Offbeat | My Favorite Murder: Your Perfect Halloween Podcast

At this point in the semester, nothing sounds better than curling up with a warm cup of coffee and listening to true crime — I’m not the only one, right? 

Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark’s “My Favorite Murder”, or MFM, the original true-crime comedy podcast, is sure to have you laughing, crying, and even horrified.  

Now, the contents of this podcast might sound disturbing, based on the title alone, but just one listen will have you hooked. Each week, the duo releases compelling real-life crime tellings and hometown stories offered via email submission by devout listeners, famous friends and family. In each episode, Kilgariff and Hardstark tell each other a story about a disturbing case, then swap. Listeners come for the weirder-than-fiction retellings of crazy cases but stay for the loveable, bluntly hilarious personalities of these two middle-aged badasses. 

The pair delve into the psychology behind infamous serial killers, like the Night Stalker and Ted Bundy, and discuss captivatingly eerie cult cases, like Heaven’s Gate group, Synanon and Scientology. They also detail mysterious murders that have run cold, unbelievable survival stories and seriously important historical moments, like the Stonewall Riots or the Tulsa Race Massacre. The podcast rarely swerves into the paranormal but rather the scares of real life, which are just as spooky, if not more! With nearly 800 episodes, listeners will never be hard-pressed for content to listen to. 

MFM was created in January of 2016 and since then has garnered tons of global fans, has broken podcasting records and created a dedicated community of 35 million followers coined “Murderinos.” You could really say “My Favorite Murder” has amassed a cult following. 

The two crime-obsessed best friends have since founded their joint podcast network, Exactly Right Media, in 2018. The network has since exploded, growing to host fifteen brand new and recently-acquired shows, dominating the Apple Podcast and Spotify charts. Further, every single tour date for their live shows has been sold out for the past four years straight!

Their charming mantra by which many devout fans live, ‘stay sexy and don’t get murdered,’ became the title of their instant #1 New York Times bestselling book in 2019. “Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-to Guide” is a nonfiction duel-memoir of Hardstark and Kilgariff, detailing true crime stories here and there and touches of self-help advice, too, but primarily hones in on the personal lives of both women. 

Though some might see this podcast as insensitive, the two women offer a very gentle point-of-view, never objectifying or poking fun at the victims themselves. Instead, they find humor in the surrounding aspects of stories or their own personal anecdotes, bringing levity to thorny topics that benefit from being discussed. They also are never afraid to speak up about their mental health, detailing their battles with depression over the pandemic, drug abuse in their pasts, anxiety and complicated relationships. 

Hardstark and Kilgariff do a world of good besides offering recognition to cold cases and comfort to grieving families. Since accruing such an impressive following, the pair donates thousands of dollars to charities. For example, when discussing the recent wildfires in California, the Roe V. Wade decision or domestic abuse, they make an effort to donate and raise awareness for each respective initiative. 

Through navigating extremely unnerving stories, the pair always leave listeners smiling, with a little extra knowledge in their back pocket, too. 

Happy Halloween, stay sexy and don’t get murdered, and listen to MFM.