In the past decades, the obsession with serial killers and true crime has grown, contributing to dangerous consequences for victims and the general public alike. Current society has capitalized on this obsession by turning true crime into consumable entertainment. Although the general public is enticed by these evil stories, the mass production of true crime media has also led to increased desensitization.
There have been increases in the development of true crime entertainment through new series and movies; however, many of these pieces of media end up glorifying and sexualizing the killers they represent. The casting of conventionally attractive, A-list males prompts an ethical argument on how producers can balance creating a manipulative character while preventing the victims and their families from unnecessary harm. Sexualizing both the actors that play these characters and the people they represent prompts worrying concerns about the lack of media literacy and the goal of the production companies to make money off of a tragedy.
In many new TV shows and movies, there is a greater focus on the killer than the victims. I have seen this through the juxtaposition of shows such as Dateline and Monsters. Dateline uses factually based information to emphasize the victims and the consequences of the crimes. Meanwhile, in shows such as Monsters, there is often a lack of emphasis on the victims and a greater focus on the killers’ backstory. Although describing an upbringing is unproblematic in itself, there is a difference between acknowledging the background that catalyzed the creation of a killer, such as poor upbringing or parental relations, and creating sympathy to romanticize a killer. Furthermore, social media amplifies the dangerous effects of glorification by becoming a conduit for parasocial relationships to form.
The recent Ted Bundy movie, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, starred Zac Efron. Switching from starring in movies such as Baywatch, a movie that necessitates a good-looking cast, to a movie revolving around a serial killer prompted confusion because people expected a more light-hearted film starring an attractive actor. The production team behind Extremely Wicked seemed to capitalize off of Efron’s reputation by playing rock music in the background of the trailer, something that is not representative of a movie filled with violence. Furthermore, Fandango encouraged the misinterpretation of the movie by posting on X a smiling emoji winking along with the trailer showing Bundy intimately dancing and kissing in the first scene. The purposeful romanticization of Bundy by the production company illustrates their goal of money over the thoughts of the victims’ families. Lily Collins, the actor who portrays Bundy’s girlfriend in the movies, stated, in reference to Bundy’s victims, that she “felt supported…like people were saying: We’re here listening. We’re here to support. Thank you for telling the story.” The lack of respect for the victims is illustrated as Collins acts in a romanticized film of Bundy and states she felt supported by the victims. We may be able to ask ourselves: how can television grapple with both Bundy’s charismatic charm and his victims? Although this question seems complicated, the answer can be quite simple: don’t make a movie with a focus on a misogynistic serial killer.
One of the newest shows interested in examining the lives of murderers is Ryan Murphy’s Monsters. The first season looks at Jeffrey Dahmer, who is portrayed by Evan Peters, another beloved actor. The Monsters series received backlash over the empathetic portrayal of Dahmer and the lack of focus on the victims, their families, and the fallout. Made without the consent of any of the victim’s families, the series on Dahmer illustrates the production studio’s goal of making money. It is important to remember that the people acted out on screen are real people and the families of the victims have to relieve the tragedy every time they see an ad for the show or see a post on social media. Some posts on social media went so far as to express sorrow for Dahmer, illustrating the dangers of glorification. This show also prompted controversy for the callous treatment of systematic homophobia and racism as shown through Dahmer. Netflix went so far as to retag the show as LGBTQ content. Although there is a need for increased representation in content, shows that depict violence against the queer community and racial minorities is not the answer. Rita Isbell, a sister to Errol Lindsey, one of Dahmer’s victims, spoke out about the retraumatizing effects of the show and their lack of contact with the victims’ families. Overall, the question of education and entertainment in true crime remains.
The new season of Monsters focuses on Erik and Lyle Menendez, portrayed by Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, has resulted in controversy through the portrayal of the brothers. The false depiction of the brothers as living a party lifestyle and the insinuation of incest between the brothers is extremely damaging. Erik Menendez, one of the brothers, came forward to speak out against the new series by condemning the “lite and ruinous portrayals of Lyle,” stating that the plot line of incest illustrates the lack of belief that males could be sexually abused. This show illustrates the question regarding what an artistic license can mean in true crime shows and what are the limits to fictionalizing the story. Across my social media, I have found a multitude of videos romanticizing Erik and Lyle’s relationship which is extremely dangerous and damaging to Erik, Lyle, and their families.
Social media use has amplified the damaging parasocial relationships between murderers and “fans.” A recent example of this is the romanticization of Wade Wilson, a murderer of Kristine Melton and Diane Ruiz. A TikTok promoting “Save Wade Wilson” with heart emojis garnered over twenty-eight thousand likes. Wilson, a man reportedly tied to a white supremacist gang, and having multiple face tattoos including a swastika is being romanticized on social media. This disturbing video is detrimental to survivors and social media has the potential to continue this cycle and make it worse.
ASMR aficionado majoring in English, economics, and Neuroscience who is a knitter in training.
