Netflix's “Dahmer”: Hurting or Helping?
A few weeks ago, Netflix released “Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” a limited, true crime series about American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. I will not be detailing his horrific acts here. All I will say is that Dahmer was responsible for the brutal, sexually-charged murders of 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. The majority of his victims were members of the African-American community.
As one would expect, Netflix's new series, starring Evan Peters, has not been without controversy, and rightfully so. Families of those hurt by Dahmer were horrified at the lack of respect for the victims and the sensationalized nature of the series.
Last week, I decided to watch the Jeffrey Dahmer series. I can confidently say that it was the most difficult show I've ever made myself watch because of how real it felt. It was dark. It was gut-wrenching. It was uncomfortable. It made me sick to my stomach. I think what made this show hit so much harder was how it told the story from the perspective of Dahmer's victims. Clearly, this show intended to educate its audience on just how evil Dahmer was and to raise awareness to prevent anything like this from happening again. However, I feel like some of it lacked respect for the victims. It overly dramatized some events that weren't even confirmed to have occurred in real life. However, I must give credit to Evan Peters' portrayal of Dahmer. He portrayed him in such a way that, at times, I wasn't sure if I was watching a depiction of the events or the actual events.
Even more alarming is the fact that people on the internet, mostly teens and young adults, are romanticizing Jeffrey Dahmer. This has usually consisted of them gawking at how attractive Evan Peters' portrayal of Dahmer was or even going as far as sympathizing with Dahmer, which is so fundamentally wrong. Firstly, Evan Peters certainly did not play this role to show off his looks. Secondly, Jeffrey Dahmer was a depraved psychopath who took and destroyed countless innocent lives. To romanticize, sympathize with or glorify him makes a total mockery of the memories and suffering of his victims and the traumas inflicted upon their families. It is absolutely disgusting.
When you consume any kind of media that depicts a tragedy that has actually happened, it is important that you be as respectful as possible, as these events affected real people and continue to affect them to this day. Respect must be given so that healing may be possible.
By: Evan Majors