Why Netflix's 'Jeffrey Dahmer Story' is getting backlash from victim's family, fans

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SouthernIslander
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The family of Errol Lindsey, one of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims, is joining some viewers in critiquing a new Netflix series on the serial killer, "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," saying the show humanizes the murderer and forces victims' families to relive the traumatic events.

Dahmer was a convicted serial killer from Milwaukee who murdered 17 men and boys from 1978 to 1991. He died in prison in 1994 at the age of 34. Evan Peters plays him in the 10-episode Netflix series created by Ryan Murphy.
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I can't even imagine being a family member and having to watch it. There was a particularly horrific scene posted on Twitter and the response from a relative was heartbreaking. I've always found true life dramas to be insensitive but I guess I'm in the minority.
"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show its own shame." - Oscar Wilde
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WellPreserved wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 11:04 pm I can't even imagine being a family member and having to watch it. There was a particularly horrific scene posted on Twitter and the response from a relative was heartbreaking. I've always found true life dramas to be insensitive but I guess I'm in the minority.
Did you see it? I always side with the family’s who she’s but I won’t lie.. it was a thought provoking watch.
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Wait, am I missing something? Are the family members being forced to watch it? Or are they choosing to watch it?

Because that was going to be my response to this thread, is that if it's too traumatic for the family they can just choose not to watch it. It's on Netflix. They aren't going to happen upon it by channel surfing. They would have to specifically choose to watch it.

Crime stories are huge right now. Netflix just put out the whole thing about Lori Vallow recently which DH and I watched. Now there's the thing about Jeffrey Dahmer which DH and I are both interested in seeing. We also watch other shows where they tell the stories of lesser known convicted murderers etc. I find it fascinating to try to see into the mind of the killer and what compels them. I also find it interesting to hear their own back stories because it seems like every single time there is some sort of trauma in their childhood.

If the show is getting backlash for incorrectly depicting the facts then I could understand the backlash. Otherwise it seems like a simple case of 'don't like it, don't watch it'.
WellPreserved wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 11:04 pm I can't even imagine being a family member and having to watch it. There was a particularly horrific scene posted on Twitter and the response from a relative was heartbreaking. I've always found true life dramas to be insensitive but I guess I'm in the minority.
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Traci_Momof2 wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 3:04 pm Wait, am I missing something? Are the family members being forced to watch it? Or are they choosing to watch it?

Because that was going to be my response to this thread, is that if it's too traumatic for the family they can just choose not to watch it. It's on Netflix. They aren't going to happen upon it by channel surfing. They would have to specifically choose to watch it.

Crime stories are huge right now. Netflix just put out the whole thing about Lori Vallow recently which DH and I watched. Now there's the thing about Jeffrey Dahmer which DH and I are both interested in seeing. We also watch other shows where they tell the stories of lesser known convicted murderers etc. I find it fascinating to try to see into the mind of the killer and what compels them. I also find it interesting to hear their own back stories because it seems like every single time there is some sort of trauma in their childhood.

If the show is getting backlash for incorrectly depicting the facts then I could understand the backlash. Otherwise it seems like a simple case of 'don't like it, don't watch it'.
WellPreserved wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 11:04 pm I can't even imagine being a family member and having to watch it. There was a particularly horrific scene posted on Twitter and the response from a relative was heartbreaking. I've always found true life dramas to be insensitive but I guess I'm in the minority.
You're right. Anyone can choose to watch or not watch. But I don't have netflix and my twitter feed and fb is inundated with clips from this series.

I believe that the families of Dahmer's victims complaint is that the series humanizes him and portrays him as also a victim. They also weren't notified prior to the release of the series and it's not like there are no other movies about Dahmer out there.

I understand that true crime stories are a big hit but I still find them distasteful.
"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show its own shame." - Oscar Wilde
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WellPreserved wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 3:15 pm
Traci_Momof2 wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 3:04 pm Wait, am I missing something? Are the family members being forced to watch it? Or are they choosing to watch it?

Because that was going to be my response to this thread, is that if it's too traumatic for the family they can just choose not to watch it. It's on Netflix. They aren't going to happen upon it by channel surfing. They would have to specifically choose to watch it.

Crime stories are huge right now. Netflix just put out the whole thing about Lori Vallow recently which DH and I watched. Now there's the thing about Jeffrey Dahmer which DH and I are both interested in seeing. We also watch other shows where they tell the stories of lesser known convicted murderers etc. I find it fascinating to try to see into the mind of the killer and what compels them. I also find it interesting to hear their own back stories because it seems like every single time there is some sort of trauma in their childhood.

If the show is getting backlash for incorrectly depicting the facts then I could understand the backlash. Otherwise it seems like a simple case of 'don't like it, don't watch it'.
WellPreserved wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 11:04 pm I can't even imagine being a family member and having to watch it. There was a particularly horrific scene posted on Twitter and the response from a relative was heartbreaking. I've always found true life dramas to be insensitive but I guess I'm in the minority.
You're right. Anyone can choose to watch or not watch. But I don't have netflix and my twitter feed and fb is inundated with clips from this series.

I believe that the families of Dahmer's victims complaint is that the series humanizes him and portrays him as also a victim. They also weren't notified prior to the release of the series and it's not like there are no other movies about Dahmer out there.

