515 - 10 Year Anniversary Special!

Summary

My Favorite Murder: 10 Year Anniversary Special!

Episode 515 | Airdate: January 15, 2026
Hosted by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark | With guest Steven Ray Morris

---

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Karen and Georgia celebrate a full decade of “My Favorite Murder,” looking back at the evolution of the show, their partnership, the cult community of Murderinos, and the milestones that turned their true crime hobby into a pop culture powerhouse. Longtime producer Steven Ray Morris joins in to count down listener-chosen “Top 10 Moments” from MFM history, share personal stories, and reflect on the ways the show—and its fans—have grown over the years.

---

Main Themes

• Nostalgic reflection on MFM’s 10-year journey
• The evolution of podcasting & the true crime comedy genre
• The growth of the Murderino community and its cultural impact
• Behind-the-scenes insights on creating and running a hit podcast
• The unbreakable partnership between Karen and Georgia

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 10 Years of MFM: Gratitude, Growth, and Surreal Moments

Timestamps 02:17–09:58

• Karen and Georgia reminisce about starting the podcast in 2016—surprised and grateful for its longevity and cultural impact.
• They swap stories about life changes and milestones prompted by the show, including how their unexpected success unfolded:

  “We just kept saying yes to things and they kept happening. And that’s what has brought us here today. From my apartment to the pod loft to Carnegie Hall...” (Georgia, 02:47)

• Karen shares an emotional story about her mother’s passing days before the podcast began, reflecting on “woo woo” ideas of destiny:

  “If anyone’s watching over me and helping me make my dreams come true, it’s my mom.” (Karen, 04:12)

2. The Enduring Partnership

Timestamps 07:09–09:58

• Karen and Georgia open up about the unique pressures and rewards of being in a decade-long creative partnership:

  “You and I are the only ones who know what this has been like in this way, this firsthand way. It’s really weird because it is this very singular experience... there’s just this other person in the world that’s also like, yep, I was there too.” (Karen, 07:09)

• They express gratitude for the support systems that got them here—family, friends, and the listeners.

3. From Hobby to Network: Building Exactly Right

Timestamps 10:15–15:04 / 50:26–54:24

• The journey from casual hobbyists to responsible “network owners” is filled with hard lessons and funny self-awareness:

  “We’ve had to become responsible podcasters. They gave us a network. It only took us a decade.” (Karen, 10:25) “They thought we were just gonna churn out a bunch of My Favorite Murders to make them a shit ton of money. And I think we pissed off a lot of people because that’s not what we want to do.” (Georgia, 52:09)

• They discuss their approach to curating new podcasts, championing creative freedom and the importance of media literacy.

4. Community & Listener Appreciation

Timestamps 09:08–09:58 / 82:16–86:59

• Both hosts repeatedly emphasize how the MFM fanbase (“Murderinos”) have shaped the show and their lives:

  “The amount of people and the love and passion with which they talk to us... it’s just an incredible gift.” (Karen, 09:36)

• They reflect on the sincerity and warmth of their fan interactions, both online and in person, debunking the stereotype of celebrity “weird fans”:

  “I have never fucking not felt awesome after meeting a person who comes up to me in public 100%. It’s never been anything but fucking cool.” (Georgia, 82:40)

5. Special Guest: Steven Ray Morris & MFM Top 10 Moments

Timestamps 15:16–77:09

• Steven, MFM’s original engineer/editor, joins to banter, reminisce, and reveal the “listener-chosen” Top 10 MFM milestones.
• The countdown covers:
  • #10: Steven joining the team:

    “You did it all for us, Steven. Yeah, you really did.” (Karen, 17:09)

  • #9: Blending True Crime and Comedy

    “It was never, like, let’s report on it. It was almost like, let’s just gossip...let’s get this out of our brains, where it’s not doing any good to anyone.” (Georgia, 22:14)

  • #8: MFM in Pop Culture (Simpsons, Yellowjackets, Jeopardy)

    “To see yourself simpsonified is wild… It was really the craziest honor.” (Karen, 28:56)

  • #7: Writing “Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered”

    “Writing a book is something I’d always wanted to do…sometimes I’m like, I feel lazy or I haven’t done anything. And then I’m like, you wrote a book.” (Georgia, 35:35) “Paul Giamatti in the audiobook. What more do you want?” (Karen, 36:50)

  • #6: Touring

    “The fun part about, especially that first year of touring, was we were out with a bunch of people who were friends with us. And so it really was like, you just went and did a live show with all your friends in the audience…” (Karen, 41:08)

  • #5: Creating the Exactly Right Network (see above)
  • #4: Favorite Episodes & Hometowns

    “Mary Vincent’s story is just...that’s the one I see mentioned online more than any other one.” (Georgia, 62:42) “No one likes the death part. That’s not what we’re doing. We’re talking about those things going, this happened. It’s so awful. We’re together.” (Karen, 65:14)

  • #3: Catchphrases & MFM-isms (“Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered” / “Fuck Politeness”)

    “Do you remember the first time someone ever yelled stay sexy at me out of a car in San Francisco?” (Georgia, 71:37) “We didn’t do it on purpose…just, people get it, like, down to the bone.” (Karen, 74:29)

  • #2: The Pet Parade & Fan Art

    “It’s so crazy that that is a part of the podcast, you know, like Elvis meowing at the end…Now… I have so much fan art of my animals and, like, it brings me so much fucking joy.” (Georgia, 77:18)

  • #1: The Murderino Community (see above and below)

    “We would not be anywhere without the people that listen. Not only listen…but cared enough to send us that stuff. Be on that Facebook page every morning posting memes, come to live shows.” (Karen, 82:25)

6. Paul Holes Surprise!

Timestamps 57:38–60:30

• Legendary investigator Paul Holes sends a congratulatory message, reminiscing about his first surprise appearance on MFM:

  “As you know, I don’t listen to podcasts, especially when I was still active, but obviously fate ended up intervening…I blame you two.” (Paul Holes, 58:22) “At the time, Karen, you and I sort of had a little bit of an online relationship going on…Karen, Georgia was in on it the entire time. I don’t know if she’s ever divulged that.” (Paul Holes, 59:29)

7. Podcasting as Partnership & Therapy

Timestamps 66:34–70:53

• Karen and Georgia get candid about their friendship, times of disagreement, and the ongoing magic:

  “We’re each other’s perfect audience…come along with me where I bring you into my British Victorian 1800s thing that you don’t [care about], but I’m gonna make you care about it.” (Karen, 67:17)

• Both host’s backgrounds in sisterhood and how it’s mirrored in their creative friction and reconciliation:

  “No little sister wants to be older-sistered by somebody else.” (Karen, 68:45)

8. “Then and Now”—Listener Stories

Timestamps 92:34–96:07

• Karen and Georgia read listener submissions on how their lives have changed over the past decade:

  “I was in cancer treatment when I found you in 2016. Now I’m 10 years cancer free.” (Listener: Elastamom 417, 93:18) “In a cult versus not in a cult. What a change.” (Listener: Christina K, 95:31)

• The hosts riff and marvel at the wild, profound, and relatable stories.

9. Looking Forward: Netflix and Beyond

Timestamps 97:28–98:10

• Big news for MFM: The video podcast is now available (and exclusively!) on Netflix.

  “This podcast, as a video podcast, is going to be on Netflix.” (Karen, 97:35) “It happened really fast, so I didn’t really have a lot of time to absorb it. And I was like, oh, we’re just our videos moving to Netflix. But the amount of people I know that reached out…like, Netflix, congratulations. It’s Netflix.” (Georgia, 97:46)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It’s a decade of podcasting. Totally unnatural. It doesn’t make sense.” (Karen, 02:44)
• “We just kept saying yes to things and they kept happening. And that’s what has brought us here.” (Georgia, 02:47)
• “If anyone’s watching over me and helping me make my dreams come true, it’s my mom.” (Karen, 04:12)
• “You and I are the only ones who know what this has been like in this way, this firsthand way. It’s really weird…” (Karen, 07:09)
• “We adapted on the fly. And I think that’s really a big part of this. But obviously the biggest part is our listeners and you guys...going on this crazy, yes, I’ll say it—journey.” (Georgia, 09:15)
• “We will eat up all of the advertising…in sales, it doesn’t work that way…We got to build our own Marvel universe.” (Karen, 51:07)
• “Mary Vincent’s story is just—that’s the one I see mentioned online more than any other one.” (Georgia, 62:42)
• “No one likes the death part. That’s not what we’re doing. We’re talking about those things going, this happened. It’s so awful. We’re together.” (Karen, 65:14)
• “We’ve told you literally everything about ourselves.” (Georgia, 86:03)
• “It wasn’t our doing. We were doing this thing over here, and they [the fans] showed up, assembled themselves, started doing subgroups…People basically organize themselves, meet up, later after shows, now are friends for life.” (Karen, 85:34–85:40)
• “We appreciate you guys so much. So do us a favor and stay sexy and don’t get murdered.” (Georgia, 98:32)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:17 — Reflections on 10 Years
• 03:49 — Founding of the podcast, links to family & fate
• 07:09 — Partnership and the pressures of co-creating
• 10:15 — MFM becomes a podcast network
• 15:16 — Introduction of Steven Ray Morris
• 21:48 — Top 10 Moments begins (#9: True crime + comedy)
• 25:11 — MFM in pop culture (#8)
• 33:36 — Writing the book (#7)
• 38:22 — Touring stories (#6)
• 50:26 — The birth of Exactly Right network (#5)
• 57:38 — Paul Holes surprise message
• 62:21 — Favorite episodes and story selection (#4)
• 71:33 — Origin and impact of catchphrases (#3)
• 77:18 — Pets as podcast personalities (#2)
• 82:16 — Murderino community (#1)
• 92:34 — “Then and Now” listener stories
• 97:28 — The leap to Netflix

---

Tone and Language

The episode is heartfelt, irreverent, and peppered with the hosts’ signature humor and candid relatability. The camaraderie between Karen, Georgia, and Steven shines through both in deep moments (“You and I are the only ones who know…”) and in mischievous asides (“The decade anniversary gift is tin or aluminum. What the fuck does that even mean?” — 06:48). The tone is equal parts gratitude, nostalgia, and playful self-deprecation.

---

Final Thought

This milestone episode is both a love letter to the fans and a self-aware celebration of what makes “My Favorite Murder” unique: the alchemy of friendship, honest storytelling, imperfect but passionate creation, and a fan community that’s every bit as vibrant as its hosts.

“Stay sexy, and don’t get murdered.”

Transcript

[Karen Kilgariff]

This is exactly right. The all new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid is more than just another suv.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's the Palisade you know, but with even more to love.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It features class leading interior space and purposeful tech designed for real life.

[Georgia Hardstark]

With up to 600 plus miles of range from the 2.5T hybrid engine, it's built for long hauls, quick errands and everything in between.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And Palisade Hybrid comes with an available class exclusive dash camera feature for extra peace of mind.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The Hyundai Palisade Hybrid is the SUV that will inspire you to make the most of every journey.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Learn more about the Hyundai palisade@hyundai USA.com.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Call 562-314-4603 for complete details. Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's a new year and that means New Year's resolutions. So why not resolve to get more comfy?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Achieve all your goals with Bombas.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You already know that Bombas has the best socks, but they also make comfortable footwear from slippers to sandals and slip ons.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And Bombas isn't just in defeat. Their underwear and T shirts are designed to be soft, sports, smooth and comfortable.

[Karen Kilgariff]

For every purchase, an essential clothing item is donated to someone facing housing insecurity.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Head over to bombas.com mfm and use code mfm for 20% off your first purchase.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's B-M-B-A S.com mfm code mfm at checkout.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Ever wanted to enjoy a glass of whiskey without texting someone? You absolutely shouldn't?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Well now you can. Thanks to rk, the world's first zero proof spirit that gives you the same smooth kick minus the alcohol.

