A Monthly Subscription to Brutality
Dahmer, Netflix’s dramatized biographical thriller about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered, sexually assaulted, and sometimes cannibalized seventeen men between the years 1978 and 1991, logged over one billion hours of viewing time in the first 60 days of its release in 2022. The second most-viewed Netflix show of all time, Dahmer is the leader in a wave of “true crime” shows that continues to captivate American audiences and garner huge profits for producers and streaming services.
Critics of true crime shows like Dahmer, however, argue that Netflix is unjustly capitalizing on horrible events which continue to hurt victims’ families. To some viewers, the series’ stylistic and narrative choices, such as the way the camera lingers over Dahmer’s apartment and focuses on the character of Dahmer himself, romanticizes Dahmer’s life and crimes without analysis or respect for the victims. The families of Dahmer’s victims have expressed disapproval of the show’s harshness and carelessness in handling their trauma, and they claim that Netflix never received their consent or consulted them during the show’s production. Furthermore, dramatizing Dahmer’s crimes on a popular streaming platform can bring unwanted attention and memories back to the victims’ communities.
In contrast, fans of true crime argue that the flaws of Dahmer need not inherently apply to all true crime media. Dramatized shows with fictionalized elements may be more exploitative and insensitive than for example, investigative news articles. The distinction may lie in whether the primary purpose of the series or publication is to entertain via dramatized narratives or to inform via factual assessments and reporting. Supporters observe that the genre of true crime can humanize victims and restore their identity in popular consciousness outside of victimhood, and may also shed light on shortcomings of law enforcement in investigating these crimes in the first place.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Are true crime shows inherently morally suspect because they treat the harm and suffering of real human beings as a form of entertainment?
Should true crime shows be required to seek the consent of victims?
Do true crime shows inevitably romanticize or glamorize the killers they portray?
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