I understand that true crime stories are a big hit but I still find them distasteful.
I don't know his backstory so I won't comment yet as to his victim status. But "humanizes him", well, he is a human being. They all are. We all start exactly the same way, and then it's our experiences from birth that shape us and mold us to be what we are. As a society, I don't think it does us any good to paint these serial killers as "monsters" and separate them from the rest of us. It makes it too easy to write them off and not even think about what we as a society are doing to create these horrible people.
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Traci_Momof2 wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 4:00 pm
WellPreserved wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 3:15 pm
Traci_Momof2 wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 3:04 pm Wait, am I missing something? Are the family members being forced to watch it? Or are they choosing to watch it?

Because that was going to be my response to this thread, is that if it's too traumatic for the family they can just choose not to watch it. It's on Netflix. They aren't going to happen upon it by channel surfing. They would have to specifically choose to watch it.

Crime stories are huge right now. Netflix just put out the whole thing about Lori Vallow recently which DH and I watched. Now there's the thing about Jeffrey Dahmer which DH and I are both interested in seeing. We also watch other shows where they tell the stories of lesser known convicted murderers etc. I find it fascinating to try to see into the mind of the killer and what compels them. I also find it interesting to hear their own back stories because it seems like every single time there is some sort of trauma in their childhood.

If the show is getting backlash for incorrectly depicting the facts then I could understand the backlash. Otherwise it seems like a simple case of 'don't like it, don't watch it'.

You're right. Anyone can choose to watch or not watch. But I don't have netflix and my twitter feed and fb is inundated with clips from this series.

I believe that the families of Dahmer's victims complaint is that the series humanizes him and portrays him as also a victim. They also weren't notified prior to the release of the series and it's not like there are no other movies about Dahmer out there.

I understand that true crime stories are a big hit but I still find them distasteful.
I don't know his backstory so I won't comment yet as to his victim status. But "humanizes him", well, he is a human being. They all are. We all start exactly the same way, and then it's our experiences from birth that shape us and mold us to be what we are. As a society, I don't think it does us any good to paint these serial killers as "monsters" and separate them from the rest of us. It makes it too easy to write them off and not even think about what we as a society are doing to create these horrible people.
"Humanize - to show that someone has the qualities, weaknesses, etc. that are typical of a human, in a way that makes you more likely to feel sympathy for them" https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dic ... h/humanize

I think that when gruesome true crime cases are dramatized, it does "humanize" the perpetrators in a way that doesn't happen in a documentary which utilizes actual film, photos, and testimony. Again, I find it distasteful but I understand that I'm in the minority as these shows are extremely popular.
"The books that the world calls immoral are books that show its own shame." - Oscar Wilde
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I think it is more the case that Netflix is turning a profit by using the gruesome murder of their loved ones for entertainment. That would upset me if I had family killed by Dahmer.

I won't be watching as I remember the events from when he was arrested and tried. We do need to understand what contributes to these actions - brain injuries, environment, abuse, inability to bond, etc. But I don't see this type of production contributing to that understanding.
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But isn’t that true for every true crime documentary or fictionalization out there? Pretty much every 20/20 episode does this.
I won’t even dare to judge their feelings on the matter. They absolutely have a right to them and I respect it. It is also understandable that people want to know more. These case wasn’t the average murder, not even for a serial killer. It was given lots of attention, people know and still talk about it. They can’t pretend otherwise. And people want to see what can make a human being can commit those acts.
MonarchMom wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 5:19 pm I think it is more the case that Netflix is turning a profit by using the gruesome murder of their loved ones for entertainment. That would upset me if I had family killed by Dahmer.

I won't be watching as I remember the events from when he was arrested and tried. We do need to understand what contributes to these actions - brain injuries, environment, abuse, inability to bond, etc. But I don't see this type of production contributing to that understanding.
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Well… I haven’t seen it, but if what’s being shown is accurate and the guy was also victimized in some way, then that’s that. Why hide the fact? Something had to happen for him to turn into that monster. I actually think that denying whatever happened to him that made him a “victim” is just denying facts. Of course it doesn’t justify him- and I’m willing to bet that was never the intention- or even creates sympathy for the vast majority of people.
WellPreserved wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 3:15 pm
Traci_Momof2 wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 3:04 pm Wait, am I missing something? Are the family members being forced to watch it? Or are they choosing to watch it?

Because that was going to be my response to this thread, is that if it's too traumatic for the family they can just choose not to watch it. It's on Netflix. They aren't going to happen upon it by channel surfing. They would have to specifically choose to watch it.

Crime stories are huge right now. Netflix just put out the whole thing about Lori Vallow recently which DH and I watched. Now there's the thing about Jeffrey Dahmer which DH and I are both interested in seeing. We also watch other shows where they tell the stories of lesser known convicted murderers etc. I find it fascinating to try to see into the mind of the killer and what compels them. I also find it interesting to hear their own back stories because it seems like every single time there is some sort of trauma in their childhood.

If the show is getting backlash for incorrectly depicting the facts then I could understand the backlash. Otherwise it seems like a simple case of 'don't like it, don't watch it'.
WellPreserved wrote: Mon Sep 26, 2022 11:04 pm I can't even imagine being a family member and having to watch it. There was a particularly horrific scene posted on Twitter and the response from a relative was heartbreaking. I've always found true life dramas to be insensitive but I guess I'm in the minority.
You're right. Anyone can choose to watch or not watch. But I don't have netflix and my twitter feed and fb is inundated with clips from this series.

I believe that the families of Dahmer's victims complaint is that the series humanizes him and portrays him as also a victim. They also weren't notified prior to the release of the series and it's not like there are no other movies about Dahmer out there.

I understand that true crime stories are a big hit but I still find them distasteful.
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