So I am addicted. Yes, like a billion or so other people around the internet I have become completely riveted and shamelessly addicted to the Serial Podcast.
If you are not aware of what it is all about get right on to it right this minute so you can talk about it with me. Basically it is a podcast made by the same people who make This American Life which is sublime listening especially if you have many hours to wile away on a treadmill while you lower your sugar, cholesterol and weight. Or just if you like listening to really good radio.
This tranche of Serial investigates the conviction of, Adnan Syed a teenager from Baltmore who was convicted for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. It describes week by week the very weak case of the prosecution and literally leaves you breathless to find out what’s going to happen next. The most exciting thing, I guess, is that even the creators are not really sure how it is going to end (episode 8 is being released today and they speculate that there should be around 12 episodes).
I am not a big TV watcher, in fact I would never ever choose to watch a criminal case on TV or at the movies but this has me glued to the treadmill, and the car, and walking the dog and any other place I get five minutes to listen to a podcast. I think it’s partly the narrator Sarah Koenig and her most brilliant voice and obviously the way the story is strung together.
And, as I have said, I am not alone. Hundreds and thousands of people are downloading the podcast – it’s the most downloaded podcast on iTunes, there are hundreds of forums on the show and hundreds of articles on proper websites like Salon and The Guardian (not like you know, Sharpest Pencil) that are devoted not just to the case but the phenomenon.
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The thought of Adnan being innocent and in jail is almost too much to bear. I’d obviously him much rather be guilty. I am like the Chief Minister for Justice when it comes to matters like this. The thought of an innocent person being falsely accused is the height of torture for me
But the very concept of jail and incarceration both fascinates me and makes me claustrophobic. Imagine sitting in jail for the rest of your life. Or for 15 years. Or even for a month. How long does it take to become institutionalised? How long before you just march to the beat of the jail drum?
What does a person (especially a really smart man like Adnan Sayed) do in jail day after day after day? Before this show started and someone started to look into the details of his case, what was the reason Adnan got up every morning? How did he carry on? How do you spend the rest of your days knowing that there is nothing to look forward to?
Could you imagine a fate worse than a lifetime in jail especially for a crime you did not commit?
Long time reader, first time commenter 😉
I feel your obsession and I just want to talk about it nonstop! I kind of want him to be innocent because I like to think that killers give off some kind of killer vibe, rather than a nice, gentle demeanour. If he is guilty then he is an excellent liar and that scares me!!
Yours in joint junkie-waiting-for-a-hit anticipation,
Bek xx
Hmmm. I haven’t even heard of it. That’s not surprising as I tend to live in a bubble.
Number 1: I think when you are watching or listening to something on the treadmill its hypnotic effect is exacerbated because of all the blood flowing to your brain.
Secondly: Stuff like this completely fascinates me too so I’m off to look it up 🙂
OMG how good is Serial! Just enthralling the way it is all unfolding and you have no idea which side of the coin it will end up on. Definitely can’t get enough!