Netflix's "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" has drawn widespread attention for its unflinching portrayal of the notorious serial killer, but beneath its gruesome surface lies a more insidious narrative that undermines its own mission. By centering on Evan Peters' portrayal of Dahmer and replete with cinematic flair, Ryan Murphy's brand is prioritized over the true purpose of the show: to shed light on systemic injustice and the devastating consequences it has for marginalized communities.
Murphy's affinity for sensationalizing crimes in his anthology series, as seen in "The People v. O.J. Simpson" and "American Crime Story", is on full display here. While the Dahmer case does serve as a cautionary tale about prejudicial policing and government inequities, the show's primary focus appears to be on humanizing its titular character, perpetuating the notion that understanding the motivations behind such heinous crimes can somehow justify or explain them.
The narrative often takes a step back to examine Peters' Dahmer, rather than delving deeper into the lives of his victims and their families. This approach is reminiscent of previous true crime adaptations, which frequently prioritize sensationalizing the killer over exploring the impact on those affected by the crime. The result can be disconcerting, as evidenced by social media reactions from some family members of Dahmer's victims who feel that their loved ones' experiences were trivialized or exploited for entertainment value.
The disconnect between "Monster"'s stated goals and its execution is striking. In theory, the show aims to revitalize attention on the systemic issues faced by marginalized communities, particularly Black men and women. However, this aim often gets lost in the midst of graphic content, melodramatic plot twists, and an overemphasis on Dahmer's psychological profile.
A closer examination of "Monster" reveals that it perpetuates some of the same problematic tendencies as other true crime narratives. Glenda Cleveland (Niecy Nash), a Black woman who lives next door to Dahmer, is often reduced to a frustrated bystander, with her concerns and warnings frequently ignored by the authorities. This portrayal is strikingly familiar, echoing similar tropes in films like "The Silence of the Lambs", where the lead character's frustration with the ineptitude of law enforcement serves as a backdrop for the investigation.
Ultimately, while "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" does provide a visceral and unsettling portrayal of one of history's most infamous serial killers, it risks undermining its own purpose in the process. By prioritizing Peters' portrayal of Dahmer over the experiences of those affected by his crimes, the show perpetuates a troubling narrative that can be seen as exploitative and insensitive to the true victims and their families.
Murphy's affinity for sensationalizing crimes in his anthology series, as seen in "The People v. O.J. Simpson" and "American Crime Story", is on full display here. While the Dahmer case does serve as a cautionary tale about prejudicial policing and government inequities, the show's primary focus appears to be on humanizing its titular character, perpetuating the notion that understanding the motivations behind such heinous crimes can somehow justify or explain them.
The narrative often takes a step back to examine Peters' Dahmer, rather than delving deeper into the lives of his victims and their families. This approach is reminiscent of previous true crime adaptations, which frequently prioritize sensationalizing the killer over exploring the impact on those affected by the crime. The result can be disconcerting, as evidenced by social media reactions from some family members of Dahmer's victims who feel that their loved ones' experiences were trivialized or exploited for entertainment value.
The disconnect between "Monster"'s stated goals and its execution is striking. In theory, the show aims to revitalize attention on the systemic issues faced by marginalized communities, particularly Black men and women. However, this aim often gets lost in the midst of graphic content, melodramatic plot twists, and an overemphasis on Dahmer's psychological profile.
A closer examination of "Monster" reveals that it perpetuates some of the same problematic tendencies as other true crime narratives. Glenda Cleveland (Niecy Nash), a Black woman who lives next door to Dahmer, is often reduced to a frustrated bystander, with her concerns and warnings frequently ignored by the authorities. This portrayal is strikingly familiar, echoing similar tropes in films like "The Silence of the Lambs", where the lead character's frustration with the ineptitude of law enforcement serves as a backdrop for the investigation.
Ultimately, while "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" does provide a visceral and unsettling portrayal of one of history's most infamous serial killers, it risks undermining its own purpose in the process. By prioritizing Peters' portrayal of Dahmer over the experiences of those affected by his crimes, the show perpetuates a troubling narrative that can be seen as exploitative and insensitive to the true victims and their families.
it's like they're more interested in makin' a sick tv show than actually helpin people out 
the whole thing is just so sensationalized, like, what's the point of humanizin da killer? 
doesn't that just legitimize what he did? and yeah i can see how they'd wanna focus on evan peters' portrayal, but come on, shouldn't we be focusin on the victims & their families instead? 
it's like they're just tryin to capitalize on peoples pain for ratings 
i mean, don't get me wrong, it's still super graphic & unsettling, but can we pls not prioritize humanizin' the killer over his victims? 
it feels like they're perpetuating the same problems as other true crime shows, where they only focus on the "monster" & not the people who were actually hurt by him 
i need a show that's gonna give me some real talk about how we can create change, not just sensationalize another gruesome crime 
I'm kinda disappointed with how this show turned out - it's like they're trying to sensationalize Jeffrey Dahmer's story instead of actually exploring the impact on his victims' families 
. They should've focused more on the systemic issues that led up to all those brutal murders, not just humanize Dahmer as much as possible 
.
. Can't we do better than this?
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. Glenda Cleveland, the Black woman who lives next door to Dahmer, is literally reduced to a frustrated bystander – it's so tired and problematic 
. Instead, we get a watered-down version of true crime that feels more like entertainment than social commentary 
.
, but can't they just focus on the real impact of his crimes 
? It feels like they're more interested in making a profit 
than actual justice 
️. The victims' families are already hurting so much 
, do we really need to make it worse by trivializing their stories 
? I'm all about the social commentary 
instead of "let's shed some light on systemic injustice" 
I'm so tired of shows like this, where they prioritize sensationalism over actually doing some good 
But I think it's a sad commentary on our society that we're more interested in watching a show about a serial killer than actually learning about the systemic issues that led to his crimes.
Viewership (millions) vs. Reported Disrespect among Victims' Families (%)
But is it really doing enough? The data says no... 
instead of shedding light on the real issues 
. And can we talk about how some family members are already hating on the show for exploiting their loved ones' trauma? 
. I mean, I get it, Dahmer's case is super disturbing and all, but does it have to feel like a platform for Ryan Murphy to flex his storytelling muscles? The way they're focusing on Evan Peters' performance over the actual victims and their families feels so off-putting 
. And don't even get me started on how they're handling Glenda Cleveland's storyline... it just comes across as a familiar "white savior" trope