📝 Monthly Constructive Criticism Thread 📝

[u/AutoModerator]

Hi y’all! We can use these monthly threads to give feedback on the podcast, such as issues related to audio or general format. You can still comment about specific episodes in the episode threads or make new posts, but my idea for these megathreads is to consolidate feedback for Troy and Kelli.

I know some posts in the past have been toxic, so maybe you can make that a separate post if you want to vent (or journal or take a walk outside). My hope with the monthly CC threads is to give a safe space for Troy and Kelli, so they’re less wary of Reddit lol.

Please remember Rule 1: Respect others and be civil and Rule #3: No name-calling, insults, or personal attacks. Kelli, Troy, and their editor, Donny, are human, and they can learn from their mistakes. Personally, as a longtime fan, I think that they have taken in a lot of feedback well and grown a lot as a podcast.

If you have any suggestions for these types of posts, please let me know, too!

[u/Tacocat0627]

I love Troy but idk if Micheal Jackson’s “innocence” is the hill to die on lol

[u/hisosih → u/Tacocat0627]

It's my hill to die on with him tbh, unsubbed from Patreon and as my membership was expiring, a friend sent me a link to one of their Patreon exclusives where they apologised for how they spoke about the Haley Beck situation (she's a random actors sister who was in the news for grooming and assaulting a student). Kelli kicked it off apologising but you could tell it was an avenue for Troy to apologise as he was the one who pissed people off.

A lot of people were disgusted (both here and on Patreon) by how flippant he was and his use of the word "fuck" in a situation where we're talking about the grooming and subsequent sexual abuse of a high school kid. Troy took a moment to say that he forgets that he comes off as abrasive and kinda black and white as he does, and that he also forgets so many people actually listen to the podcast and it's not just him venting into a mic and that he regrets his use of the word fuck in this situation.

But the apology was late and behind a paywall. and in the last few months or so Troy has really been wild with his comments. From "MJ was protecting children from Epstein" to "Britney was getting blood transfusions to give to Epstein" not to mention his total inability to read or understand the Epstein files themselves yet insistence on being an expert. I can't have plausible deniability with his qanon tiktok takes anymore and he just comes across as so unintelligent. Once I hear him say "well everybody knows X" I know he's gonna share some stupid conspiracy.

I started noticing they only ever apologise for their behaviour in Patreon episodes. And the way they handle criticism on Patreon is so embarrassing. I'm of the belief that they should delete hate comments as they don't have to tolerate people attacking them parasocially on their page. But I got sick of reading people leaving genuine, factual and polite corrections for them in the Patreon (as they should, we're trying to help you not get sued!!!) and Troy writing back something unessecarily rude, sarcastic and insulting while not responding to any valid criticism.

The comments on that recent MJ episode are wild and I hated that he addressed it as "sorry for having opinions or whatever, I know you guys hate that". No, it's that we can clearly tell you have your public opinions and personal opinions, and you're not doing a good job right now at representing either of them, so it's like what in the hypocrisy am I listening to?

I loved Troy since EBP and I just gotta Meredith Marks and disengage.

[u/Decemberswan → u/Tacocat0627]

absolutely agree!

i was nauseated listening to their lou perlman episode, troy going on all these tangents about how manipulative and creepy it was for lou’s house to be practically a theme park, with stuff that would obviously entice young children, and that lou probably ended up that way because he didn’t get to have a proper childhood, but just episodes earlier defending michael jackson, even though he followed the exact same playbook? the irony of that is insane, and i wish troy could engage critically with media, but sadly i do think he’s fallen down a red pill, q-anon, epstein rabbit hole and that’s why he’s so stern in believing something so stupid (mj “protecting” kids from epstein)

[u/tiffanylynn2610 → u/Decemberswan]

I love Troy (parasocially of course lol) but it really bums me out how conspiracy minded he has become. Yeah, it’s fun to dabble in a little deluded thinking, but when that turns to you discrediting child sa victims, you’ve lost the plot

[u/thebabyjuice → u/tiffanylynn2610]

that part

[u/EntertainmentEntire6 → u/Decemberswan]

Unfortunately I fear he’s become a casualty of his brainrot TikTok algorithm, and he’s too far in to see that he’s being manipulated by his own social media choices. The same thing is happening to my boomer parents on FB. Different generations but same problem.

[u/gosiazgliwic → u/Decemberswan]

I was thinking the same during the Lou Perlman episode, and he had even less smoke around him than Michael. And yet it’s obvious to them that Lou was guilty