Opinion: Netflix’s new release of yet another serial killer documentary series has the internet spiraling with people professing their love and obsession for serial killers. But this portrayal romanticizes the horrible things they did.
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On July 22, 1991, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested after Tracy Edwards was found running down the street in handcuffs by police officers.
Between 1978 and 1991, Dahmer killed 17 people, mostly African American and gay men. He was originally tried in 1989 for sexual exploitation and second-degree sexual assault. Despite his guilty plea, he only served 10 months of his one year sentence. Dahmer then went on to kill 13 more people after being released.
It wasn’t until 1992 that his trial for the murders began. Dahmer originally pleaded not guilty despite his confessions to the police officers. He then changed his plea to guilty by insanity and was sentenced to 16 consecutive life sentences in prison.
In 1994, Christopher Scarver, a fellow inmate, killed Dahmer. Netflix released the original “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” 28 years later.
While it is not the first documentary or series about Dahmer, the Netflix original is part of a rapid media production expansion about true crime stories.
One major issue with this rapid production is the lack of consent given for these stories to be told.
Rita Isbell, sister of Errol Lidnsey, a victim of Dahmer, was featured in the Netflix special for her victim impact statement given at Dahmer’s trial. She has since spoken out against the show due to the lack of respect by Netflix.
“I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it,” Isbell said. Instead, Netflix used it for their own monetary gain.
Netflix’s lack of action to obtain consent shows a great disrespect for the friends and family members of the victims.
I’ll be the first to admit it: I like watching these true crime stories just as much as the next person. When I’m looking for my next Netflix binge and a documentary series pops up in my recommendations, the odds are that’ll be what I watch for the next several hours.
But why have we become so obsessed with these programs recently?
As behavioral scientist Coltan Scrivner explained, it is based on our survival instincts. Historically, we lived up close and personal with many animal predators. Thus, one of our best ways of eluding them was to learn their behaviors and habits. Today, the danger of encountering a lion has been significantly reduced, but the protective instinct has translated to the human population.
“Our minds deal with dangerous people like they do with other dangerous predators,” Scrivner said. “We try to learn about them when it is safe to do so because this helps us know how to more effectively avoid them.”
But our fascination with serial killers, terrorists and other morbid tales has gone beyond human evolution in relation to predators.
As I’ve seen reactions to the new Dahmer special, I’m honestly disgusted. I’ve seen people consider whether to dress up as Dahmer for Halloween, make T-shirts with his and other well known serial killers’ faces and even profess their love for him.
There’s an established difference between liking fictional characters and real people being portrayed in movies or television.
Take the show “Criminal Minds,” for example. Growing up watching it, I began to develop favorites such as Spencer Reid, Jennifer Jareau and Derek Morgan. I even had a favorite bad guy: Cat Adams.
These characters and the “unsubs” — the show’s coined term for unknown subjects, or criminals — they chase are fictional, though there are some instances in which they were based on real events or people.
However, there are people who watch Evan Peters’ portrayal of Dahmer and see Dahmer as a fictional character –– simply another role for Peters.
The same thing happened with the release of “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” featuring Zac Effron as serial killer Ted Bundy.
I’m not arguing we need to stop making these documentary series; we can appreciate the attention to detail, acting and casting. But we should be aware of our intentions when watching them. If we remove the killer from the victims they murdered, we are no longer holding them responsible for the suffering of the friends and families who continue to live through it.
There will always be serial killers as long as the human race is around, and, therefore, a never-ending production of documentary series. But as we continue to move on from one serial killer to the next, let’s stop sensationalizing them and focus on the victims.