Dark stories with a soft voice 

Thumbnail of the episode – Rotten Mango

Podcasts have always been a popular way for people to listen to stories, especially true crime. There’s this weird curiosity around real-life horror like murders, mysteries, and unsolved cases that grabs listeners’ attention and makes them want more. True crime podcasts have become more popular than any other genre, but it’s more than just that. It became a way for people to understand the dark sides of a person’s mind without being involved.

Some well-known true crime podcasts are Crime Junkie, Morbid, My Favorite Murder, Bailey Sarian, and more. But today, there’s one podcast that sticks out more than any of these: Rotten Mango. There’s something interesting about hearing stories like murder, unsolved cases, manipulation, and mystery from someone with such a sweet and caring voice.

Rotten Mango started in 2020 on Spotify, then made its way to YouTube in 2023 where it became even more popular. Stephanie Soo, the host, grabs listeners’ attention with her calm and soothing voice, which fits perfectly with the chilling and sometimes gory stories she tells. She mixes scary true crime with a gentle tone, making even the creepiest tale feel less scary. Not saying it won’t give you chills, but it feels strangely comforting. Her way of telling these stories appeals not just to true crime fans but also to people who like how kind and caring she is with each case.

Now what exactly is Rotten Mango? According to its description, “Rotten Mango is a true crime podcast that focuses on storytelling with a purpose. We believe storytelling is one of the few things that brings people together from all walks of life. Storytelling helps us feel connected, related, and feel empathy for one another. We want to shed light on international stories that are lesser known, as we believe every story is worth telling.” This shows the podcast isn’t just about scary stories or shock value. It’s also about helping people understand each other and learning about things many people don’t know like how people’s minds work.

One episode that stood out to me is called “Mom Found Human Head In Son’s Closet, And He’s EXCITED To Confess.” It’s about a man named Steven, who was caught after his mom found a decapitated head in his closet. When the police asked him about it, Steven wasn’t scared, sad, or feeling any type of remorse. In fact, he seemed kind of excited to tell them what he did. He said he killed his friend Joseph, who he didn’t get along with. It talked about how Steven acted weird and didn’t feel sorry for what he did. It’s a really creepy story that makes you wonder why someone could do something so awful.

The way Stephanie told the story with every detail so carefully laid out made it impossible for me to stop listening. The fact that the son was excited to confess to such a crime was honestly disgusting and messed up. Yet Stephanie’s way of narrating kept me going. I found myself pausing a few times just to process what I was hearing. It wasn’t just the crime that made it so scary, but the psychological part she explores in depth why someone would feel this way and how it all came about.

For instance, she mentioned parts of his journal. She said, “…it’s a detailed journal starting from December 3rd, 2018. It reads, ‘I was bored in school so I made a mace out of tape and pencil. However, later I became manic again with no warning and I got the urge to hit a kid named Tim (fake name), so I asked Greg (fake name) if I should, and he said yes. So I obliged—when I hit Tim on the back of the head he fell to the ground crying, and it was so entertaining I decided to mock…’” This kind of behavior shows how messed up Steven really was—showing no guilt and even finding it funny. And the fact that Stephanie didn’t shy away from showing uncomfortable truths is what makes her unique.

It’s also amazing how in every episode, she gives a short description to set the tone, like in the one I mentioned. She tells us about Steven’s mom’s daycare center and how sweet and experienced she sounded. So you wouldn’t think her son would turn out to be a cold-blooded murderer. At the beginning of each episode, she also thanks the sponsors that help Rotten Mango support nonprofit organizations.

Oh, but there’s more! She always gives warnings before certain cases with gory details or harmful content. For example, in that episode, she said, “…now a handful of disclaimers for today’s case. As with any mental illness, the perpetrator’s autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit disorder, and his major depressive disorder do not represent everyone else who has similar diagnoses. I also want to make it very clear that throughout this case, there is different verbiage that is used—and sometimes it is outdated, incorrect, and just outright insensitive—but only for direct quotes will we be keeping those words. They do not represent the vocabulary of the RM team. For example, the perpetrator refers to the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder with the outdated, incorrect term of Asperger syndrome. I will not be modifying any direct quotes just to reflect our beliefs and standards, so I just want to make that disclaimer. Some Reddit quotes and transcripts have been shortened…” You can see she takes the time to give warnings and explain things clearly so no one feels hurt or confused by what’s said.

With that in mind, her calm and soothing voice helps you feel relaxed, even when the stories are really creepy or disturbing. It’s like she’s telling you something important, but you don’t know when something shocking is going to happen, which keeps you wondering. Overall, the way she tells the stories makes you feel excited to find out what happens next. This mix of calm and scary is what makes Rotten Mango special!

Works Cited

“About — Rotten Mango.” Rotten Mango, https://www.rottenmangopodcast.com/about. Accessed 20 April 2025.

“Mom Found Human Head In Son’s Closet, And He’s EXCITED To Confess.” Created by Stephanie Soo, 17 April 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9vDjdkVEYg&t=1611s.