[Karen Kilgariff]

They invented the warm molecule giving you the burn of whiskey or tequila without a drop of alcohol. Zero calories, zero sugar, zero regrets. I mean it is such a good idea. This is so cool.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I am definitely trying to drink less. So having something that tastes really good that makes me feel like I'm treating myself without having a hangover. The next morning is key.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Shop [e-mail] and make every moment count.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's a R k a y beverages.com Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Goodbye foreign. Hello, hello and welcome to my favorite murder year 10.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This is the 10 year freaking anniversary.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We have done this podcast. We have said these words to you listener for 10 years. That's crazy for a podcast. Yeah, it's unnatural. It doesn't make sense.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It goes against God's will.

[Karen Kilgariff]

God's will of podcasting? Yeah. That's Georgia Hartstart.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's Karen Kale Garriff. Did you ever think that this would become what it's become?

[Karen Kilgariff]

No. It's wild.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's a decade of podcasting.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Totally. I mean, we just kept saying yes to things and they kept happening. Yeah. And that's like, what has brought us here today. From my apartment to the pod loft to Carnegie Hall.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wait, we've never played Carnegie Hall?

[Georgia Hardstark]

No.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Ryman Hall.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. Sydney Opera House. That's right.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That fancy place in London. Oh, yeah, very fancy. Very historical.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. We've done a lot of amazing things with.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We have done.

[Karen Kilgariff]

By basically chatting about our hobby.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, it's been incredible. It's just. It's silly because I can't even put into words the way my life has changed since we started in 10 years. I feel so monumental and so huge and so important, and that's why I can't even begin to, like, fathom yet, you know?

[Karen Kilgariff]

So the actual date was the 13th of January or the 16th of January 16th. It was the 16th. Yeah, I think it was the 13th. Okay, so the actual date was the 13th?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Do you know my mom died on the 9th?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Holy shit. You started podcasting days after your mom died?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, with Alzheimer's, it starts a long time before. But I only mentioned that not to be, you know, like, dour. But my sister brought that up this morning. Cause she's like, that's not a coincidence. I'm like, it's not a coincidence?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Really?

[Karen Kilgariff]

I don't think so. I mean, to be woo woo. Just to kick it off in the woo wooest way. If anyone's watching over me and helping me make my dreams come true, it's my mom.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God. You know, Pat up there giving you the.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Just being bossy and pushing her way to the front and just being like, sorry, I realize other people have been here a while, but we need to get some stuff taken care of because her house is going into foreclosure. Right.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I mean, yeah. All the things. All the things we've done and wanted to do. And then, I mean, yeah, I feel very, very lucky and grateful. To Pat.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, To Pat, to Janet, to everybody who got us here.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right. I have a present for you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

From me. Yeah, I have one for you too.

[Georgia Hardstark]

See, I got you one because I thought you would. Cause you always do, and I don't. I was like, shit. Oh, my God. I didn't have to do it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wait a second. I got you this beautiful ceramic coffee thing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I mean, it's silly. It's not like a special thing. It's just like, and it made me laugh and I figured I might as well give it to you now.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Great.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Cause I'll forget by your birthday.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Okay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So happy 10 year anniversary.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

How funny.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Did I just pull it right out?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Let's find out about magnets.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's a vintage book that just says magnets.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

With two little vintage kids playing with magnets. It's like a science book.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Clearly an old library book.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Totally.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That they ripped that old check it out. Pocket out of.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Isn't that incredible?

[Karen Kilgariff]

A long time ago in ancient Greece. Wait, I'm gonna tell you what year it's from. Yes, Georgia. This is the most. Oh, there's all the stickers. This is from Los Angeles City School Library.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Let me guess what year. 66.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Ooh, 67. Shit, so close.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I can't believe I got that close.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I can. You've like, doused yourself in shit like this for so long.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fucking champagne glass of diet Coke is going over. At some point you're gonna down the whole thing. Okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Thank you so much.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I know you love coffee table books, I really do. But I just thought that one was the funniest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I really love it. That's so good. Thank you so much.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Happy anniversary.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Happy anniversary. Here's the pen you've always wanted.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Thank you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Can I put this here by Elvis?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Absolutely. With the tinfoil hat on. So 10 years, a decade anniversary gift is tin.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Is tin or aluminum?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Aluminum, Which. What the fuck does that even mean?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Good luck couples who have to deal with that.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Well, according to Brides.com, the decade long anniversary gift is traditionally tin or aluminum, which symbolizes the strength and resilience of your marriage.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hey, I mean, the proof is in the pudding, right?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I mean, it's Teflon. That's us.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right. There's been a lot of. And I've said this, and people have said it to me too, where it's like. And you've said it to me. You and I are the only ones who know what this has been like in this way, this firsthand way. It's really weird because it is this very singular experience. It's very, very estranged. Like winning the lottery style experience, but way better. But then there's just this other person in the world that's also like, yep, I was there too.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So, like, you know, Vince has been there with us the whole time and he can experience it. He has. He can, you know, talk about it, but like, it being about you, it's so much pressure. There's so much Writing on you not being a stupid fucking asshole. You know, like, it's just a lot of pressure and a lot of, like, big experiences and experiences. We're the only ones who know what that's exactly like.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And there's no training for what we have experienced. Because there might be now.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, exactly. There. I think there is now. But in 2016, when we started doing this, there was not anything like this out there, which is fucking cool.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I think it's pretty cool. Well, hats off to Last podcast on the Left. They were. They were the first. They were the original True Crime.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We definitely. We definitely use them as a jumping off point of, like, what it could be.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But I think that idea of, like, I think before that, podcasts were very niche, very, like, you know, dependent on what you're into. But, like comedy nerds, like comedy podcasts or True Crime obsessives were listening to True Crime. But this idea that, like, it's all gonna get elevated, people are gonna pay more attention, more people are gonna come, and that means you have to be media literate. You have to be aware of what you're saying and, you know, say the facts don't spread misinformation. There's like a real responsibility that just was not there when we started and we weren't aware of.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Right. And we kind of. I think the fact that we were.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Able to, like, we adapted.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Thank you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We did that a lot.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We adapted on the fly. And I think that's really a big part of this. But obviously the biggest part is our listeners and you guys, like, sticking with us and going on this crazy, yes, I'll say it. Journey.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It has been a true spiritual journey.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And none of it would have happened if you guys weren't listening, so thank you so fucking much.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, that part of it, to me, has been the most unbelievable, mind blowing because the amount of people and the love and passion with which they talk to us. I mean, I'm just talking about the ones who have talked to us and the ones who have played along with us this whole time. Like, it's just an incredible gift.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Obviously, it's a very special. It feels like a once in a lifetime thing and, oh, I want to.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Do it again, though differently.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Can we please not?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Could we Never again.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Should we get into it?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, we still have to do business. Look, we're very responsible podcasters, obviously, so we know there's some reading to be done right now.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We've had to become responsible podcasters.

[Karen Kilgariff]

They gave us a network.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It only took us a decade.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right. So we've really built it up. You know, there's all kinds of podcasts on our network.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. Hey, here's a couple podcasts that are on exactly right.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Media example, Bananas, the weird news podcast. And this week, over on Bananas, Kurt and Scotty review their strangest headlines of 2025 from a radio station that went viral for playing a harmonica on a loop for hours. To Bahrain, the dog who won a downhill ski race. It's the kind of unhinged best of that only bananas can deliver.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And over on Ghosted by Roz Hernandez. Roz is over the moon about the return of Patton Oswalt. Aw. They get into Australia's spookiest haunted dollar, Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy about extraterrestrial contact and Patton's favorite conspiracy theories.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Very fun, very tin hat. Then on brief recess, Michael and Melissa are discussing the ice raids in Minneapolis. Then they talk to Yui Hamasaki from RuPaul's Drag Race. This show has everything truly.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And on Trust me. Lola and Megan are joined by journalist and filmmaker David Ferrier. He talks about his reporting on Arise Church, the largest megachurch in New Zealand, and their disturb pattern of exploitation.

[Karen Kilgariff]

David Ferrier made that documentary tickled. Did you ever see that? Oh, my God, he is. He's amazing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And when he came to record with Trust Me, he was waiting outside while I went out to get in my car. And I was like, that's David Ferrier. And so I was trying to figure out how to say something to him, or I was like, hi, I'm Karen and whatever. And I was like, kind of like trying to figure it out. And then the producer of the show just stepped outside and was like, oh, David, right in here. And then he just went inside. And I never said hello to him or anything.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It was your company. You go. I'm like, hi, welcome to my office. Hi.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Do you need to get in? I have a passcode. Like, I really could have balled out, and instead I just stood there kind of trying to figure something out.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Good.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Classic move. Okay, now, due to popular demand, we were just on tour. Very fun, very exciting. We had amazing tour merch that everyone loved and everyone talked about. And so because the people have spoken, we want to give them what they want. Our 2025 tour merch is now available in the exactly right store. It's your ch to grab posters, totes and apparel from our live shows.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I have something. I have a poster.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I have a tote.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Look at this beautiful poster.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, it's big.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This artwork for like the posters and the like tour official merch is by Daphne Sebain and she did such an incredible job. There was a different logo for every city and it would all have something to do with like the city's flower or the state flower, the animal that like went along with it. And there were all these like beautiful, deep meanings behind them.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It was so thoughtful.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It was amazing. And then this was just the overall tour. So we got the cool Panthers just if you just wanted the general tour. But then like Georgia's poster there, that's the Denver specific poster. So all of these items are available. Plus not just that.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, cool. I want that tote.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The tote's good. I want this sweatshirt which is just a classic. Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So cute. That's so simple the way you like a simple and a murderino on the side.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Do you dare me to wear this to Marshall's? Cause I will, I will.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love it. What else do you got?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, well, very exciting. We also have 10 year anniversary merch.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right. So in celebration, we have brand new merch. It's the MFM collegiate crew neck.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And we have a monitor to show you pictures on.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Ooh, a monitor. There's a red flag. Crew neck. It looks like you went to college at my favorite murder university. Yeah. So all us dropouts can now have our own, right. College like gear.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's a new approach to the idea of sister schools. Now it's like the sisters who could not get their homework done.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Come on.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's designed by our graphic designer, Vanessa Lilac. It's so fucking cool. Yes, it's so fucking cool. So the pre sale for this goes from January 15th through the 21st. So you have to order it in that time period to own it. So go to exactlyrightstore.com to see everything that's available, including the new Merch and the 2025 tour merch.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Also Vanessa, aside from that main design, Vanessa designed a lot of our tour merch as well. So this is Vanessa's design. The little deer that says so cute. Go fuck yourself.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, I think so.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's her. Some great stuff. Guys, it's our anniversary. We gotta sell. We always gotta sell. That's who we are.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Gotta keep the lights on and office of ours.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. God damn it. So we had this idea of a good way to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Would be kind of to review, to ask the listeners what in your opinion were the top 10 moments of the last 10 years.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes. So many because we can't remember most of them.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And we thought, well, who could read this to us? We can't just read it to each other. That would be weird.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's narcissistic.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So basically, we have a special guest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Here who is also the number 10 on the list.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right. None other than Steven Ray Morris.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right. And he is here with us today to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Oh, my God.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Feels weird. I'm like, not on the floor, you know. Didn't come with anything. Yeah. Surreal.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Where's your spiral notebook that you're supposed to be taking your notes? It's so nice to see you. It's good to see you.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, my gosh. The last time I saw you was like a whirlwind at, like, one in the morning and you still had to, like, say hi to so many people.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. At our LA show.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right. It's funny, the applause that Stephen got at our LA show was so beautiful and so, like, watching you receive that where you're just kind of like, holy shit, it was so sweet.

[Steven Ray Morris]

No, it was really fun. Those are some really fun shows. I can't. And again, it was one of those things where it was like, there's like whole camera people moving around, but, like, I don't know, it just felt like we were back in the apartment. It was crazy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I know. Did you get a lot of fans coming up to take pictures with you?

