Do we, as Americans, value serial killers? Are they an important part of our pop culture in the same way Tik Tok sounds are, or celebrities’ feuds? I’m not talking about fictional horror characters like Michaels Myers or Ghostface; I mean real serial killers. I mean people that have committed atrocities due to mental illness, traumatic childhoods, sick ideologies or just because they decided to. 

Jeffrey Dahmer was an American serial killer and sex offender born on May 21, 1960, who committed acts of rape, cannibalism, and necrophilia on his 17 victims. The story of Jeffrey Dahmer has inspired many movies including “My Friend Dahmer,” “Raising Jeffrey Dahmer,” and the most recent Netflix series, “Dahmer–Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” which aired September 21, 2022. After its debut, this Netflix series has captured the American audience and held its place as #1 Netflix series for three weeks, only to be recently dethroned by a new series, The Watcher. The series focuses on a young Dahmer, largely from the point of view of his victims. 

Critics have been questioning the morality of “Dahmer–Monster” since people on social media platforms have begun to sexualize and idolize the serial killer. “Locate me a pair of Dahmer shades,” celebrity Rick Ross stated on his Twitter page. I wonder if Mr. Ross asks for “Bill Cosby ” suspenders or “Trump hair dye.” Wait, too far? Do we draw the line at pedophiles and political liars, but not at famous serial killers that targeted members of the LGBTQ and people of color?  

It is quite odd that during such a “liberal” time, where controversial opinions on the LGBTQ community are highly restricted, people would idolize someone that was a threat to the community and that Netflix put the Dahmer series in the LGBTQ section, as if Jeffery Dahmer was a gay icon worth being celebrated. “I think it’s a toss up because him being a part of the LGBTQ was not something he was… proud of or trying to enforce, and that’s not the main purpose of the show so it doesn’t need to be there, but it could,” said junior Adalia Orr. Jeffrey Dahmer being gay was a fun fact compared to what he should be known for – as a murder and rapist. “Serial killer comes before gay,” junior Brianna Deparra said in response.  

While I do believe that there should be some updated digital documentation of what Dahmer did so future generations will not forget his crimes, there is a difference between an educational documentary meant to carefully inform an audience and a series with one  goal – to make a profit,  not showing  any consideration for victims’ families who have been forced to relive this travesty over and over again. 

People watching “Dahmer – Monster” have also made a trend of “not being phased” by the gruesome storylines in the series. Congrats, another telling of a story about horrible crimes committed by a white man onto a marginalized group, describing how he raped, killed, raped again (cause why not?), butchered, and ate his victims, and you can sit on your cozy couch peacefully, with your laptop, unfazed. Instead of taking in that this story actually happened, people  go on Tik Tok and post videos of how they  watched the new Dahmer series and didn’t even flinch, hoping that your video will get on People’s For You Page so you can get likes. If I could do sarcastic thumbs up on this article, I would. 

This is not just about the inappropriate reaction to the recent Dahmer series, but the overall unhealthy obsessions and romanticization of serial killers in America. For example, if you went into Tik Tok and searched Richard Ramirez, who killed 13 people in a series of home invasions to support his cocaine addiction, the results would be edits of a smiling Ramirez during his trial attached to the song, “Gangsta” by Kehlani or “Criminal” by Britney Spears. 

Dahmer’s victims and their families would not share the same interest in wanting to daydream about their killers, nor would any other survivors of brutal crimes, so why is it that America, especially, wants to relive true crime over and over again? Psychology Today presented an article on the fantasizing of serial killers and offered an interesting view that people watch true crimes to learn about “predators’ behavior and motivational states” from a safe setting.  I am a Criminal Minds and Law & Order Special Victims binger, but I can only get through a certain amount as some episodes are too heavy for a lazy Saturday afternoon. Despite being entertaining, these episodes do portray murderers, rapists and criminals that I have learned to study alongside the fictional detective team, to the point that sometimes, I figure out the case before them. As a woman, it is important to know what to do if you are ever caught in those alleyways or with a guy that simply cannot take  ”no.” Those true crime episodes teach me real-life safety from the comfort of my own house, and give me a sense of control in the fact that I can simply turn off the TV if I want it to stop. 

To learn about a “predator’s behavior and motivational states” is an instinct in the same way a prey may study its predator to recognize its weaknesses and strengths. Be that as it may, would a bunny fantasize about a hawk falling in love with it and carrying it off into the sunset? This is where human natural instinct and its modern societal reactions differ. 

Let’s review; Is it morally right to profit off of the same horrific story under the cloak of being a documentary? Is it natural to sexualize and idolize a predator? Would we still make inappropriate edits of Jeferry Dahmer if he was still on the run, threatening gay men? Does the fact that he is dead and can not hurt anyone justify the fact that his story will be replayed over and over again? Could the Netflix series, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, encourage the next serial killer who wants their name to forever be remembered alongside the song “A Gangster’s Wife” by Ms. Krazie?