Common Sense Media Review
By EmVed
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Makeup pro talks true crime & dark history; mature content.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Get
Videos and Photos
Bailey Sarian
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
What’s It About?
BAILEY SARIAN began publishing content in 2013 as a professional makeup artist delivering content such as "Get Ready With Me" videos, product hauls, and makeup tutorials. In 2019, the debut video of her Murder, Mystery & Makeup series (which covered the Chris Watts true crime case) went viral and established Sarian as the founder of the true crime and makeup genre. Sarian does her research, faces the camera, and charismatically tells a new true crime story while applying her makeup every week. These stories often depict graphic and violent events and include explicit language and sometimes suggestive humor. The channel series Dark History addresses the dark past of US and World History, not typically taught in the classroom and lesser known dark histories of underrepresented communities.These episodes cover a wide range of stories, such as the origins of curse words and sex toys, eugenics and mass sterilization of Puerto Rican women, Japanese internment camps in the US, the history of Henrietta Lacks, the Radium Girls, and gay conversion therapies.
Is It Any Good?
The appeal of this viral channel lies in its captivating and casual true crime storytelling as well as the mesmerizing makeup transformations on Murder, Mysteries & Makeup, casting a wider net for viewer interest. Bailey Sarian's content could hold strong as either a true crime vlog or a makeup channel, but the combination made it the first of its kind and pioneer of a new genre. Watching Bailey Sarian feels like getting ready with a foul-mouthed friend or older sister who tells a good story as they expertly apply their makeup in the mirror. She has a bubbly and charismatic personality, and keeps audiences hooked with her humorous bits, and catch phrases like "Nay, Nay, I say" and "Suspish". Sarian has received a generally positive response from her community as evidenced by comments on the channel. Sarian loses momentum in the delivery of the Dark History series with an apparently scripted narrative, content that gets lost and side-tracked by forced humor, and the frequent interruption of in-video sponsorship ads.
Sarian has stated that her intentions are never to disrespect the victims of the true crime stories she investigates and shares, however, the trend of true crime vlogging and podcasting has received public criticism for sensationalizing crime, glorifying violence, being insensitive by entertaining the masses and profiting from the suffering and exploitation of the victims and their families. Still, Sarian (through personal face-to-camera angles) creates a more connected, humanized, and empathetic approach to online vlogging by showing curiosity, moments of reflection, and reactions to the often disturbing events she delivers. Graphic descriptions, foul language, and violent and sexual content may strongly impact viewers making the channel more suitable for mature teens and adult audiences.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Channels like this can spark the conversation of healthy versus unhealthy ideas about makeup, beauty standards, and body image as portrayed by social media and YouTube content creators. What type of message about body image does Bailey Sarian's content send? How does this channel compare or differ from the message of other makeup or beauty channels?
News and social media outlets can often be taxing on our mental and emotional states. How can we check in with ourselves after excessive consumption of dark or violent media? How can we balance our intake of negatively charged news/media in our day-to-day?
Why might true crime stories and other stories of a violent and disturbing nature appeal to viewers? Consider the reasons that content creators would choose to cover these topics. Discuss the impact true crime channels may have on viewers and those connected to the cases.
Consider discussing with older teens the intentions of the channel and creator and the impact of the content on the public and those connected to the crimes. How can these stories be told in a way that also respects those closely connected to some of these tragic stories?
YouTube Details
- Genre: Lifestyle
- Last updated: August 9, 2023
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