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah, I got mobbed a little bit, but I was like, I think they did this on purpose.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No, they love you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, they're so happy to see you. And they always. I mean, I think every minisode, every email, you get shouted out. I mean, like, you are a part of the show. Hello to everyone.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And Steven.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah, I still left, like, my signature at the bottom. You know, they're still like, writing into the email.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Steven will be out. Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. If you guys don't know, Steven made his debut as our Engineer on episode 23. And he was our editor, our fact checker, and my cat sitter.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yes. Oh, my gosh.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And all things to all people. You did it all for us, Steven. Yeah, you really did.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean, it's just so surreal. It's just what you guys have done here is amazing. Like, I'm just, again, I was like, peeking around every corner. Like, I have to see everything. We have an office. I know. Now there's not somebody playing Call of Duty downstairs from your place or like, you know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, yeah, we used to get a little bleed through Call of duty, sometimes.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Fireworks, helicopters, literal fires.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Ghost train.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Ghost train. Oh, yeah, that's right. And when. The loft days. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We saw Coyote, like walking back to your car one time. It's like full nature, like, surreal. Like we're in a movie right now.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, it is. We have. Well, if there's anyone in the world that understands what we have been through, besides you and I, it is Steven Ray Morris.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's very true.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, my gosh.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Everyone wants to feel safe in their home.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's why home security from Simplisafe is designed to prevent problems before they start.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Traditional security is basically there to say, hey, someone got in. Simplisafe home security is different because it's built to stop crimes before they start.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Simplisafe offers a double layer of protection. Their AI powered cameras can detect when someone's outside your home and alert live monitoring agents right away.

[Georgia Hardstark]

They can speak directly to the person through the camera, let them know they're being recorded, alert police, and even activate a siren or a spotlight if needed. One of the reasons I love having security cameras around my house is because Cookie barks at, like, everything, which I'm so proud of her. She's supposed to do that. That's like my first line of defense. Then the next one is check all the cameras. If I couldn't do that step every time that she barked, I would be freaking out constantly. Like, I can't imagine not being able to see what she's barking at. It's usually nothing, but what if it is something?

[Karen Kilgariff]

So protect your home with SimpleLife and get 50% off any new system. For a limited time, just go to.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Simplisafe.Com fave again, that's simp simplisafe.com fav and lock in your discount.

[Karen Kilgariff]

There's no safe like simply safe.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Bye.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's a new year and a new you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So to celebrate, why not get a new outfit from Quint's?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Quint has all the staples covered. From soft Mongolian cashmere sweaters to 100% silk tops and skirts. Their wardrobe essentials are crafted to last season after season.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Check out their Italian wool coats. They look designer, feel luxurious, and are made with premium materials.

[Georgia Hardstark]

By working directly with top artisans and cutting out the middlemen, Quince gives you luxury without the markup.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And like everything from Quince, each piece is made with premium materials in ethical, trusted factories. Then priced far below what other luxury.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Brands charge, they really are premium. I got a cashmere throw blanket from Quince. It is so soft, so cozy. I have to like beg my cats to let me use it because they are so obsessed with it and so am I.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The cashmere sweaters. They're now piling up in my room. I have so many. I love them so much.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Refresh your wardrobe with quintessential go to.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Quince.Com mfm to get free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's Q U I n c e.com mfm to get free shipping and 365 day returns.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Quince.com mfm Goodbye. Hey Georgia, you know what sounds relaxing? Reclining seats that melt the tension away. Purposeful tech and charging ports that keep every device charged.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No, it's not a day at the spa. We're talking about the Hyundai Palisade Hybrid.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The Hyundai Palisade defies everything you thought you knew about SUVs with more style and capability. It's something new entirely.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It features class leading interior space and available front and second row relaxation seats that let you really recline and unwind.

[Karen Kilgariff]

With up to 600 plus miles of range from the 2.5 T Hybrid engine, it's built for long hauls, quick errands.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And everything in between no matter where you're headed. The available 14 speaker Bose sound system makes for an immersive ride.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And the Palisade Hybrid comes with an available class exclusive dash camera feature, an available class exclusive blind spot view monitor for extra peace of mind, optional seating.

[Georgia Hardstark]

For seven to eight passengers including available third row power seats that recline. Perfect for families or group trips.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And with available H track all wheel drive, you're ready to go anywhere in style.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Need more? You've got standard 100 watt USB C ports to keep every device powered and.

[Karen Kilgariff]

A standard passenger talk intercom so you can threaten to turn this SUV around if you kids don't knock it off. Without taking your eyes off the road.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The all new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid is more than just another suv. It's still the Palis, but with so much more.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Learn more about the Hyundai palisade@hyundai USA.com.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Call 562-314-4603 for complete details. Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Are you ready to walk us through? Yes. Now the top nine.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, you're number 10.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah, we narrowed it down to nine and then yeah, I feel like the first one, number nine is like just talking about like combining true crime and comedy. I mean obviously getting your perspective on this, but anyone I've talked to, it's like getting to hear Your friends tell you a story, your cool aunts like that kind of thing at a party, which is kind of. I mean, that was how the show started, basically.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

So surreal.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. There was never, like a let's report on it. It was almost like a. Let's just. Let's gossip. Not gossip, because that's obviously. It was like a darker than that thing where it was like, let's get this out of our brains, where it's not doing any good to anyone.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, also, I think we had talked about for years ingesting that same kind of. And then it's like. But no one ever talked about ingesting it and receiving it. It was always like you were supposed to act like a reporter if you were gonna talk about this. And we were basically like, we're not gonna do that. We're almost gonna do the opposite and see what happens. Cause it's the conversation around what we have, you know, that's. You know, the conversation around the staircase. And do you. You know, how in the world could you believe in the owl theory?

[Georgia Hardstark]

And it's almost like the Halloween conversation. When we first met, we just took that onto. What are these called? Microphones.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. For what's it called? A decade.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. It was like, was this on mic or not? You know, like, it felt like that. Like, what was your favorite Forensics? Like, what was your favorite Forensic File episode? You know, what was your favorite Unsolved Mystery? Like, that kind of thing.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It actually just reminded me, you saying it, being on mic, that I think one of the biggest reasons that we got Steven and needed Stephen was because I used to do a weird thing with the microphones we were using. Do you remember that? Where I was creating this insane sound problem? Because I would shake the mic sometimes when I was talking, and you'd be like. And I think they were your mics, and they look like the mic you use at a school talent show. So it was just like, I would be, like, making a point or something, and I'd go like that. And then it would shake the bottom, and the bottom was loose, and it was all. And it was like, finally was like, we need an engineer. We need someone else besides us to help us do this.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean, yeah, just like, if people knew how cheap. Those first microphones. It's like one step above karaoke. But, I mean, again, it was one of those things, like, every Wednesday or Tuesday night or whatever, just getting together. I felt like to unwind from our day jobs at the time. I don't know.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

For real Definitely. Yeah. And I remember once there was something that was going, some drama, some big thing that you had to help us with. And I remember just being like, thank. Thank you so much, Stephen. And you go, hell, yeah, I'm ride or die. And then I was like, oh, my God, that's the best.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah, I remember.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And you really were.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. I mean, it was my favorite thing to do every week. We actually got to, like, just talk. You guys, like, talked into microphones about this thing. That was fascinating. And the fact that, like, again, even by the time I was helping you out, like, the show was, like, getting to number one on the podcast charts.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And, like, it was 20. It was episode 23. So I think. I think we had just shitty equipment because we never expected it to go beyond, like, five episodes and, like, for anyone to listen to it. So then it was like, oh, no, we have to actually be, like, so.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Investing, you know, we have to do this better.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, my gosh. I mean, obviously that takes us, like, to number eight, MFM and pop culture. I think the. I mean, speaking of that, the Entertainment Weekly, that, to me was like. But I mean, for both of you, like, when did you feel like you're like, oh, this is, like, the biggest thing, or, like, people, you know, talking about it, like, you see in yellow jackets, I feel like was another insane.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God, I forgot about that one.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right. We would get these emails that were like, can we have permission to use your logo? And we're like, the logo Georgia made.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Right?

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's just like, sure you have permission. Those kinds of things.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Christina Ricci, she had, like, a mug, right? In dollar jackets.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's what. Oh, there it is.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That is the og.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That is my mock up of what it could look at before we even started recording.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And I remember making that in, like, a ca. Because I didn't have WI fi at home. It was like, that time of my life, and I couldn't afford to pay WI Fi. So I was in a cafe, and I was supposed to be writing, like, a submission for, like, a writing job. Like, one of, like, my first, you know, like, at a food magazine. I was like, oh, I really fucking need this job. Like, what am I gonna do? And, like, I don't want to do that right now. I want to make this instead, like, the thing that's not making me any money and the thing I just want.

[Steven Ray Morris]

To do for passion.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And, like, it turned out that that was the thing that I should have been working on.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean, that theme song is take two, I believe. Like, it's just like my favorite murder theme song. Take two, M4A. Like, you know, like right off your phone.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Like, holy shit.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Unchanged.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I always thought, well, I remembered it this way, but that makes more sense. Cause I probably screwed it up the first time. But I always remember it being just me sitting down, being like, here's an example of what it could sound like. And then just sending it to Georgia and then it being like, yeah. And then that's what it is and that's what it remains. I think there's those things like that where it's like, that's a good piece of advice for people. It's just like, don't mess with things too much. It doesn't need to be perfect. Just like, put it out there and see.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Well, it felt like, yeah, the things that you were ingesting, the stories at the time, it was just like, all right, we get to talk about it. And then it's like fresh on Thursdays. And I feel like that was something that I feel like not everyone was doing. You know, it was like that. Cause, you know, it's like if you make a movie or a TV show or something, it takes like months or years. You know, again, working on shows where you're like in a writer's room for six months and then they start coming out. But it was like, oh, no. We're responding to, like, things in real time.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We don't have time to like, make it precious and make it perfect, just.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Or even think about, should we be saying this at all. And also, you know, again, thanks to Steven, because it got to be timely like that. Because you would leave those records and then stay up all night editing those shows. It's hilarious. I mean, the dedication.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We were supposed to be recording on like Tuesdays. And I think at least half the time we were like, shit, we can't record until Wednesday night. Not knowing how long it took to edit.

[Karen Kilgariff]

No, nothing. Knowing you had to.

[Steven Ray Morris]

When we were neighbors so I could just walk over.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, exactly. Thank God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So crazy.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I also really loved when you guys were in the Simpsons. To me, that's also like another, you know, like, thing that you're. You enjoy as a fan and then you get to, like, see it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, I think that was a maybe like teary eyed moment for me when we were. Yeah, it was like a podcasting episode or a true crime podcasting episode. And they had drawn our caricatures as like, podcast True crime podcasting, you know, names and our Names and face, like Simpsons faces were on there. And Simpsons to me, when growing up was one of the most important things in my entire life. Like, one of the reasons I think I'm slightly funny is because of watching the Simpsons for as long as I did and that. So that just felt like that was something I could send to my brother and he would get it, you know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, I saw that picture, I just couldn't. To see yourself simpsonified is wild to know it's actually in an episode that was really a humbling experience. It was really the craziest honor. And then full circle of like somebody on our Facebook page in the, you know, in the comments made up the name Murderino stolen from the Simpsons. Perfect. It's like instead of suing us, they put us on the show. It's so nice of them.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That was one of those. That moment and Jeopardy. Are two moments that it felt like, okay, whatever fucking happens in life historically, you can't take that away from me ever. You know what I mean? Like, it will always have been on Jeopardy, on Stones and on Simpsons.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So if you want to see any of these things we're talking about, go to our social media. You can see all those pictures if you haven't already.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Right. We're posting a lot of cute stuff, stuff for the 10 year anniversary this week. So check it out.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I know even just being in here, like seeing all this stuff is like so surreal. Has that like appreciation of those things is that. Do you think you appreciate it more now? Because I feel like at the time, just even remembering like the scramble for the three of us, like going through Twitter, going through Facebook, like trying to just source any of this stuff. Because it was just like every week we were just like, okay, let's just. We need to just focus on the episode now and then. I don't know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, it's like a living scrapbook kind of where you don't. And that's the thing is like, I feel like scrapbook people are such future geniuses. Like when you were talking about doing stuff for future Georgia, it finally makes sense to me. Cause it's like now, you know, you look around and you see this stuff and you're like, I remember when that person handed that to me at a live show or when they sent it in. And we're like, this is what I do for a living, but I also want to do it for you. Like, it's such a beautiful kind of way to keep time and like to keep 10 years. It's like we have A lot of this stuff with people that wanted to play along with us.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah, well. And I feel like the feeling. I don't know how you felt when they recreated the pod loft in that New York. You know, like, speaking of scrapbooking. In New York. Yeah, yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

At the On Air Festival.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And then it's also at the Microsoft Theater Halloween show. They recreated the pod loft. I think there's so many moments from this podcast and from 10 years that I keep saying to myself that are so incredible and overwhelming. And if I stopped and thought about them, I think I'd like short circuit. So they've been like, I'm gonna emotionally.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Deal with this later When I'm 67. Exactly.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And yes, I can't do it right now. Cause I. You know, like, if you think about how many people are listening to your voice right now, you can't fucking speak. So it's just like, I'm not gonna worry about it right now. In the future, as an old lady, I'm gonna be like, that was pretty fucking cool.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What I'm doing a bit where. That's what I'm doing to you right now. But you can't do a not speaking bit unless you're not speaking.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. Unless you're watching. Right.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, it is that kind of thing where I think we were very good about keeping it. It's like, yeah, you can't think about those numbers and you can't think about the. You know, it's that idea, I think, at some point, one of the many problems that we had to all solve together. And it was like, look, we're not looking for a consens. We're not trying to. We didn't do something to be super popular for millions of people. We did something for each other and for ourselves. And then it's like. And then it went somewhere, which I think is the advice if people are looking for it, where it's like, please yourself and make yourself laugh or interest yourself, because you can't think of it that way or you will totally melt down.

