The success of “Dahmer: Monster – The Story of Jeffrey Dahmer” could push viewers to cross the limits, especially as the Halloween holidays approach.
Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan , the series Dahmer: Monster – The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is one of the biggest hits on the Netflix platform. For its second week, the number of viewing hours even doubled. Only season 4 of Stranger Things did better for the same period.
This phenomenal success is accompanied by several controversies. Among them, the reaction of the family of one of the victims , Errol Lindsay, who criticizes the platform for capitalizing on their family drama. Others deem the series sensationalist and voyeuristic in its depiction of violence.
The enthusiasm around Dahmer also provokes inappropriate reactions. With the approach of the Halloween holidays, some would try to dress up as Jeffrey Dahmer. On social networks, in France as in the United States, many are those who predict slippages.
” I’m exhausted from today. Just dejected and just finished the Jeffrey Dahmer series on Netflix…and I just have something on my heart to say to you: Please. Don’t. You. Disguise. In this man. For Halloween. ”
Elevating Jeffrey Dahmer to the same rank as movie characters, such as Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, contributes to concealing the facts, namely the fate of 17 men killed. This subject is even explored in the series when “the cannibal of Milwaukee” receives letters from fans in prison.
FICTION AND REALITY
The adaptation of such a case on the screens upsets, for many, the border between fiction and reality. It is important to remember that the relatives of the victims are still alive. Transforming their trauma into a simple disguise is totally in line with the shortcomings pointed out by the series.
On her show The View, actress Whoopi Goldberg aptly opined: ‘ I think if you’re telling these stories, be aware that those who are part of these stories are still with us .’
The macabre fetishization of crime stories is not new and Jeffrey Dahmer disguises have been made in the past. Rather than rekindling the fascination around the killer, the Dahmer series could be, on the contrary, the right way to sensitize a certain audience to bring it back to reality.