Ripped from the Headlines: A Review

A show about friendship, murder, and Law & Order, Ripped from the Headlines is a hilarious and serious fan and true crime podcast. Ripped from the Headlines is a unique fan show from two queer podcasters. Together the hosts, Matt and Enn, roll through each episode, digging up real world facts, articles, and stats to support the episode’s handling of the subject matter. They go back and forth swapping roles of teller and informer. One episode will have Matt retelling the Law & Order episode while Enn shares what they’ve learned and researched about the actual real-world case. With this type of format, each of their styles shines and brings different meaning to each part of the fancast meets true crime podcast. 

In a time when so many people are calling for the abolition of police forces worldwide, a show that is about police can be hard to watch or listen to without thinking of the real-life ramifications. Cop porn is what many people call Law & Order and shows like it. When I used to be a die-hard fan of the series, I would refer to the show as justice porn. As a viewer, you could watch these heinous crimes happen, from a safe distance, to people you don’t know, and by the end of it have justice served. But justice is a complicated thing. 

When one of the hosts, Matt, originally reached out to me about the show, I was excited and apprehensive. I stopped watching the original Law & Order a few years back and have been putting some distance between myself and SVU. So, it took me a couple weeks before I felt like I could listen to the show. I dove in with open ears and an open mind when I finally settled in and thoroughly enjoyed what the creators are doing with such weighty topics. 

The structure of the show, also helps when it comes to talking about things like rape, murder, and kidnapping. First off, they don’t just jump right into talking about the case. Instead, they begin by checking in on each other and talking through what they’ve been up to in their own lives. A majority of the time, they talk about their fur babies. For a show that gets into heavy territory, this is a perfect approach to easing your listeners into what they are about to experience. Listening to Enn and Matt reminds me of talking with my own friends. That’s what those types of intros are supposed to do. 

And they nail it. 

After a quick catch up, they introduce which Law & Order episode they are going to recap. The recap is my favorite part. It is funny but spliced with insight and hot takes on how the show has shown to represent certain people and situations. After the recap is complete, the other host goes into what real life situations or trials inspired the episode. Comedy slowly gives way to the reality of the episodes. The first two parts are comedic and lighthearted, but also thoughtful and informative about current events or issues that are feeding into certain actions, or motivations throughout the show. The last half gets into some deep topics in a way many other true crime podcasts don’t. 

Read more: The 20 Best True Crime Podcasts (Beyond Serial and S-Town)

Sometimes, they have to give the true crime segment of the show its own episode so that they can give the victims, survivors, and situations enough space to be unpacked as best they can. Back when I used to watch Law & Order, my favorite moments were picking out which real life atrocity led to the making of the episode. It gave me a cold thrill. Like yes, I know your story, your blood, your pain. But I always did it from a distance. I knew nothing. The only blood and pain I saw was fake, shot by a camera and thrown up on my screen for my enjoyment. 

Ripped from the Headlines is able to do one of the only good things Law & Order does well: make a show that is at both times hilarious, sad, and addictive. Personally, it is the best way to experience the show without using it as a way to distance yourself. The horrors that happen in our world aren’t just on the TV, but right outside our door. The hosts remind listeners of that. In the episode “BATMAN”, for example, though the recap is humorous in all the best ways, the section about what events the show was in conversation with is heartbreaking. 

Yeah, sure, Law & Order came out over two decades ago, so what could it possibly have to do with our here and now? Everything. The cases that inspired those episodes might have happened way back when, but their ramifications live on in their survivors, the programs that started because of them, and the laws that were placed into existence after the fact. Dealing with a problematic show without turning a blind eye to the issues of police brutality, racism, and more, Ripped from the Headlines is a show that’s hard to pin down. It’s not perfect. Nothing about cop porn can be. But it is entertaining and a way to interact or enjoy Law & Order without actually watching it or contributing to its spread.

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“Enn and Matt discuss the difficult realities of crime with care and humor while talking about media representation in one of television’s longest-running and most successful crime series,” says the promo for the show. And it’s not wrong. They deliver on every aspect of their promise. I do caution not to go into the show completely thinking you’re going to have a ball and a laugh. You will, but you will also be made to think about the world and issues affecting many lives around you, maybe even yours. Though there were moments that almost brought me to tears, I am glad to have listened to the show and even happier to recommend it. 

Listen Here: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher 

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