[Steven Ray Morris]

No, I always feel like it's like telling people. It's like, can you have a fun conversation with somebody? Where. I mean, again, back in the early days, it was like seeing you two make each other laugh or discovering something new was always, like, so fun. You know, it's like, that's when I was like, with my. In my notebook, like, writing the things that you guys said, you know, like, that's the stuff where it's like, if you can do that, like, I feel like, you can do anything.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Thank God we took those and made them into the show titles instead of using the fucking number puns. I mean, number puns.

[Steven Ray Morris]

79 is pretty good.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, we had a couple good ones. But also, that just makes me think of. Georgia would always have either a pot of coffee or her older coffee from the morning. And Steven and I would have a big old cup of like 7:30 coffee and just be like, yeah, let's do this thing.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Supercharged plus Diet Coke.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Whiskey for me.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Always. Yeah, we're going all in different directions. I think that's what made it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We all need our own special form.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Of just lighting off. Yeah. Like the fireworks that went off one time in the middle of recording.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God.

[Steven Ray Morris]

And all the cats, like, scattered.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Wait, so then when, like, number seven, writing the book, Stay sexy, Don't get murdered. Like, was that a moment where you had to actually sit down? Cause that was, to me, the fun and surprising thing about reading. It was like, you had to. Or when you were talking about it and getting into it, you're like, oh, we actually have to write about our whole life.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

What was that like?

[Georgia Hardstark]

That was one of the hardest. I don't think we expected. Oh, hey, look.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, look.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, there it is.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's a very bitter look on my face right there. I'm very angry.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I'm stoked, because that was the. Fuck. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my entire fucking life. We didn't really know what it was gonna be. It turned out to be like a memoir in a lot of ways, of the stupid, painful things we've done and gone through that naked so that we're the people who you can trust to deliver these pieces of advice to. Which means you had to, like, dig deep. Every note I would get from Ali, our incredible editor, was like, what did it feel like? Tell me more about how hard that moment was or what? How awful it was. It's just like, it was a lot of therapy at the time.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, it was incredible. Well, and also just the opportunity. It's like everybody knows, like, if you get a popular thing, if you get over a certain number of people that will pay attention to it, you'll get a book deal or you'll get a blank, or you'll get a blank. And when that came through, it was like, well, this could just be another perfunctory thing that gets done, because that's what gets done. But then it's like, but we could really do something with this. And also, we are not true crime journalists. Again and again, we say so. It's like, we don't have to worry about that. It's like we can just talk about the one thing we know. I felt so much comfort in that. Cause it's just like, we don't have to pretend. Like, suddenly in the middle of all this, we don't have to pretend to be something. It's like, we'll just keep on doing what we've been doing and hopefully it'll work.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I think that was probably like, the. Writing a book is something I'd always wanted to do in my life. Like, that was a life goal. I didn't know how the fuck it was gonna happen. Cause I didn't go to college, and I, you know, same. And so getting that opportunity was like, this is a once in a lifetime thing that you've always wanted. Don't fuck it up. Like, make yourself proud of it. And there are times like, these days, I mean, like, even now, years later, sometimes I'm like, I feel lazy or I haven't done anything. And then I'm like, you wrote a book. You wrote a booking book that cannot be taken away. There's a fucking number one bestseller on fucking New York that can't be taken away.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And I'll never forget. People will tell you they like it, but whatever. So now you've achieved this dream, but maybe it's actually not good, or blah, blah, blah. But the reviews were good. So I just kept looking for, like, okay, well, where's the bad things? So that, you know, I can take this all apart in my negative way. And it was just like, couldn't do it. Couldn't do it. And then people to this day, like, bring it to us to sign or tell us how much it meant to us. Like, it's incredible. It's crazy.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I'm so. I'm really. I do. I still think it's great. I'm, like, really proud of us. I really am. I'm just. There's nothing about it that I would change.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Plus, you apologiamati.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Paul Giamatt apology.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Paul Giamatti in the audiobook. What more do you want?

[Steven Ray Morris]

I forgot. How did that even happen?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Because I did the running joke of, like, people would ask us if we were gonna do, like a Q and A episode. People would ask us who would play you in the movie. And you said, the people that people have told you you look like. And then of course, I said, Paul Giamatti. And then I guess someone told Paul Giamatt So then he was trying to get ahold of us to be like, I listened to your podcast and I liked it or something. And one day I woke up and there was an email from a random email where it's like, the fact that I didn't delete it is a miracle. Cause it'd be like, I don't know who this is from, but I read it anyway, and it was like, you people are harder to get ahold of than. And it was written in this perfect Paul Giamatti voice. And then it was like, thank you for saying nice things about me, you know, your delight. He basically heard we were talking about him, so went and listened to the podcast and was like, I like your podcast. And I was like, well, then I'm gonna do the gross Hollywood thing and say, would you like to read a chapter? And he was like, sure. And then I was totally sure he was gonna just flake later on. Just like, tell me. Yes. And he did it. He's so cool. He did it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What a mensch.

[Steven Ray Morris]

So surreal. I mean, like, like, again, just expanding outward, because we were talking a little before, but just the. You know, the number six is touring. Like, when did you decide that? You were like, we have to do this. And then how did you. I mean, again, like, I think in 2019, you guys toured from January to May.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, don't talk about it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, we were. We just wanted to do a live show. A couple. There were some podcast festivals, and they were fun and made sense to what we were doing. So we were like, well, let's do our own live show. Like, outside of a podcasting event.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, it seemed like that's what a lot of comedy podcasters did, where it's like, people go and they put up one of those folding tables, and then, you know, you line up some mics and you sit there and you do your podcast and people can see you in real life. So I was like, well, let's. I'll call the Bell House. That's where a lot of comics that I know in New York do stuff like that. And we'll just, you know, see what happens. And we so many people tried to buy tickets that the guy called me, like, what the fuck is going on? Cuz we fucked up their whole day and probably their week with the amount, like, it sold out immediately, the whole thing. And that was when we started to get the sense of like, oh, this isn't. We don't understand how big this is. And we don't understand that. It's like, yeah, we sold out the Bell House.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's a big deal.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's a big deal. It was a huge deal to me.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I think this last that we were on too, was really cool because so for our LA shows, I have since talked to a lot of people who I'm really close. We hadn't toured in six years, so there's actually people that I'm very close with that I didn't know then and so hadn't seen the live shows or hadn't been to a live show. So they came and they're like, oh, I didn't understand. You're always stressed. I didn't totally understand it until I went to a live show and heard and saw everyone. Like, when you walked out, I didn't realize what a big fucking deal it was.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That same thing happened. My friend Lark, who now does my hair, I invited him to come and he just told me when he was doing my roots the other day, he was like. He goes, you didn't tell me anything about what that was gonna be like. I thought I was gonna go support you, like, I was gonna be nice and be in the audience for you. He goes, I was so embarrassed when I got to the Pasadena Civic Auditorium or whatever you. I said, like, I had no idea and you didn't tell me. And I was like. I'm like, not a detail person.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. What do you say? Like, here's how many listeners we have. Here's our numbers. Please come to this show. You can't. You don't do that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So, yeah, there was definitely a lot of like, oh, okay, this is bigger than what I thought, which is kind of rad.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean, when we did Anaheim, I got to stand on stage where I saw Michelle Branch in high school. So that was just like, oh, my God, everyone, this. You have no idea.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So it's so incredible.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That was such a good show. When Georgia did the Disneyland.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The Deaths of Disneyland. Oh, I've been wanting to do that for so long.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Is there live show memories that stick out to you? I think of, like, the person crawling in the audience. Cause they were so drunk.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The fun part about, especially that first year of touring, was we were out with a bunch of people who were like, they were friends with us. And so it really was like, you just went and did a live show with all your friends in the audience, where they were heckling us, and they wanted to be a part of it and all of it. But at the same time, that dynamic that none of us had gotten before, which is, this is what happens when we do this part? This is what they're doing while we do this part.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Like, pockets. Having a dress with pockets gets a huge round of applause. Like, what? Okay, that's our thing.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yep. No one would understand, but it's like. But everyone understands because we're all kind of the same in that way. It was. I mean, those early days. Yeah, the Portland shows were always amazing. I think my family seeing. Coming to the Oakland shows and seeing me and having that same experience of we didn't understand what this was. And then, of course, never forget the Arizona show. I think it was Tempe or in the round. Phoenix.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We did the show in the round. The show where the stage was spinning.

[Steven Ray Morris]

In a circle, slowly spinning, because I'm trying to remember, but I feel like the way you described it was just like.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It was almost unnoticeable until suddenly you looked up and the person you had been looking at was wayward, was not there.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And. And for that, I would say it was too fast because it was almost like, for people in a musical, it was perfect, but for podcasting, it was insane. It was like we could only focus on each other because we were just like. It was so crazy and so funny, and no one told us that it was in the round or on a moving stage. So walking out onto stage, we were discovering all of it at the same time. It was hilarious.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Did you do a full rotation? I never asked. Did you do, like.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, oh, multiple times?

[Georgia Hardstark]

It went around. Multiple times.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I think it went around 20 or 30 times during the length of an hour. Oh, yeah, it was pretty good.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It was good fodder, though.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It was. I mean, it was insanity. And then that show had the best hometown, I think, of all time. She did an amazing job.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean, some of those hometowns were so. People were like. Even just the most recent, the LA shows, everyone is just, like, so excited. I forget, like, do you have, like, a favorite hometown person or just, like. I mean, there was marriage proposals. Like, there's. I know, like, all kinds of stuff. People came on stage, guest.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, if it's favorite person, then I would pick our drunk friend from Washington, DC, who could only say Lorena Bobbitt 15 times. And she tried and she was there and she was loving life. And, you know, it was just Georgia had to pick from 50ft away, and this woman was waving her hand like. Like, we told her the rule, you can't be too drunk. Maybe we made up the rule, you can't be too drunk after her.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah, no, you always framed it. You're like. There was a whole thing that people had to pay attention. We were like, everyone settle down for a moment.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Please.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Stop. These are the qualifications. Now go.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Be a good storyteller. Know what you're doing. Yeah. All those things.

[Georgia Hardstark]

But this gal and I do love that. Like the kind of just unexpectedness of it all where it's just. You're fucking hoping this person delivers. And when they deliver, it's so. It's powerful, but it's even more so because you just. It's not planned at all. It's just so, so incredible.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And sometimes it's like a person that's like, I am the city's district attorney. Where you're like, you're listening to this podcast. Like, oh, my God. Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Did the touring this time feel different?

