Taking interest in individuals — who they are, what makes them tick, their feelings and motivations, etc. — appears to be human nature, whether we like to admit it or not. This is especially so when it comes to the true crime genre. Given the huge following that the genre has, there’s no denying it – hell, even some of us are guilty over here. Hearing just exactly what a person could be capable of, from serial murders to corporate scams, it’s natural to be curious as to how someone can ultimately decide to cause suffering, not just to their victims, but also to those around them. Especially when it comes to murderers, the idea of such horrendous actions feels alien to most of us, and thus we feel the need to explore it in-depth via media narratives.
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Of course, the question becomes: how do we treat media that constantly put criminals at the top of our news stories and social feeds? Just look at the most recent example: Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has become one of the most-talked about true crime series and has become the streamer’s highest debut since Stranger Things. At the same time, concerns over its treatment of Dahmer’s victims’ surviving families — from re-traumatizing them to their lack of fore-knowledge of the series — have surfaced a long-standing debate of the genre’s ethics. How do we draw the line between educating people and glorifying criminals? What impact does it have on the victims’ families who are forced to relive the tragedy, especially when a series gains as much popularity as Dahmer has on Netflix? Are we also to blame by constantly writing articles about it?
What is the True Crime Genre?
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You’d probably be surprised to learn that the true crime genre dates as far back as the 16th Century, when the people in Ming Dynasty collected stories about true criminal cases of fraud. Now, it’s safe to say that we’ve traveled a long way from something as seemingly harmless as fraud. The true crime that we know today is a non-fiction medium that examines details of an actual crime, with a large focus devoted to the brutal killings by serial murderers. The genre stretches all across the entertainment medium, from magazines and books to film, television, and podcasts. The cases covered and retold range from big cartel bosses such as Pablo Escobar in The Infiltrator to corporate crime like in The Dropout to small town crime in Netflix’s The Innocent Man. More than that, these cases are either told in documentary form, featuring real interviews with those involved (investigators, witnesses, etc.), or as dramatizations of the crime(s), often starring major actors for larger appeal.
The Appeal of True Crime
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So, where does the appeal of true crime come from? Why are we, as a society, so engaged with the idea of someone acting outside of what’s morally acceptable? Firstly, there’s nothing inherently wrong with consuming true crime media. After all, evil fascinates us, and tuning into these stories offers a chance for catharsis. We, for instance, watch Netflix’s true crime miniseries, such as Unbelievable, which tells the horrendous true story of series of rapes that happened in Washington State and Colorado, to avoid such situations and to know what happens when such situations occur.
Another question to ask is: how do we, as empathetic individuals, ignore the impossible amount of media news that are swarmed with crime? We don’t. It finds us one way or the other. Women tend to be more drawn to true crime than men due to the need to feel prepared and to increase their chances of survival. People are glad they’re not the victims. It allows them to feel for the affected by keeping distance between their respective realities.
As much as we’re glad we’re not the victims, we also exalt ourselves over the perpetrators: they’re deranged, and we’re fine, which gives us a twisted sense of self-satisfaction. Our lives get too repetitive and sometimes the only adrenaline rush we get is when we watch someone else commit crimes. More importantly, watching individuals get caught and punished for their crimes makes us feel safe. We watch documentaries such as Don’t F**k with Cats not only to feel freaked out, but to also have control over when to stop the fear.
Risks of Glorification
Yes, on the one hand, we want to educate ourselves about the atrocities that a person caused and possibly learn how to prevent it from happening again. However, on the other hand, is that really what we’re doing by casting Hollywood’s sweethearts such as Zac Efron, Ross Lynch, and Evan Peters in the roles of brutal serial killers? Some people already have paraphilia of feeling attracted to (mostly) men who have committed crimes. Now, what happens when a good-looking actor such as Efron, who regularly makes it into the top most desirable men in Hollywood, plays Ted Bundy who has confessed to 30 brutal murders?
Most of these visual media try to get to the crux of why these individuals behave the way they do, often exploring their troubled childhoods, which are expected to serve as a pathology for why they are the way they are and do what they do. Most of these killers long for attention and fame. By creating different retellings of their abominable actions, we keep them alive long after their deaths. Furthermore, when it comes to dramatizations that cast beloved actors, there’s an inherent conflict between “appreciating” the actor’s performance as the character and admonishing the crimes they ultimately committed. This raises the risk of glorification.
Negative Impact on Victim’s Families
The biggest criticisms of the true crime genre — rightfully so — is the effect it has on the victims’ families. Although there are many examples we could be pointing to, let’s focus on the most recent one: Netflix’s Dahmer. The show decided to take a different approach to making a true crime series by not focusing their full attention on the serial killer, but rather telling the stories from points of views of some victims, such as Glenda Cleveland, Tony Hughes, and Konerak Sinthasomphone. After the show released, Rita Isbell (Errol Lindsey’s sister) voiced her dissatisfaction with the show. She said (via Insider): “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.”
It appears that the good intentions were there, but not very well executed. If you claim the victims and their famines are what matter by creating the show, but you fail to get their permission to tell their side of the story, and thus condemn them to reliving the tragedy, does it really count? The Jeffrey Dahmer story has been on the quieter side for the past few years, but now the victims’ families are forced to be retraumatized again.
True Crime’s True Intentions
Ultimately, what truly matters to the producers and creators is releasing something that sells, and true crime is definitely at the top of the list. There may be some thoughtful intentions behind all of it, but it’s ultimately overshadowed by the need to make a profit. Sure, if proportions of the profit were given to the grieving famines (although no amount can’t truly erase the pain), then those thoughtful intentions would be more believable. The debate of what’s right or wrong stays unanswerable in this case. As long as we keep engaging, true crime will stay popular, and we’re all definitely guilty.
