The lessons controversy-hit HBO's 'The Idol' can learn from Netflix's ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ success
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion advised.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: HBO’s ‘The Idol’, which narrates the story of a young pop star Jocelyn, played by Lily-Rose Depp, has been criticized for projecting rape-fantasy themes and risqué scenes. But 'The Idol', which is scheduled to be released on Sunday, June 4, at 9 pm ET, is not the first show to raise eyebrows and questions about its graphic content. Netflix series 'Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' was also slammed for glorifying the serial killer
The show, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, portrays the serial who murdered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991 in a positive light. The series, which quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular originals, faced strong criticism regarding the portrayal of the victims
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The glorification of Jeffrey Dahmer
The series, which had Evan Peters starring as Dahmer, showed disturbing scenes of the killer's actions that included extreme violence and rape. The killer targeted queer men, especially targeting people of color, cannibalized some of his victims, participated in necrophilia, and some he just dissolved in acid.
What was problematic in the series?
Netflix claimed the series "will give notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims a voice," however it didn't happen. Multiple family members pointed out that neither Netflix nor the creators consulted them or asked for their permission to use their stories for the 10-episode series. Rita Isbell, the sister of one of the victims Errol Lindsey, said, "When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself — when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought it was me. Her hair was like mine, she had on the same clothes. That's why it felt like reliving it all over again. It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then. I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should've asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. They didn't ask me anything. They just did it," as reported by Insider.
On Twitter, Eric Perry, the cousin of Lindsey, wrote, "I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are pissed about this show. It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?" And added, "Like recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD. WIIIIIILD."
Like recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD. WIIIIIILD.
— eric. (@ericthulhu) September 22, 2022
On the other hand, many were left baffled by the tags Netflix labeled the show - 'Horror,' 'Ominous,' 'Dark,' 'Vintage crime,' 'Psychological,' and 'LGBTQ.' One person asked, "Why the f**k did Netflix tag the Jeffrey Dahmer documentary, LGBTQ? I know it’s technically true, but this is not the representation we’re looking for,” as per Time. Another wrote, "If I need to stay in my lane absolutely tell me but anyone else think it's pretty gross of @netflix to list Dahmer under #LGBTQ, especially when the True Crime tag would have worked?"
Defending the show in a promotional video, Evan Peters, said, "We had one rule going into this from Ryan [Murphy], that it would never be told from Dahmer’s point of view. It’s called The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, but it’s not just him and his backstory: It’s the repercussions, it’s how society and our system failed to stop him multiple times because of racism, homophobia. It’s just a tragic story."
If I need to stay in my lane absolutely tell me but anyone else think it's pretty gross of @netflix to list Dahmer under #LGBTQ, especially when the True Crime tag would have worked? pic.twitter.com/wPzwc2oOKP
— Frances *Deadly SoverAuntie* Danger (@FrancesMFDanger) September 21, 2022
Many posted on social media asking that the victims be remembered rather than glorifying the killer, whose name appears twice in the title of the series. Dahmer's victims were 14-year-old Jamie Doxtator, 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone, 18-year-old Steven Hicks, 18-year-old Curtis Straughter, 19-year-old Errol Lindsey, 20-year-old Matt Turner, 23-year-old David Thomas, 23-year-old Jeremiah Weinberger, 23-year-old Oliver Lacy, 24-year-old Anthony Sears, 24-year-old Ernest Miller, 25-year-old Richard Guerrero, 25-year-old Joseph Bradehoft, 28-year-old Steven Tuomi, 28-year-old Eddie Smith, 31-year-old Anthony Hughes, and 33-year-old Ricky Beeks.
#DahmerNetflix is out, let’s not romanticize Jeffrey Dahmer just because he is played by Evan Peters.
— hot girl jo (@sicssorluv) September 21, 2022
Remember the victims.
A tread about each victim and who they were. pic.twitter.com/3NAZpG40Dq
Dahmer’s prison glasses went on sale for $150K
On the other hand, the killer got romanticized by some fans. “It's an unsettling reality that most male serial killers have some sort of fanbase, mostly consisting of young, white women,” Lucy Morgan, stated in an opinion piece for Glamour. An anonymous person told NBC News, “It’s entertainment, which is horrible to say, but it’s also fascinating to see how an investigative journalist can dig beneath the surface and put pieces together to come up with a new answer to a crime that was unsolved or solved incorrectly.” Following the release of the series, Dahmer’s actual glasses that he wore in prison went on sale for $150K, reported The Daily Beast.
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