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, I just felt. It just felt like a gift, you know what I mean? After, like not doing it for so long, having it kind of be like, we don't have to do it. It's not like. And then being able to like film it. There was just a lot to it that was like. It felt very like, be in this here now, be in the now right now. And really love it because it was those first. I mean, the back to back years were hard and it was the hardest version of touring multi cities in a weekend.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Thank God for Vince. Oh, my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I know Vince. Really? Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. He tour managed the hell out of that thing. When he got in there and saved it for sure, it was nuts. There was that one show. Maybe it was Vancouver that the. It was just the best audience. Like the response and the stories. And I think it was Vancouver. It was. They bubble up. But then, like, if I sat here long enough, I would name every single one.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Well, and also I feel like over the years of just like wanting to pick the stories, I mean, I was embarrassed too when we were doing Kansas City and then was like looking at Kansas City, Kansas City, Kansas Murders. I was like, oh, Karen, I'm so sorry. This is Kansas City, Kansas, not Kansas City, Missouri.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I mean, that's on them, though. Like, come on, what are you doing?

[Karen Kilgariff]

You cannot name so close to each other. Two cities the same and one that.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Doesn'T even belong to the same. No.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Irresponsible. Not our fault. Not your fault at all.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Thank you. I needed that closure.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. No, we're fine.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Is there like a story that you were glad that you did live versus doing at home?

[Georgia Hardstark]

The live story choosing part is so hard because it has to be so many things that it can't be, you know, or it can't be. So many things that it can be when it's just the two of us. Because you don't want to bum out a whole fucking audience.

[Karen Kilgariff]

There's just a different expectation and we had to learn it by doing it, which is a tough way to learn on stage, live show. I mean, that actually is the definition of standup comedy. It's kind of an awful experience. But then you like the improvement and the kind of. You make these little changes and you're like, okay, here's the parameter, here's what we will talk about. And also, just if we have a room full of, you know, if we're lucky, 2,000 people, how are we gonna maximize this experience so that we're all. This is like kind of best case scenario for this city, this audience.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Right. What do they want? And then, yeah, also, like, also to remember that when they're booing, they're usually not booing. Yes, they're booing the story. Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

At what point were you like, okay, this is. They're not booing for us.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Never. I'm still like, what are, are you mad? What did I say? What did we do?

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's why I used to get so angry at when they would heckle because it was like old. The old me of like, if you're saying anything, that means you're against me. Where it's like, these are people that just want to talk. Also. They finally get to talk back to you and they really want to do it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And they had drinks before in a meetup. And so.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, yeah, there's all kinds of reasons.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean, I also love seeing both of you meeting everybody afterwards.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, the meet and greets are fucking special.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So fun.

[Steven Ray Morris]

And people just were like, like this, like, like ready. Because they just had the thing. Like in New Zealand, somebody had ice cream with them the whole show. Like that kind of stuff. Like, do you remember any, like, specific. So many goodies or like, things like that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The Australian news that there was amazing experiences. I got proposed to. Remember that? I got proposed to a woman, brought her rugby player husband. She's like, karen, I want you to see what a real one looks like in real life. Like, it was that we had some great ones.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's so funny because after the show you're like just completely emotionally drained. It just takes a lot out of you. And then you have to do this 100 person meet and greet. But then you're also like, they're bringing me the coolest fucking gifts. And everybody. Every other person has some either ceramic beautiful thing that they made for you, or a fucking bag full of candies or a Siamese cat stuffed animal. Then you can't sleep all night because you have so much endorphins running through because it's just such a cool experience. And then it's people getting to tell you how long they listen and what you were there with them for. And that's just like, you don't get that when it's just sitting in a studio recording and we hadn't had it for so long. And. Yeah, like, we'll run into people on the street who will, like, say hi and introduce themselves, but just that onslaught that you get when you're touring is. It's life giving.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Did the, like, when the people tell you they go back to school for that?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, so many. Like, I became a this and I went back to school for that. Or I left this relationship because I of this. Or I went to. There's so many. I went to therapy because you guys talked about it. And that, to me is like, the fucking point of it all. Yeah, it's so cool.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. No, I had a friend who was telling me, like, I. Growing up, like, I didn't think mental health was, like, a thing until they listened to the show. That was very touching.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Like, and also, I love the fact that that was just the coincidence of both you and I not giving a shit. Like, I was raised by a mother who's a psychiatric nurse. You were raised where therapy was very much, like, fine and good and a part of your life. And so it was just this weird. We didn't know better. And then we were like, everybody else was interpreting it. I was like, you allowed other people where we're like, no, we just love talking about ourselves.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Like, what'd you do today? I went to therapy. Like, I'm just talking about my day and, like, something cool. My therapist said, no, I'm not. Like, I didn't. And, like, the medication change I'm going through right now, it's like, just part of my life. But that. The fact that, like, I think because of that, people didn't, you know, we made it. Not a big deal to talk about. And so it's not a big deal.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And we get credit for. As if we planned it and we didn't.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Number five on this list is creating the podcast network. Exactly right. Like, again, this is. So. This space is bigger than, I think the original network studio, basically.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You mean the original studio where you couldn't flush the bathroom toilet while people were recording because they were five feet away from each other, if not less.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, we always say, like, you know, they. They gave us a network, and it really did start with, like, a deal that was being struck, and part of the deal was they want you to have your own network. So that is how it started. And we said, awesome, let's do it. But I don't think they expected us to, like, to do it ourselves, the way we, of course, would never let anyone else fucking do it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, I mean, yeah, I think it was that idea probably at the time. They're like, well, if this true crime podcast is popular, then that'll be a network with a bunch of other true crime podcasts. And then, of course, very quickly, we found that it's, like, in sales, it doesn't work that way because we will eat up all of the advertising. There was all the kind of business behind the logic of it. And so then we were like, well, we have plenty of hilarious friends who are not interested in true crime at all. And they want it. They're podcasters. And we got to. The way I used to say, it's very hacky, but it's like, we got to build our own Marvel universe of all the people around us, where it's like, everybody can't be Superman. You know what I mean? If everybody's flying around with their laser, it's a little boring. We need everybody that's like, we need an Aquaman and we need a storm. There's no way these people are all in the Marvel universe. And I know there's people that are furious right now, furious that I would be cross promoting these characters.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Well, they. So yeah, I think that what happened was they thought that we were just gonna churn out a bunch of my favorite murders to make them a shit ton of money. And I think we pissed off a lot of people because we were like, like, that's not what we want to do. That doesn't really happen that way, and we want to do it our way.

[Steven Ray Morris]

So I think, oh, yeah, you're picking things that resonate with you, and you're like, I want to listen to that.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Exactly.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Like, this podcast will kill you. Or like, you know, just any of the kind of shows like Bridger just getting to open presence and be mad about it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Be super pissed all the time. Yeah, this Podcast Will Kill you is Georgia's favorite podcast. And then I remember her, she was just like, I think this would work because it's thematically similar, but it's not on point where it's just like, yes, like those kinds of, you know, that's how you pick, Trust me. That same thing where it's like we do podcasting because we like podcasts and we listen to podcasts. So it all did make sense. But, yeah, the build of it, it was just like, how are we gonna do this and how are we gonna keep on doing this? And it really did become its own separate job.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's crazy.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. What is it like now?

[Karen Kilgariff]

I feel like, well, now we have like 40 employees. I mean, it's just.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I got lost on the way here.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, I don't. Yeah, it was definitely way, way more work than we thought it would be. I often wonder, like, if we hadn't started the network, what our lives would be like right now. It definitely. It turned it into a business rather than like a hobby. And I had to step away from the CEO angle of it or running the business at all because I just don't know how. And I don't wanna pretend like I do. I got really just overwhelmed by it all. But I love the network. I love the podcast we get to put on it. And I think it's a special place. I think those podcasts that come to us, I'm always like, they're gonna be happy and we wanna make sure they're happy and make it a place where everyone gets to be themselves and creative and not being told what to do. Because I don't think, like, nowadays my favorite murder would be picked up on a big network. Like, they'd make us change everything about it, you know, or like, I wouldn't be famous enough to like, host a podcast. So we don't want. We didn't want to do stuff like that to other people.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, and for years, knowing creative people, working with creative people and being around creative people, it's like, yeah, you learn, you know what you like and you know that your taste is good and you, you know, you know why something seems to be better than something else. And it is not just. It's not just chance. It's not, you know what I mean? And it's not just surface. It's like, especially in podcasting, you have to be better, I think, and more entertaining and more compelling than the average person on tv because there's no distraction. It's hyper focused on. Literally. Yeah, this back and forth. So there is a little bit of the magical combination that Georgia and I knew simply by going, okay, we've done that. We see what's hit we think we know why. And then, of course, I had a background in television where just like, this used to be my job all the time, where you're trying to put ideas together and make that magical combination hit. And whether you do or not, it's a completely different business, and it's also a different science. So it's just like, okay, I had a little bit of that knowledge, but also all of it was a start. And I mean, and that was kind of the spirit of it, which is just like, well, let's just see what's gonna happen.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. And then giving, I mean, Paul Holes a platform every week to be his magical self.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Our pleasure.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, thank you, sir.

[Steven Ray Morris]

What was that like, approaching him? Cause I feel like. I mean, the Golden State Killer getting caught was so such a part of the. I was, unfortunately, at Margaritaville when both of you found out.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right.

[Steven Ray Morris]

But like, even just approaching him to something and, like, I feel like. I mean, he was probably used to that whole, like, TV world where it was very restrictive, and you were like, here. Here's an opportunity to get to talk about the things that you wanna talk about.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Thank God he was a very experienced talking head before we ever talked about him. But that. You're right. That kind of order of how it went. Whereas, like, Georgia and I, the Golden State Killer focus. You know, he hadn't been renamed. Michelle McNamara came in. Her work, her book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, her documentary, like, all these things kind of happening together. Her very sudden, very shocking death. And then within a year of that or so, that case gets solved. And it's like a case that had been so old and nobody, I think nobody ever thought it was going to. And then suddenly it was like these changes. And it was very parallel to our experience where it was like those kinds of. Watching that happening change so quickly. I never imagined this. Now we're dealing with it. Now we're in it, and, yeah, him. Then we got the craziest thing of all, which is the surprise of Paul Holes on the podcast. So that went great. And then it was like the second we all left that office, I was sending him an email that was like.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What do you want to do?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Absolutely. You are not allowed to do a podcast anywhere else. It has to be with us. And he was like, I agree.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, it was very cool.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

And I feel like maybe there's another surprise we want to do with Paul Holes.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You have a Paul Holes surprise.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, my gosh.

[Paul Holes]

Karen and Georgia, sounds like you two have Gotten yourselves into a bit of a pickle. Sounds like we need to have a conversation. It's going to be fun to see who flips on who. 10 years? Are you kidding me? I remember the first time I heard about you guys and I had filmed a investigation discovery documentary on this unsolved Golden State Killer case. It's the one where they have me running in a creek like Forrest Gump. After it was released, the producer called me up and she says, paul, you're not going to believe this. Karen and George, are you talking about you?

[Karen Kilgariff]

What?

[Paul Holes]

Yeah, on the podcast, My Favorite Murder. I know what you're talking about. As you know, I don't listen to podcasts, especially when I was still active, but obviously fate ended up intervening, if you will. And I blame you, too. You know, very special memory is where I flew down to LA to be a surprise guest on your show. And I was hidden, in essence, in a closet at the studio where you were recording at the time, and then ultimately was shoved into the room in front of a microphone. And, you know, I never had any experience talking into a microphone before for. Especially for something called a podcast. And, you know, at the time, Karen, you and I sort of had a little bit of an online relationship going on. Kind of miss those days. But anyways, that was an amazing experience. And by the way, Karen, Georgia was in on it the entire time. I don't know if she's ever, never divulge that.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Did I tell you that? Oh, my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

She knew. She knew he was coming.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I knew it.

[Paul Holes]

Thank you so much for all the support you've given me. Thank you for supporting Buried Bones. I think it's been way too long since we have sat down together, had a drink and just caught up and probably need to include Kate because if we don't, she's gonna kick my ass. And if she doesn't, our producer Alexis will definitely do that. 10 years. It's been an amazing 10 years. I'm looking forward to the next 10 years.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Please.

