How the Romanticization of Serial Killers Hurts Us All

Since the release of Netflix’s new true crime series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Tik Tok has become filled with edits of Jeffrey Dahmer, and Tumblr boasts hundreds of new Dahmer gifs. Teenage girls swoon over the sexy serial killer, portrayed by Evan Peters (American Horror Story icon), and post about how they feel sorry for him and how much they love him. The internet is ablaze with a newfound interest in Dahmer, but not much of it is respectful or good.

How does this romanticization of serial killers happen in the first place? Why do we romanticize them so much, making videos, articles, and shows about them, seemingly with no end? And in the end, is the true crime genre harming the general public, and if so, what can we do about it? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the romanticization of serial killers.

Using Attractive Actors for Serial Killer Shows

While true crime as a genre will always spawn fans for serial killers, people who fall in love with them immortalize them, and regardless of what anyone does, that will forever remain a fact. However, tv shows, particularly Netflix in recent years, have played a huge part in bringing together hundreds, even thousands, of teenage girls swooning over some of the most brutal killers in history.

But why? What has changed that has taken the focus away from the crimes of these killers to instead feeling sorry for them, falling in love with them, and spreading the message that they were good people? One thing, in particular, that has helped with the romanticization is the usage of conventionally attractive actors to play killers. Take Netflix’s Ted Bundy show, where they got Zac Effron to play Ted Bundy. Zac Effron is conventionally attractive, making it harder to separate Zac Effron, playing the character from Ted Bundy, the serial killer.

Most docu-series created about serial killers in the past featured footage from crime scenes or court sessions and showed the actual killers and the crimes they committed. Yes, you had some people still falling in love and swooning over them. Still, it was not until the introduction of conventionally attractive actors playing in these dramatic recreations that increased fangirls. I hate to say it, but it is true. Instead of teaching people about the crimes of Dahmer, all Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has done is create a whole legion of teenage girls who love Dahmer and think he was a misunderstood person.

Let me make it clear. Jeffrey Dahmer was a brutal and nasty person who murdered 17 young men and boys, often sodomizing their corpses before dissolving them in acid. He was not misunderstood, was not a good person, and did not deserve to be immortalized or loved. Care for the families of the victims. They are the ones who suffered and continue to suffer. And tv companies, STOP USING CONVENTIONALLY ATTRACTIVE ACTORS!!! You are further propagating the harm of these killers and giving them a platform they did not deserve in life and did not deserve in death.

The Damages of Romanticizing Serial Killers

When it comes down to the damages wrought by romanticizing serial killers, it can be boiled down to three basic things: it is dangerous for young people, especially teen girls, brings up trauma for the families of victims, and finally, it encourages and immortalizes serial killers. I will be going into further detail on all three of these below.

Dangerous for Young People

The first reason why romanticizing serial killers is so damaging is how it affects young people, particularly young females. In today’s patriarchal society, assigned female at birth people (AFAB) are taught to be responsible for others’ actions. This especially applies to men’s actions, and it falls upon the AFAB to “fix” their partner thru love. However, that results in AFABs remaining in abusive relationships because they believe it is their job to fix their partner.

So when they are being shown these sexy actors portraying serial killers, and the killers are presented as someone to “fix,” that societal programming kicks in. They see that killer as someone they could love and fix, even though they never could. Society has taught them that that is their job, and we must combat that. We have to stop supporting the creation of these dramatic retellings of murderers because it only further propagates the damage dealt to young AFABS.

It Brings up Trauma for Victims’ Families

While you would think this would be obvious, people often forget that serial killer victims have families. Those people left behind sisters, brothers, children, parents, cousins, etc., when they were ripped from this earth early. And yet they fall to the sands of time and are forgotten while their KILLER is immortalized forever, even though it is the families and victims who suffer, not the killers.

“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,” she continued. “I could even understand it if they gave some of the money to the victims’ children. … The victims have children and grandchildren. If the show benefited them in some way, it wouldn’t feel so harsh and careless. It’s sad that they’re just making money off of this tragedy. That’s just greed.” 

Isbel Lindsey, HollywoodReporter.com

This is a statement by Isbel Lindsey, sister to Errol Lindsey, a 19-year-old boy, in an essay she wrote for Insider. Neither she nor the other victims’ families were contacted by Netflix when creating this show. And now, they have to relive the trauma of their murdered brothers and sons and fathers as people online romanticize their killer.

Encourages and Immortalizes Serial Killers

Finally, it encourages and immortalizes serial killers in a way they should never have. Not only does it keep the memory of the killer, and not the victims, alive for years, it encourages current serial killers. At the heart of nearly every serial killer is the desire to go viral, be remembered, and be plastered all over social media and the news. So why do we romanticize those killers and encourage those who continue to murder daily?

We give these killers far too much attention beyond what we should. Yes, we should speak about these killers and point out their crimes, but the focus should never be on them being “good” or “misunderstood.” These are real murderers and real families and real people’s lives taken. It is not a game; it is not a horror film; it is real life. And we need to treat it as such.

Why Do We Romanticize Serial Killers?

So, in the end, why do we romanticize serial killers? What draws us to immortalize them in media and our minds for eternity while their victims are forgotten? , we desire to understand what we do not. Every human has the basic instinct to understand what drives these serial killers to commit such atrocities. It doesn’t help when the media shows killers as misunderstood, lonely, or looking for true love, so they must murder every woman they meet.

Yes, serial killers may have human needs, but that does not excuse them for their crimes. They do not deserve to be called human as they are not, and they should be the ones who are forgotten. Ultimately, humans instinctively want to understand serial killers, but unfortunately, in our desire to understand, we have created a phenomenon that harms everyone involved.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this article on the romanticization of serial killers and how it harms the victims’ families and the general public. We have to continue making people aware of the harm such things cause, and part of that is through education. If you liked this article and want to support education about the darker side of topics, consider sharing this article. Also, check out some of my other articles on serial killers, like this one about the victims of Jeffrey Dahmer. Until next time, stay curious!