Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer, sex offender, and rapist, the one who committed heinous crimes like cannibalism and necrophilism on 17 young men and boys, had a horrible mindset, and stories of such atrocities and criminals fascinate people.
Netflix’s series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer story is one of the hit shows in 2022. The serial killer, who had practically been forgotten, is now back in people’s minds because of the show’s global fame. But is releasing the story of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims for entertainment morally acceptable? Or is it also okay to depict Jeffrey Dahmer in a way that is as realistically accurate as possible?
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer story: The Controversy
Nowadays, viewers love watching realistic series, and filmmaker creates shows that people like to watch. The characters in the Jeffrey Dahmer narrative were created in such a realistic manner that they resemble real people. The show was so expertly produced and depicts what must have occurred to his victims and the pain the victims’ families must have experienced.
For the victim’s relatives, this recreates the entire scenario, which has severely affected them. Since the release of the Jeffrey Dahmer story, Jeffery has gained international fame. Those who were unaware of him learned about the terrible and horrifying murders he had committed in the past. It increased public awareness of the crimes that a person with a serial killer personality may commit, which was great until it harmed Jeffery Dahmer’s victims’ families.
This was tweeted by one of the victim’s family members, who felt it was not quite appropriate to discuss the victim’s murder and what exactly transpired between Jeffrey and him. Despite the fact that the majority of viewers now appreciate the show, Netflix failed to consider the trauma experienced by the victim’s family while watching the show.
Eric Perry also drew attention to the fact that Netflix didn’t obtain permission before releasing this show featuring victims and their families, infringing on the family’s right to privacy. Another victim’s family member, Isabell, has expressed her opposition to the Netflix series and has asked Netflix to pay a portion of the show’s proceeds to the victim’s family as donations.
When she watched the show, she, too, voiced her emotions. She spoke of her sorrow at the time and how she had recently begun to realize it again because of the show. Despite the fact that the series gave Netflix a boost in popularity and revenue, the gains came at the expense of traumatized people who had already experienced the pain of losing a loved one.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer story: Social Media Reactions
The controversy not only happened on what was being shown to the audience but also on how people reacted to the same. When Dahmer, the Netflix show released, the whole social media started posting about him, and in no time, he gained celebrity status. People around the world started admiring his monstrous character and started emulating him on social media.
Although Netflix claims that the series is only for honoring those who were the victims of Jeffrey Dahmer, it seems that the audience started admiring Jeffrey’s character instead. Jeffrey’s celebrity status is now also becoming a means of profit. According to the tweet by Pop Base on Twitter, even his glasses are being sold for millions of dollars.
Jeffrey Dahmer is also getting viral on TikTok and Instagram. The social media audience appreciates users who are dressing and acting like him. Because of this, the dispute as a whole has gotten worse before reaching its pinnacle.
Along with all this controversy, some of the social media audience also noticed that show was being put in the LGBTQ category on Netflix because Jeffrey Dahmer was gay and all of his victims were men. As he mentioned in an interview that he had an obsession with men, he killed them because he didn’t want them to leave him.
But it should also be taken into account that he was the criminal who committed the most heinous crimes, and putting the show in the GBTQ category demeans the people who belong to the LGBTQ community. Because of the whole issue, Netflix has now removed the show from the LGBTQ category. Even if everyone enjoys watching crime and thriller plays when it comes to watching true crime stories.
The feelings of the victim’s family members should be taken into account. While Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer story is becoming more controversial day by day as the conflicting reviews of audiences are coming up, we should not forget and give condolences to those who lost their family members in such crimes as Jeffrey Dahmer’s.