[Paul Holes]

No, thank you again. And.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Paul Holes]

SSVGM.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Aw.

[Paul Holes]

You guys take care.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, my gosh. So sweet.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Pose was here. That was really lovely.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Do you know, after we recorded that surprise appearance by him, we were all going to the Tamo Shantern after to have lunch, and somehow he got put in the car with me, even though I was like, I can't drive anywhere with a cop. And the whole. He was, like, trying to chit chat with me the whole way. But I was, like, so focused on not, like, breaking the law. And I Just kept going through my head of, like, all the things I've done that are illegal in my life, just sitting next to. And he's like, such a, like, stoic dude, you know? And I was just like, be cool. Be fucking cool. Be fucking cool. The minute we got to Tam, I was like, whiskey, please. Just like, I can't. So funny be alone in a car with Paul fucking Holes. And, like, he's gorgeous, too. That did not help.

[Karen Kilgariff]

He's a lovely man. This is the kind of lesson, as you well know, that we learned on the podcast all the time, which is you say one offhand thing because it feels like you're in a private conversation with your friend that, of course, a bunch of people are actually listening to. So. And that happened with a bunch of stuff. But with the Paul Holes thing, I was just like, this hot guy's talking and about, you know, whatever. Very whatever. And then I said he looked like the guy from Hunter. And then all of a sudden, my whole Twitter feed is, like, everybody adding me and talking about it and talking about it. And then he came in. Then he was. And then people went crazy, and it was like, the hot for holes movement starts. It was. And I'm just, like, sitting there looking at it. Like, again, we did not plan for this. We didn't do it on purpose. And then there was, like, the people who were coming in going, he's married. Like, how dare you? Where I'm like, he's doing it, too. It was just so surreal. Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. It was an incredible moment.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Crazy.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Well, speaking of moments, should we get into our favorite episodes, number four? Our favorite episodes?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sure.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What's your favorite episode?

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean, Mary Vincent.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Like, I just think that story has, like, stuck with me personally over the years, and I feel like it's one of those things anytime I've run into Murderinos. Besides, before you started touring again, anytime I'd run into a Murderino, they're like, when are Karen and Georgia going back on tour? But, like, yeah, Mary Vincent's story is just.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's the one I see. Yeah, I see that one mentioned, like, online more than any other one. Or, like, I listened to that and became a Murderino. Like, that's totally the one. So good job.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh, thank you kindly. I mean, honestly, the Anaheim deaths at Disneyland was just. It was. It was unexpected, and it's so fun as a prize for me. Cause, you know, it's a surprise for George, and I don't know the stories we're about to tell each other ever in 10 years we've never known. And so that one was like. Cause we were in Anaheim. It was like the people, the locals, the people who've had to deal with Disneyland or worked at Disneyland or know all that stuff. And we were also in this funny little room that felt like a conference room at like the Hyatt that they had made into like, like a theater for us. So at certain points it was like rocking. Literally, like the room was rocking with like the back and forth of it all. And it was like that experience couldn't have happened in any other way without that story making it happen.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And I love that so much because. And I said this about hometowns recently too. So. Deaths at amusement parks have been an anxiety obsession of mine since I was a kid. Like, I remember the first time I heard about someone dying on Space Mountain at Disneyland as like a six year old and being like, what the fuck? I need to know everything about this. So like this podcast, that's true crime. And also with hometowns where it's like, I wanna know what happened in your fucking neighborhood that you can't stop thinking about? Because shit happened in mine. And I have not been able to stop thinking about that my whole life. Cause I have anxiety, but also like, how could you? There's people who just go around places and not think about the worst things that could happen. Who the fuck are you?

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So getting to do that story. So even though it's true crime, deaths at Disneyland you wouldn't think goes along with that. And like getting to sit on stage and tell you and like, whole audience that are excited to hear about my biggest fears and share it and not be called names or not be like, sent to rehab or whatever. Like, it's just so fucking incredible and special. And then the hometowns too, where it's like, I used to just ask random people once in a while what, you know, what happens now? We get like fucking inundated and I get to hear everyone's story and I just like. And that's my career and that's my life.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And that's why, like, I was able. I can like help my family with money, like, is because of this. So that's just an incredibly special, amazing thing for me.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, it's just the. It's. You think you're alone or you think you're different or weird. And then to have all these people be like, no, I had the exact same thought you had, or I had the exact same fear you have. And. Or that idea of like, when we're Going through those deaths and this is the misunderstanding that happens all the time. No one likes the death part. That's not what we're doing. We're basically talking about those things going, this happened. It's so awful. We're together. You're not alone reading this in the dark in your bed anymore. Like, we somehow bridge this gap that we didn't realize needed to be bridged so badly of, like, we're gonna talk about it together and it's gonna have all the elements. It's not just jokes. It's not come the whole time. It's comedy, tragedy, comedy, tragedy. Poignant moment, personal moment. Like, it hits all those buttons and not consciously. It's just like. That's just kind of how we figured out how to do it.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. Well, and for you are your favorite episodes of your own just the kind of rabbit holes you would have gone or. I feel like half the time you're like, well, I've already been reading about this for like a few weeks. Like Typhoid Mary or like the Galapagos stories. That was like, stuff that you were already interested. Different plane crashes or bridge collapses or moth. Like, that just was stuff you both were already interested in.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I can't. When. When there is a day, like, when we're gonna record and even when things have been so fucking stressful in our world and everything that's going on, and I go, I can't. In my mind, I think, I can't wait to tell Karen about this story. I can't, like. Or I'm writing, you know, putting the finishing touches on it and being like, oh, I can't. I'm gonna add this because Karen's gonna. Like, when I'm excited to tell Karen a story, that's when I know it's gonna be a good episode. Whether that's on stage or just here. I mean, that's when I know it's like, so even a cold case, I'd be like, okay, I have to make this cold case worth it to tell her or she's gonna be pissed. So, like, how do I make this the cold case story that Karen is like, okay, hearing? And that's when I know it's gonna be like a good episode or a good story that I tell.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, we're each other's perfect audience because then it's like, you're, you know, come along with me where I bring you into my British Victorian 1800s thing that you don't. But I'm gonna make you care about it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And I do now I do. I mean, it is like, yeah. Like, you know, to be totally transparent, there have been times when we have not been getting along. And then we'll record and I'll go, fuck, that's so special. Like, fuck, we're so good together. And it's just, like, undeniable, and it just softens part of you, you know?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Also, to me, it's funny because I feel like the not getting along has always been, oh, are you having trouble doing your gigantic business with the person you met four months ago? Like, every time I would be upset or frustrated or whatever, it would be like, who has ever done a situation like this well and gracefully the whole time and, like, with complete unity, it's like not getting along is how you get through a thing like that. And it's basically saying, I have, you know, you have your opinion, I have my opinion. Can we get together and decide what's best for this third thing? Which is not either.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's this thing which we both fucking care about so much. And you can't fight over a thing you're both so passionate about. I do think both of us having older sisters was very good.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I was about to say, like, the sister element was such a reoccurring theme with both of you having older sisters.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I think it's a kismet thing, for sure.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But it's also the worst version, because no little sister wants to be older sister by somebody else. So we've gone through our whole lives being absolutely oppressed by our oldest sisters in some ways. And so then when you start hearing the older sister tone, which I love, I know exactly how to copy my sister's voice, you know, in that thing of, like, it took me way too long to realize that's exactly what Georgia doesn't want to hear. So, like, that's not going to convince her of anything that's actually going to push her the other direction.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Right. Or trigger me into, like, all my bad habits that happen when I get.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You know, well, and also when it's like, what we're fighting about is not who's gonna drive to the party. It's this thing that's highly impactful, and there's all these people waiting to see and money and pressure and decisions, and it's like, yeah. And also, we have to get through this. We have to get through this.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And it doesn't matter how bad every week, you know, we still have to come meet up on a Monday and fucking and tell each other stories.

[Steven Ray Morris]

No, there was no Christmas or New Year's Off. It was like, back then you had to do a podcast every week. There was no, like, summer off. Like, nothing.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Because the second you even got slightly popular, that's when people were like, I think we one time did it on a different day.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah, well, because the Golden State Killer press conference we waited to in the morning.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Stephen knows exactly what I'm talking about.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Like that one very specifically. I remember. Cause we were like, no, we should watch this. And then we recorded it like around noon. And then I got it up like by 4 on a Thursday.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But I mean, people sure did hear about it.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah, no, there was a. I mean, back in the day, it was like if something was late or it was like, oh, God, what's happening? Are they okay? Can we do a wellness check?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. It would be me and you talking at 7:30 in the morning. Because I'd look at Twitter and people would be like, I don't know, it's my automatic thing, or whatever. And then I'd be like, stephen, did something bad happen? Like, first?

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, I fell asleep at the compute.

[Georgia Hardstark]

If I woke up at 11 o' clock in the morning, you guys wouldn't have fixed it for me. So I don't care.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Hey, how's it going, everybody?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hey, I just woke up. What's happening? Oh, my gosh.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And then the fighting begins.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Well, but again, no physical violence. I can confirm that's a serious nobody with no hair pulling, no nothing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Never ever.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We've always been able to come back to our senses in some way.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I've broken some of her shit secretly.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, that's right. I come home and all the mirrors in my house are broken. This is crazy.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Well, I mean, we're counting down. We're at three, and I feel like the catchphrase is, you know, the MFM ism, stay sexy. Like, at what point do you remember, like, when people were like, saying things back at you? Were you surprised by, like, what the stuff was that people were like, fuck politeness. The things that were catching on.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Or was it like that we'd end up putting on a T shirt?

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I do remember the first time someone ever yelled stay sexy at me out of a car in San Francisco on Hann. Like in the. You know, maybe Vince and I had just gotten married. Or, like, for some reason we were in Northern California and some fucking girl yelled, stay sexy driving by. And I just screamed. And don't get murdered, like, in the middle of a fucking, like, public place. So, like, it is still a little bit like, you kind of have to Whisper it, You know, because it sounds crazy. Like, this girl at a gym recently who worked there who was so lovely, she was like, helping me, like, cancel my membership because I don't go to the gym. It's a good gym.

[Karen Kilgariff]

What do you mean you're at the gym?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I was canceling my membership that I had paid for for six months and never gone to. And she was so lovely and sweet, and on the way out, she was like, stay sexy. I was like, God damn it, why didn't you tell me what they were gonna. But I had to yell, don't get murdered at a gym. So that's all.

[Karen Kilgariff]

But that's a great, like, final line.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, Be like.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And bye, you guys. You will not see me back here. I think I've told this story a million times, but it really was very affecting because having already lived in La Sal Angeles, you know, trying to make it in Los Angeles for, at that point, 15 years or more, and sitting, getting my nails done in Silver lake near the 99 cent store. And it was that kind of thing where it's like, I always feel so self conscious getting my nails done, where I'm like, here, like it.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Whatever.

[Karen Kilgariff]

He makes me look pretty. And like, in the middle, she was done, but I was in the middle. And this girl just walked up and went, stay sexy. And Fig Truly literally ran out. I was going to be like, shut the fuck up. And then I was like, this is perfect. Because no, people don't yell at me. They're always like, I know you don't want to talk to me and run away. And I'm like, whatever I've done to make it be like this, this is my dream come true. I get all the glory, but it's all real quiet, not embarrassing.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And I think that was so cool about the book, too, is that we got. Cause every chapter is. Is one of our things that for some reason, people held onto, like, fuck politeness and stay out of the forest. And so getting to write a chapter about what that means to us was so cool because there are a lot of them that, yeah, we don't even know they're a thing until someone else makes art about it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, the art that someone made for Live Laugh, Learn to Levitate. That was the first one. It was on the Facebook page. RIP Stephen, you did a lot of hard work for that Facebook page. But that the person who made it, it was this beautiful, very modern looking, you know, very aesthetic. Live Laugh, Learn to Levitate. Where when I first looked at it, I was like, what's this. And then it's like, oh, my God, that's George's quote. And it made me laugh so hard because they did that. Like, it's this goofy quote that makes no sense on a thing that looks like it's supposed to be that you'd.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Buy at home goods or something.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And then it's like, oh, my God, these people get it. They get it like down to the bone.

