Trigger warnings: Mentions of cannibalism, serial killers, racism, and homophobia.
The morbidity of true crime has an undeniable allure, as evident in the countless podcasts, youtube channels, books, and documentaries devoted to the subject over the last few decades. Though the popularization of the title ‘true crime’ is fairly recent, our fascination with it is far from new. Unthinkable crimes have always captivated people–the idea that a person could commit such terrifying violence as Jeffery Dahmer did is practically incomprehensible. Audiences historically and presently find serial killers an especially intriguing subject. Take the London killer known as Jack the Ripper, who made headlines in the 1880s—and still does, more than a century later.
Now this interest has a name: true crime. True crime has exploded in popularity, and a large community, which hungered for new content, formed around their shared interest in these cases. Netflix saw an opportunity here, and along came the landslide of ‘dramatized’ true crime shows. Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is the most recent in the seemingly never-ending avalanche of documentaries, movies, and shows about the cannibal.
While there is much to be said about the content of the movie itself, the reason Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has been receiving negative attention is the blatant disregard it has for the families of victims. Shirley Hughes (whose son Tony Hughes was murdered by Dahmer) as well as Rita Isbell (whose brother, Errol Lindsay was also murdered by Dahmer in 1991) have both been vocal with their discomfort about the show. Rita has expressed her distaste for the show, telling the Insider that “I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn’t ask me anything. They just did it… But I’m not money hungry, and that’s what this show is about, Netflix trying to get paid.” The show feels like a shameless cash grab. And seeing as Netflix didn’t reach out to any of the victims’ families (as far as we know)—despite having more than enough resources to do so—I believe it’s safe to say that the show was not made with the victims’ best interests at heart. Netflix might argue that show runner Ryan Murphy expressly attempted to present the events from the victims’ perspective. While this might differentiate it from other Dahmer films, if the purpose was to shine a light on and respect the victims, the families would have been consulted. Additionally, Netflix might have donated to the cause Ryan Murphy claimed they cared so strongly about.
Though Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story does highlight how homophobia and racism allowed Dahmer to get away with as much as he did, and I do appreciate the time it spends on the victims, it, like many of the other pieces of true crime media, was made for entertainment and monetary reasons. Though I’ve mostly highlighted negative things so far, I don’t think all true crime shows and documentaries are bad. Such shows can help educate potential victims, and spread information about methods killers may use. Additionally, cases have been reopened due to outrage on the internet, and people who may have been falsely accused are getting a second chance. It’s obvious, however, that this isn’t the purpose of the show. Eric Perry, the cousin of Dahmer’s first victim, wrote that the show was “retraumatizing over and over again,” continuing to say, “How many documentaries/movies/ shows do we need?” Enjoying true crime does not make you a bad person. Creating true crime content does not make you a bad person either. The talented actors on Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story are not bad people. But I think it’s important to understand the impact of true crime media and the effects it might have on the families.
I challenge any of you who watch or listen to true crime to remember the names of the victims. If you can remember a name lke Jeffery Dahmer, you can remember the names of Curtis Straughter, Steven Mark Hicks, Richard Guerrero, Jeremy Weinberger, Jamie Doxtator, Ricky Beeks, Oliver Lacy, Errol Lindsey, Konerak Sinthasomphone, Ernest Miller, Anthony Hughes, Joseph Bradehoft, Matt Turner, Anthony Sear, David C. Thomas, and Edward W. Smith. Victims’ names are often overlooked, lumped together, or forgotten. If you choose to consume true crime content, consider fact-checking shows and youtube videos. Try to find interviews with family members. Most importantly, make sure you remember that the victims were people. Before you sympathize with killers like Jeffery Dahmer (like some true crime fans did after the Netflix show came out) sympathize with the victims, and their families, who deserve our respect for what they went through. I will not tell you what to enjoy, and I doubt I could stop anyone from watching the show if they really wanted, but I do hope you’ll consider the real-life impact true crime has, as highlighted in this article.
Some Related resources to check out/donate to:
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls (MMIWG): https://airc.ucsc.edu/resources/mmiwg.html
Investigating cold cases: https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/applying-modern-investigation-methods-solve-cold-cases