On January 23rd, 2017, the Cracked Podcast released episode #162: 9 Creepy Real Murders with special guests Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. After their Cracked guest appearance, I immediately binge-listened to all the episodes of Karen and Georgia’s podcast, My Favorite Murder….and then binged again…and then kept on listening.
As Karen explains at the top of every live show episode, My Favorite Murder (MFM) is a “true crime comedy podcast” where Karen and Georgia share truly horrific stories of (mostly) murder. These very funny ladies use humor as a coping mechanism when discussing the terrible things that happen to innocent people, and if you don’t like their humor-infused approach to storytelling…”well, you can get the f*ck out.”
Within months of its January 2016 launch, MFM skyrocketed in popularity. The podcast broke into the top ten of the American iTunes Chart as early as May 2016 and maintains consistent top 5 appearances across podcast platforms in the “True Crime” genre. What makes MFM such a huge success isn’t just the playful banter of its F-bomb-dropping hosts, it’s the Murderino community of funny, generous, creative people they’ve inspired.
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark (photo by Robyn Von Swank) 
The MFM Community
“Murderinos” are the true crime-obsessed (mostly women), and we are legion. There are lots of theories as to why women, in particular, often fixate on the macabre, but the MFM Murderino community is more than just people obsessed with murder, because the podcast is about more than just murder.
Karen and Georgia are frankly honest (and frankly, hilarious) when talking—and writing—about their own life experiences. They discuss substance abuse, eating disorders, mental illness, religion, anxiety (with or without a pandemic), and the importance of therapy—individual therapy, couples therapy, business partners therapy—you really can’t have too much therapy.
Karen and Georgia talk about other important issues, too—sex work, domestic abuse, victims’ rights, social justice, police misconduct, and the incredible ability of some people to not only survive horrifying trauma, but to thrive afterwards, using their experiences to help other survivors in their recovery. They’ve used their popularity to encourage their audience to engage in self-care and to support worthy causes like RAINN, End the Backlog, Black Lives Matter, and most recently, the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective.
Because of their openness as they talk about themselves and the stories that obsess them, Karen and Georgia have attracted a huge following of fans around the world who are teachers, writers, artists, criminologists, moms, and more—and who have had their own struggles with substances, depression, and anxiety. These fans have found help through therapy and support from the greater Murderino community, who connect over their love of MFM and everything from cats and crafts to British mysteries.
Exactly Right Media’s Super Awesome Podcasts™
In 2018, Karen and Georgia (along with executive producer Danielle Kramer) launched their own podcast network, Exactly Right, which currently hosts eight podcasts, including My Favorite Murder. If you are a fan of podcasts and you need a laugh or a good story, Exactly Right has something that is…exactly right for you.
Storytellers and Changemakers
- My Favorite Murder – True crime stories told with passion, humor, and little-to-no-fact-checking. Listen in if you like your terrible murder stories delivered by lovely ladies who say “f*ck” a lot.
- This Podcast Will Kill You – Ecologists and epidemiologists Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke have made a podcast so worthy of your time I dedicated an entire post to them. Listen in if you want to learn more about COVID-19 and the nitty-gritty biology, history, and treatment of other gnarly infectious diseases.
- Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad – Retired Cold Case Investigator Paul Holes (of Golden State Killer fame) and Investigative Journalist Billy Jensen (who helped finish Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark) try to crack unsolved murders with the assistance of citizen detectives. Listen in if you want to help bring justice to cold cases.
- The Fall Line – Licensed therapist Brooke Hargrove and writer Laurah Norton dig into cold cases of marginalized communities in the Southeast which have received little—if any—public attention. Listen in if you want detailed storytelling focused in on cases that have been historically overlooked.
Cats and Comedians
- The Purrrcast – Beloved audio engineer Steven Ray Morris and Sara Iyer host a long-running series about cats and the people who own them/do their bidding. Listen in if you like cats and/or people. But mostly cats.
- Do You Need a Ride? – Chris Fairbanks and Karen Kilgariff drive comedians to-and-from airports, and sometimes just drive comedians around, and sometimes they don’t have any guests along for the ride. But regardless of who’s in the car, laughs are plentiful. Listen in if you don’t mind having the theme song stuck in your head (in a good way).
- I Said No Gifts! – One of Exactly Right’s newest podcasts features host Bridger Winegar who explicitly tells his comedian friends not to bring gifts, but his guests willfully disobey in every episode. Listen in if you want to hear unwanted gifts described audibly. Also, humor.
- Bananas – The brand-newiest podcast is hosted by Kurt Braunohler and Scotty Landes, who discuss really weird news from around the world. Listen in if you enjoy wacky stories and esteemed guests like Kristen Schaal, Georgia Hardstark, and Karen Kilgariff. (…wait, is THIS nepotism?)