[Georgia Hardstark]

They have a sense of humor.

[Karen Kilgariff]

They're so funny. They're so.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And talented. Yeah, like, what a combination.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Even like, stay saved, do God's missions. I feel like that became such a fun, like hearing people. Like whenever we'd hear people telling the.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, we see that all the time. Like, yeah, the. Like, it's like folklore almost. Like, what is the folklore that's come out of this podcast? And it's like kind of just. We wouldn't know what it is just talking about it unless someone made a fucking shirt out of it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes, that's right. And also, just. Cause you can have Christians involved in this podcast, you wouldn't think you could, but you just ssdgm in a different way. You stay saved and you do God's missions.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Do you remember the first time we saw Nick Terry? It was either. I'm trying to remember. It was either cocaine bear or, you know, Swiss cheese per burn.

[Georgia Hardstark]

They were in it, right?

[Steven Ray Morris]

Like, there's the Greenland shark. Like there was.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I think it was the Swiss cheese pervert.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yes.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yes, it was.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It was a Swiss cheese pervert.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I think it was. It was so funny.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It was. It was. I was speechless. I mean, I still am. Every time I see one now, I'm like. Like, he makes me feel so funny when I watch. Like, he makes me like, wow. I'm like. I say funny shit just because Nick Terry puts, you know, hilarious animation to whatever dumb stuff we say.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We really lucked out with Nick Terry and his ability and willingness basically to do this with us. And he has done it for so long now.

[Georgia Hardstark]

If you haven't seen it, you guys go look up MFM animated. It is just joyful. It's joyful.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. I feel like he captures though, even though, again, they weren't video podcasts at the time. Like the one learning about the snakes in the walls. And he drew you, Karen, like, being like, that's what you were doing on the couch somehow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

So like, even Vince's beard colors are so spot on. I definitely wanna get a tattoo of Vince as Nick Terry's MFM animated.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's a Great idea.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Couples tattoos of each other all the.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Way down your ribs.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, they got Elvis. MFM animated Elvis.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Also, just the random story, but of the girl that was going into the candy shop who ends up going like this the way he did it. Yeah. You just have to see it. It's just magical and. And so fun. Because being a standup comic from the 90s, I was raised to at least act like I hated everything I did and judge it. And you couldn't ever be braggy. That was the worst thing in the world. And just being like this, it's like, Nick Terry did it. I didn't do it. So just like, watch this. It's so good. But it's really.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's not really you, so it's okay.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, exactly. He did it.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean, you brought up Elvis, but, I mean, MFM pets number two. MFM pets. I mean, it's a real menagerie you both have had over the years.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's so crazy that that is a part of the podcast, you know, like Elvis meowing at the end of the episodes. That was like a couple episodes in even. It was just kind of an accidental thing because we needed a funny button at the end of a depressing thing, so. And I feel like it's kind of a thing now to have your pet as part of the podcast. Yeah, but we were just. I just have always loved hearing him meow. I was like, let's end on this thing. That makes me happy. But then, yeah, then all our pets now. Like, I have so much fan art of my animals and, like, it brings me so much fucking joy.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We have had so many beautiful renderings of our animals or hilarious renderings. I just remembered there was one I wanted to get a picture of, and I didn't, which is Franken Blossom currently. Oh, my God, there's that. The two bottom ones I have on my shelves in the front room.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I have those on my wall.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I mean, gorgeous. That's like, there's people that would for that. And we just had someone bring them to us.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's the look of, like, that is what Mimi. That's the face she makes. It's not just like a cat, a calico cat. That's fucking Mimi.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That literally is Mimi all mad. And then George Rip. I know, it's so crazy. And also then to have this gorgeous artwork of a dog that, like, that's the thing about pets, they're special. Yeah, it's special and it's short term. And to have something like that in Cartoon version in all these versions and people being like, here, this matters to you, and this is a thing I can do.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Like, yeah, these were, like, dolls almost.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This is from Mighty Pigeon, who is, like, an early art. My favorite murder.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes.

[Steven Ray Morris]

It's 2017, 2016.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Very early.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Like, just ringing it so hard.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Those were amazing. I mean, I would get that tattooed. If I were a tattooed person. There was one I'd love, too. I said once that Elvis's head smelled like a library book. And so I loved the smell of his, which now I look back and it's like, probably just cat litter smell, but someone drew a picture of Elvis. Yeah, of Elvis with a. Oh. Oh, this one is gorgeous. This is actually huge. And it's all made out of, like, paper mache. Those are all pieces of paper.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

From, like, a magazine.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's incredible. We'll put all of these names on social media so that everyone gets their social media.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That is up. Like, when you walk in my front door, that. That is front and center.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Gorgeous art. That's the other thing. It's like. It truly is this gorgeous artwork.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I didn't think I'd ever be able to, like, have so much art on my walls. And it's all, like.

[Steven Ray Morris]

It's all pets and stuff.

[Karen Kilgariff]

When we were like, oh, yeah, we should show all of the artwork that we have at home, I was thinking in my head, it was like, oh, those two illustrations of them and there's like, two more. There's like 11. I had so much of it around my house. Same. Yeah, it's really good. Wait, are there more? Can we look at more?

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, my gosh.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Wow.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And what does it say? Can you read the inside?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love you. Now fuck off. That is like, what?

[Steven Ray Morris]

So much, dude.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It truly looks like. That's coming up next. Totally. George and Frank.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I would watch that cartoon so good anymore.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, Dawn.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This is from Scarlet River. She is so. I also have a plate that she. Like a Victorian plate that she wrote Fuck politeness on in my bathroom, of all places. But this picture of Dottie that she painted is cutest. I just stare at it sometimes. It makes me so happy.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's so good. It's so good.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, and then that's a pillow of Dottie that someone gave me. And this adorable drawing of Dot. Somehow, Dottie is, like, super photogenic.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, she is.

[Georgia Hardstark]

For art.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I don't know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Really good.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, the Queen.

[Karen Kilgariff]

This is series. This is the one that's on my dad's refrigerator. And it looks Like Frank smoking a cigar. And it's such. Such beautiful. I think it's watercolor.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, I think so, too.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's incredible.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Like, watercolor is the hardest. Yes. Wow.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Look at them all together.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I know.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You think they'd get along?

[Karen Kilgariff]

No.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Here in the studio. Yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Just starting.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Is there one of Blossom and Mo, Just so we can make sure that the new ones get a shout out, too. I don't know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I don't have one of Blossom because I forgot to take the picture.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Otherwise. Is there one, though?

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's Blossom and Frank here. And then George is in the middle wearing a halo.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, stop it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And it's like. And they have really funny eyes that are very accurate. Like, Blossom's eyes. Looks like she's panicking. And then Frank's kind of like, eye roll.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Do you think it also made people want to share pet stories? Cause I feel like that was so fun. And I think, you know, between the most heartbreaking and harrowing tales in the hometowns, we'd get pet hero stories.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Pet hero.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And then you got a lot of Penny Lane art, too, right?

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. Rest in peace.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Rest in peace. To Penny Lane.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. I mean, they're all hanging out, having martinis up there.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right. Georgia's trying to eat Penny Lane as we speak. She's not a friendly dog. She's not a nice dog.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I think we're at number one.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, my God.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean. I mean, obviously, the Murderinos. Number one. The Murderino community. Come on.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Come on.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Hell, yeah. Like, that's it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We would not be anywhere without the people that listen. Not only listen to this podcast, but cared enough to send us that stuff. Be on that Facebook page every single morning posting memes. I mean, come to live shows.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I have, like, people have asked me, like, do you get weird experiences with weird fans or whatever? And I'm like, knock on wood. I maybe shouldn't be saying this. I have never fucking not felt awesome after meeting a person who comes up to me in public 100%. It's never been anything but fucking cool.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Do you ever experience this where somebody says hi, and you're like, do I know you know?

[Georgia Hardstark]

I know the look now. Do you know the look?

[Karen Kilgariff]

A little bit. But I have to say this. This was really embarrassing. Over Christmas break, I went into a store and it was freezing cold as it's been. So in some other store, I bought, like, a stocking cap and put it on, folded it up. Cause I was freezing. And then I went into the next Store. And I was like, I think they listen to the podcast and we're talking, talking, and then whatever. And then I go home and I go into the bathroom, and my stocking cap was standing up like a hat. And the cat.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Cat in the hat.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yes. It was the tallest hat. So it was like I walked into this room like, hey, can I get a. It was the. It was raised deli. I was ordering a sandwich, and I was like, oh, this person knows who I am. And it's like, no, they don't. Just the tallest stocking hat, like a turkey sandwich and a. Whatever.

[Steven Ray Morris]

I mean, I.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You can tell, though, like.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah, well, I was going to say I like the experience. And I feel like the relationship you've built with people when you were both ready, like, on a flight, like, waiting to leave somewhere, and some people took a selfie and, like, with you behind and you took a selfie back, like, just come and say hi. Like, don't be weird.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, we commented on it.

[Steven Ray Morris]

People at ease all the time. Like, no, we like the same stuff. We're passionate about the same things. Let's just, like, gab about that five.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Minutes, you know, when this stops happening. That's the problem when people are like, I'm so sorry to bother you. I'm like, you're not fucking bothering me. Like, I have. I'm here because of you. I have what I have because of you. It's just.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, yeah, we're. It's not like we were two young actresses on a hit sitcom or something like that. It's like we first of all worked for years trying to get to a place like this, totally both of us, and then got it. And then, I think, very much kept each other aware of what we had and how lucky we were to have it. And I think that piece. I'm grateful to you for keeping the gratitude kind of like front and center. Because that piece of. It really is, like, if you just start believing that this is. We somehow figured out something. That's crazy because it came as surprisingly and as kind of like a wave. It's just. It wasn't our doing. We were doing this thing over here, and they showed up, assembled themselves, started doing subgroups. Oh, we're murderinos that also have really bad allergies or whatever the fuck. And people basically organize themselves, meet up.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Later after shows, now are friends for life. People are best friends. Cause of. After meeting, after shows, right?

[Georgia Hardstark]

And they say, like in the comments, like, I feel like we all accomplished this together. And it totally does feel like, that. Like, we all. We're all a little, like, 10 years. Cause it's for. It's all of ours. It's not. Yeah, we're not actresses. We didn't get cast to do this. And then people come up to us, and they say, I feel like I know you. And I'm always like, you fucking do. You do. Because we told you literally everything about ourselves.

[Karen Kilgariff]

There's nothing worse than telling a story. I told Alison and Nicole a story today, and as I was telling it, I was like. But you both know that, because I've told this on the show before, right? Where it's like, I literally have about 17 stories, and I've told them all on this goddamn podcast.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You know what gives me away every time? Having a really tall husband. People see him and go, oh. And then they're like, I get noticed because I have a really tall husband with a distinctive beard and everything. Like, I saw Vince, but then I saw you. I knew you were there. I'm like, I know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, but it's.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, it's the best. And you can see the fate. There's a face. They make this face. And then.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Because it's podcasting, so it's not like they recognize you immediately, right?

[Georgia Hardstark]

And then you go, ha. You know, I. There's been half as many times as someone comes up to me, I've said to them, like, hi. You know, I've initiated it because I can tell. Or they have a shirt on. My favorite murder shirt on, or something like that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And because you don't wear tall hats, so, you know. You know for a fact that's what the face is, right? I'll doubt it for the rest of my life.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, my gosh. I'm trying to think if there's anything. I can't believe it.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Steven, what's your favorite memory? Do you have a favorite memory?

