Hulu’s newest show Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette has experienced a controversial reception across social media lately. Executive producer Ryan Murphy’s newest television series covers the rise of one of America’s most beloved couples, whose lives tragically ended in a plane crash on the way to Martha’s Vineyard.
Murphy’s hit success, however, has been a point of contention for many people. Jack Schlossberg, nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr., publicly criticized the hit series, calling it entirely rooted in fiction, as well as “a grotesque display of someone else’s life.” Such critiques commonly coincide with the release of new television adaptations, which often rely on the heavy dramatization of events to create engaging forms of media.
Certain disclaimers amplify the fact that these adaptations are fictionally based. In fact, each episode of Love Story begins with: “This story is inspired by actual events. Certain depictions of people and events have been dramatized or fictionalized for storytelling purposes.” Although Love Story, as well as other adaptations, do not self-identify as documentaries, simple disclaimers do not mitigate the discomfort and pain felt by the family and friends of those whose lives are being adapted.
Adaptations are especially exploitative when they do not consult individuals on portrayals of their lives. When actress Pamela Anderson’s relationship with drummer Tommy Lee was adapted into a Hulu mini series, she was not asked for permission or briefed as to how producers of the show would approach the story. Anderson felt as though “it was unethical for producers to make a scripted series about her personal life without her permission.” The refusal to acknowledge the people being depicted is far too common, especially when considering individuals who are no longer alive and cannot have a say in how they are depicted.
When TV adaptations bridge over to the crime genre, they can be incredibly harmful to the families of victims who are forced to relive their traumas while the general public consumes their experiences as entertainment. Ryan Murphy’s crime drama Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story delves into the serial killer’s crimes in the 1980s. Apart from the depiction of Dahmer himself, Murphy’s adaptation was distasteful because of its failure to consult the families of victims. Rita Isbell, sister of victim Errol Lindsey, whose victim statement was portrayed in Murphy’s series, was never asked by Netflix about her feelings toward the adaptation, which “‘brought back all the emotions [she] was feeling back then.’” When covering such a sensitive subject, it remains important that empathy for individuals affected, along with accuracy, remains at the forefront.
Is there a way to carefully navigate the adaptation of someone’s life and traumas for television? When these adaptations rely on the imagery of very real people to sell a story, people tend to conflate fact with fiction, leading to the harmful mischaracterization of people and their stories. At the end of the day, adaptations merely capitalize on real-life stories that producers believe will have the most pull with an audience.
With solely profit in mind, it may remain difficult for showrunners to become cognizant of those who may be impacted by their adaptations. The only way I can see adaptations being carefully created is through direct contact and collaboration with the individuals being portrayed. Until then, producers should turn away from the adaptation craze and find ways to create new intellectual property.
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