, this is real life, which is rarely as neat and tidy as fictional crime procedurals. A few weeks ago, I decided to just start going along for the story, but I still can't help but wonder... is Adnan innocent?

[smg]

I think Adnan is innocent or I want to think Adnan is innocent.  But why would Jay lie to the cops?

 

I want a nice clean answer but I don't think we are going to get one. 

[wildviolet]

I'm so obsessed, I've been over at the sub-reddit forums (and I never go there)...

 

At this point, I think Adnan did it (he just sounds too slick and his story has too many holes; plus his being okay with being in prison; if I were truly innocent, I would protest and be fairly angry for a long, long time), but the prosecution did not provide sufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, so he should have been acquitted. But, since he was convicted, then it's kind of like they got the right man but for the wrong reasons... which raises a whole lot of questions about how our criminal justice system works. I think I would rather have guilty people go free than innocent people imprisoned.

 

I think I'm so hooked because it's a lot like research. Since I do social science research, a lot of what I do is look at the evidence I have (what people say, do, say they feel, and say they think) and try to figure out people's motivations and thinking. Even if they "tell" me something, there's always stuff going on underneath that even they may not be aware of. I like to think that I'm a good BS detector. I have to be if I'm the interviewer trying to get at the bottom of something... I have to get people to trust me so that they'll reveal their assumptions, biases, etc. But, I'm also a storyteller--my advisor is always asking me--what's your story? What's the central tension? Who are the major players? Is the tension going to be resolved by the end? How? And that's where my writing and storytelling skills come in... if anything, I've been energized by this podcast to make sure that I work on telling really good stories about my research.

[smg]

Syed heading to appeals court

 

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/30/serial-podcast-appeals-court-adnan-syed