[Steven Ray Morris]

I don't know. I mean, I think just having a space where I feel like being trusted so much. I mean, the idea that we. It was the three of us, and it was like, you let me edit this show and then put it out without anyone else looking at it was, like, a lot of trust. Like, I'm really grateful for that. I feel like it really. I mean, again, I feel like I've learned so much from the both of you, and, like, that stuff that sticks with me even now. Like, that's a confidence boost. Hey, by the way, we're gonna be such a million people. Like, I think you'll do all right.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We got it. We got this.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Thank you. It is funny what we were saying before you got here. Like, you did actually experience all of this, the craziness in the beginning with us. It's like you. Us and you and Vince are the only people who were like, going, what the. All of us were like, what's happening? What is this? It's a very, like, small, little special group that will never, you know, no one will ever be able to understand.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Full reunion. 30th reunion. We'll put the streamers up. We'll do prom photos.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Edit that out, please, right now. Say that.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh, my gosh.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Thank you so much for being here, Stephen.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We love you, Stephen.

[Steven Ray Morris]

You guys asked me back.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We couldn't do it without you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. Thank you so much. You really, you gave it your all and then some. And we'll always be so grateful for the job you did for us. Really.

[Steven Ray Morris]

And now I go back into my slumber for another 17 years, right?

[Georgia Hardstark]

We'll call you when we need you.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yeah. Thank you.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hey, Georgia, you know what sounds relaxing? Reclining seats that melt the tension away. Purposeful tech and charging ports that keep every device charged.

[Georgia Hardstark]

No, it's not a day at the spa we're talking about the Hyundai Palisade Hybrid.

[Karen Kilgariff]

The Hyundai Palisade defies everything you thought you knew about SUVs with more style and capability. It's something new entirely.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It features class leading interior space and available front and second row relaxation seats that let you really recline and unwind.

[Karen Kilgariff]

With up to 600 plus miles of range from the 2.5T hybrid engine, it's built for long hauls, quick errands and.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Everything in between, no matter where you're headed. The available 14 speaker Bose sound system makes for an immersive ride.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And the Palisade Hybrid comes with an available class, exclusive dash camera feature, an available class exclusive blind spot view monitor for extra peace of mind.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Optional seating for seven to eight passengers, including available third row power seats that recline. Perfect for families or group trips.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And with available H track all wheel drive, you're ready to go anywhere in style.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Need more? You've got standard 100 watt USB C ports to keep every device powered and.

[Karen Kilgariff]

A standard passenger talk intercom so you can threaten to turn this SUV around if you kids don't knock it off. Without taking your eyes off the road.

[Georgia Hardstark]

The all new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid is more just another suv. It's still the Palisade, but with so much more.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Learn more about the Hyundai Palisade@Hyundai USA.com.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Call 562-314-4603 for complete details. Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Imagine waking up on January 1st without a full face of last night's makeup or four missed calls from someone named Darren.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Thanks to RK's Zero Proof Spirits, you're refreshed, hydrated and regret free.

[Karen Kilgariff]

RK is the world's first Zero Proof Spirit. They invented the Warm Molecule, a patented way to give you that burn you love from whiskey or tequila without a single drop of alcohol.

[Georgia Hardstark]

For 14 years they've perfected more than 28 alcohol free spirits. All zero calories, zero sugar, zero regrets. Every party you go to has those people who are not drinking and don't want to talk about it and don't want to be offered alcohol constantly. You will be their hero if you bring RK to this party.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, I would love it with every once in a while I could just be holding a cocktail cocktail but not involved in cocktailing and still just feel like it's not a topic of conversation. Whether you're hosting, toasting or just winding down, RK lets you celebrate without compromise.

[Georgia Hardstark]

All the cheers, none of the hangovers. Try the Zero Proof Revolution at rkbeverages.com.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That'S a R K a Y Beverages.com.

[Georgia Hardstark]

A sleek professional website makes you look very put together even when you're wearing sweatpants and eating cereal out of a mug.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And that's where Squarespace comes in.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Squarespace gives you everything you need need to offer your services and get paid all in one place.

[Karen Kilgariff]

From consultations to experiences. Showcase your services with a customizable website designed to attract clients and grow your.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Business and managing those payments is a breeze. In just a few clicks you'll be able to accept payments with options like Klarna, Apple Pay, afterpay and more.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You'll get paid on time with professional on brand invoices and online payments. Plus streamline your workflow with built in appointment scheduling and email market marketing tools.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And get discovered faster with Squarespace's built in SEO tools with meta descriptions and auto generated site maps, you'll rank higher in search results globally.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Go to squarespace.com murder for a free trial and when you're ready to launch, use offer code murder to save 10 off your first purchase of a website or domain.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's squarespace.com murder codemurder goodbye goodbye Steven Steven Ray Morris what a special moment that was.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That was really like old Home week.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I love that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And also him being here made me remember things that I haven't thought of in so long.

[Georgia Hardstark]

And he remembered way more than I do.

[Karen Kilgariff]

I know. Yeah. He had a different point of view.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. That's so awesome. Should we do our last segment? We were gonna do something called Then and Now.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So basically because it's been 10 years and people have been doing this in the emails that they've been sending us for hometowns and stuff, where basically we've been talking about how it's been 10 years and like, what's changed. So we asked people to send in basically what their life has been like these past 10 years.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. Where were you then when you started listening and where are you now?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, go first.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sure. This is from Calpy on Instagram. Then single, struggling status, now blossoming, living and married to the man I met at 50. Ooh, I know.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's beautiful.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Isn't that sweet?

[Karen Kilgariff]

This one's from Elastamom 417 and it says, I was in cancer treatment when I found you in 2016. Now I'm 10 years cancer free.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, God. Oh my God.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Wow. That's fucking incredible.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That must have been so fucking scary. And it's like to be able to report that news. I hope that felt great. Elastomom.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Oh my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Marissa Rivas says, I was 21, getting out of a toxic relationship. Now I'm 27, married, and a professor.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Oh my God.

[Georgia Hardstark]

You became a professor in the time.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You were listening to us? No, I was a professor the whole time.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh, right. That's.

[Karen Kilgariff]

No, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. Let's see, this one's from Ann Mwmson and it says I was a polite 40 year old then. Now I'm a 50 year old who regularly fucks politeness.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Yes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Great.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Love it. Zella Kel says D one listener day, one listener.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It says grad school forensic scientist for military biologist at CDC now. Whoa, we have a friend at the CDC.

[Karen Kilgariff]

You got an insider at the CDC?

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fuck yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hell yes. This is from Kirsty JC5 and it says I was starting a new scary male dominated work industry. Now I'm thriving in the industry.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Fuck yes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Hell yes. Oh, rodeo clown.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Do we have any rodeo clowns that listen?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Please write in. Please write in if you do.

[Georgia Hardstark]

S. Rapperkins. Something says, I was 16 years old, just starting community college. Now I'm 26 year old, professional ASL interpreter.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Whoa.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We have smart listeners.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, we do. This is from Bird Soph and It says in 2016, I was a sophomore in high school. Now I teach. Oh my God, what a turn.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Full circle.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Always in sophomore year, though. Nightmare.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Maybe the worst year. Arguably.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Actually. Well, you know, hopefully. Be nice to those sophomores.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Okay. This is from Carolyn Marie S. She says, skinny dipping in my college apartment's pool versus drinking wine while hiding from my kids.

[Karen Kilgariff]

This. This one is Christina K, I think. And it says in a cult versus not in a cult. What a change.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Were you in a cult at any point? Listening to this podcast? Write to us at my favorite murderml. We need to know everything.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Please tell us everything. We'll do a crossover with. Trust me.

[Georgia Hardstark]

That's right. My last one could have been written by me. It's by we, Amy. And it says then normal now. Perimenopausal as hell.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah, same mine. Last one is Brayden Arski and it says single broke, unhealthy. Now I'm still broke, not as unhappy. Lol.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh good.

[Karen Kilgariff]

We're not looking for huge changes. No.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We used to do jack shit in 10 years. Just survive.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Yeah. And survive with us.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah. And you know, just basically listen to our tagline and try to do that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's true. We have our own then and now.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Oh yeah.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Our then and now is that then we were two gals in an unconditioned.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Apartment and air conditioned. Or with. And with. Unconditioned.

[Karen Kilgariff]

With unconditional love in our hearts and no makeup.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Don't care about what I'm wearing. Wore a lot of house dresses. Oh my God, there's the picture.

[Karen Kilgariff]

There we are. That is truly what it looked like and felt like to record literally at Georgia's apartment.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I think that the thing behind me that looks like a big machinery thing is a portable air conditioner that I tried to get to work, but I had a sliding glass door so it wouldn't work and it was too loud to use during the fucking recording anyways.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So you just put your short shorts on and you said, let's do this.

[Georgia Hardstark]

I used to be able to record in house clothes and I do miss that. Just a lot of ass and a lot of feet going on and a lot of cheekbone from Karen.

[Karen Kilgariff]

That's right. I wasn't afraid to suck my cheeks in and take a selfie every once in a while. So that was us then. Now we're here. And the exciting thing is we're on Netflix.

[Georgia Hardstark]

We're on fucking Netflix.

[Karen Kilgariff]

This podcast, as a video podcast, is going to be on Netflix.

[Georgia Hardstark]

It's now exclusively on Netflix. It happened really fast, so I didn't really have like a lot of time to absorb it. And I was like, oh, we're just our videos moving to Netflix. Nothing is really changing that much. But the amount of people I got that, like, I know that reached out that were like, netflix, congratulations. Like, and this is just like, oh, we're just moving to Netflix. We've been people. It's like a. It's Netflix.

[Karen Kilgariff]

It's the only thing my dad watches. It's a very big deal. He might actually pay attention to the show from now on.

[Georgia Hardstark]

My stepdad sent me a photo of the graphic of us on Netflix, which he's never done. I didn't even know he knew how to do that.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So we're not gonna be changing at all. Audience no, that was a joke about being on camera for Netflix.

[Georgia Hardstark]

What if I just flashed my tits?

[Karen Kilgariff]

Well, we're very happy to be here and thank you to our listeners for getting us here and for being, being with us while we got here.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Yeah, we couldn't have done it without you. We appreciate you guys so much.

[Karen Kilgariff]

So do us a favor and stay.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Sexy and don't get murdered. Goodbye, Elvis. Do you want a cookie?

[Karen Kilgariff]

This has been an exactly right production.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Our senior producer is Molly Smith and our associate producer is Tessa Hughes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Our editor editor is Aristotle Acevedo.

[Georgia Hardstark]

This episode was mixed by Liana Squillace.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Our researchers are Mary McGlashan and Ali Elkin.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Email your hometowns to my favorite murdermail.com.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And follow the show on Instagram at my favorite murder.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Listen to my favorite murder on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Or you can watch us on YouTube, search for my favorite murder, then like and subscribe.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Goodbye.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Cheap Caribbean vacations. Get more sand for your dollar.

[Steven Ray Morris]

With all inclusive vacation deals to Mexico and the Caribbean, booking with cheap Caribbean vacations means you have more freedom to do your deal. Now. Through February 2nd, you can score up to an extra $250 off your next beach vacay at CheapCaribbean.com so go ahead, do your deal. Visit CheapCaribbean.com and start the year with more beach.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Cheap Caribbean vacations. Get more sand for your dollar.

[Steven Ray Morris]

Well, the holidays have come and gone once again. But if you've forgotten to get that special someone in your life a gift, well, Mint Mobile is extending their holiday offer of half off unlimited wireless. So here's the idea. You get it now, you call it an early present for next year. What do you have to lose? Give it a try atmidmobile mobile.com switch.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Limited time, 50 off regular price for new customers.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Upfront payment required.

[Karen Kilgariff]

45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or 180 for 12 month plan taxes and fees.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Extra speeds may slow after 50 gigabytes.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Per month when network is busy. See Terms. This message comes from Greenlight. Ready to start talking to your kids about financial literacy? Meet Greenlight, the debit card and money app that teaches kids and teens how to earn, save, spend wisely, and invest.

[Georgia Hardstark]

With your guardrails and in place.

[Karen Kilgariff]

With Greenlight, you can send money to.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Kids quickly, set up chores, automate allowance.

[Karen Kilgariff]

And keep an eye on what your.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Kids are spending with real time notifications.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Join millions of parents and kids building healthy financial habits together on Greenlight.

[Georgia Hardstark]

Get started risk free at greenlight.

[Karen Kilgariff]

Com iheartradio.