True crime fans need to be cognizant of the fact that the media they are obsessively consuming is exactly what it is called — true events that happened to real people. The stories they are binge-watching are about real tragedies; the “characters” fans are romanticizing are the people responsible for them. 

Netflix’s new show “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” is a prime example. The production, casting and positive fan responses to the show all contain problematic elements and demonstrate a lack of empathy toward the communities and families directly impacted by Dahmer’s actions. 

Dahmer and his cruelty have already been immortalized in a variety of books, TV shows and movies, very few of which have handled the case with care and concern for the victims and their families. Between 1978 and 1991, Jeffrey Dahmer was confirmed to have tortured and killed 17 people. He primarily targeted people of color and gay men, and the police did not thoroughly investigate their disappearances. There is no need to aggrandize, sexualize, romanticize or commodify a serial killer.

The choice to list “Dahmer — Monster” in Netflix’s LGBTQ+ section, its focal points and its lack of regard toward the victims’ families all demonstrate larger problems with the commodification of true crime stories. It is irresponsible and damaging for major corporations like Netflix to put out shows like this, but moreover, the show demonstrates the persistence of societal apathy toward harm done to people of color, who often receive less sympathy and attention when they are the victims of crimes.

The series was released on Sept. 21 with Evan Peters in the titular role. Peters’ fan base has a well-established propensity for romanticizing his immoral and murderous roles, as demonstrated by his time as Tate Langdon in “American Horror Story,” a character based off of the Columbine shooters. His fans are frequently appreciative of both his appearance and acting abilities, but in roles based off of real criminals, it is important to divorce the actor from the character. 

A lot of people have crushes on fictional villains, but that is less uncomfortable because the characters are not real, nor are any of their victims. While it is not innately problematic to idolize and sexualize the actions Peters commits while acting, even as a serial killer, it does raise concerns because the harm caused by Dahmer’s real actions still reverberates today. When actual people have been harmed, it becomes more difficult to separate the role from its source material. 

The emergence of true crime as an entertainment genre has desensitized its audience to violence, which frequently is perpetrated against minority groups.

These poorly thought-out and sensationalist programs are disrespectful to families of victims. Direct family members and people who were actively involved in Dahmer’s trial are still alive. The families were not consulted on or informed of the development of the series and found out about it at the same time as everyone else after Netflix announced it in 2020. 

Despite Netflix’s claim that the show’s aim was to tell the story through the lens of Dahmer’s victims, it largely focuses on the man himself. The families and friends of those killed were forced to relive the trauma associated with Dahmer. Netflix’s drive to capitalize on pop culture’s fixation on prolific serial killers is concerning, and these depictions humanize these killers more than they deserve. 

The constant release of new true crime productions focused on prolific serial killers results in fans touting their knowledge of serial killers and bragging online that they were able to stomach it. The emergence of true crime as an entertainment genre has desensitized its audience to violence, which frequently is perpetrated against minority groups. 

While this show has received serious and deserved backlash, many other true crime depictions in pop culture have not received the same amount of criticism, even though they should have. “My Friend Dahmer” was released in 2017 with Ross Lynch in the starring role, and in 2019, “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” was released with Zac Efron as Ted Bundy. 

Both of these actors started their careers in considerably lighter roles and have prominent fan bases. When popular actors who are frequently praised for being attractive or who gained their popularity through more wholesome roles, like Disney movies and shows, are cast as serial killers, audiences often forget the horrific truth behind the dramaticized plot. They dismiss the horrible things that were done to the victims because they like the actor playing the murderer. 

The constant exposure to the depravity humans are capable of both in the news and in entertainment makes it less shocking over time, and the lack of discomfort with immoral actions can lead to inaction when real people are in harm’s way.

Following the release of these movies, social media saw a rise in fan content dedicated to their depictions of the serial killers. This is not a new phenomenon — killers like Bundy and Dahmer had “groupies” when they were on trial and imprisoned — but the internet gives their fans more leeway and reach in sharing their opinions on these serial killers. The online communities that spring up around romanticizing these men undermine the suffering that the killers have caused.

The reasoning behind the popularity of this type of media stems from multiple sources, including people’s morbid curiosity, desire to engage with the taboo in a safe way, and fear of being victimized themselves. However, it also reveals an emotional disconnect between the people who are hurt, the people profiting and the people deriving pleasure from keeping stories like Dahmer’s alive in pop culture. 

The media we consume is not neutral: It informs how we evaluate the world around us. But our reactions to it also affect how people perceive us. Being a true crime fan is not something that exists in a vacuum, especially when people publicize their opinions on platforms like TikTok. 

True crime media cannot be a substitute for Halloween horror movies. The constant exposure to the depravity humans are capable of both in the news and in entertainment makes it less shocking over time, and the lack of discomfort with immoral actions can lead to inaction when real people are in harm’s way.