True crime and serial killers are what is all the rage right now. From documentaries, to docuseries, to fictional series based on real-life events, serial killers are a weird part of popular media. Not only that but they are being idolized and put on a pedestal for certain portrayals. Serial killers are becoming the beloved protagonists of every show and audiences are seemingly justifying their kills. What makes viewers love these serial killers so much despite the atrocities they commit?
Hollywood and television producers have taken note of the obvious interest in true crime and added some extra spice to that interest by not only diving into the gory details of their crimes but by allowing us to get to know each of the killers on a more intimate level. With each show and docuseries, we get to take a deep dive into the killer's perspective and mindset and even what hardships they may have faced growing up that triggered them to commit horrific acts. Audiences sympathize with the killer protagonist because we get to know them and see them in everyday moments doing totally normal things like grocery shopping or doing laundry. This can cause an unhealthy support of the wrong-doings because they seem just like us, or that they are justified in some way because of their trauma.
Is Dexter Bad If He's Killing the Other Bad Guys?
Since 2006, Dexter has had audiences in love with the introspective, intelligent, and affable cold-blooded killer despite how many onscreen mutilations they see him perform. Dexter has spanned across 8 seasons, even spawning a new spin of Dexter: New Blood, and viewers look at Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) as if he is the good guy. In the show, Dexter is a blood splatter analyst who works with Miami PD to help solve crimes all the while committing crimes of his own. He is a serial killer who only preys on those who have also committed heinous acts or are just generally downright bad people. Because his father groomed him in his childhood to think that was okay, he feels justified in his acts of murder. Throughout the series, the viewers start to love Dexter because of the view that he is morally correct in his desire to only harm the bad guys. We also see him struggle through relationships, act with kindness towards his girlfriend and her kids, and help his family and friends succeed. But a bad guy who harms bad guys is still a bad guy and that gets lost in translation because we feel we know Dexter Morgan.
Fictionalized Versions of Real Killers Have Become Romanticized
One of the most popular in recent memory would be Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. This show held the #1 trending spot for two weeks worldwide back in September. The show starts out at the end with Dahmer getting caught and then takes us through his tragic home life and traumas acquired along the way that pushed him to become the killer we know today. Evan Peters nailed the role of Jeffrey Dahmer, bringing his talents to the screen through method acting for months to get in character. The show is incredibly graphic and many of the survivor's families spoke up about being retraumatized by the accuracy of the show. In social media, Dahmer caused a huge romanticization of Jeffrey Dahmer. Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter erupted with commentary on how attractive Evan Peters is as Jeff despite seeing scenes based on the reality of this man cannibalizing bodies and keeping decapitated heads in his refrigerator. Using a popular and universally attractive star to portray a killer is tricking audiences into rooting for the villain because they are portrayed by a charismatic and attractive actor.
We see the likes of this also happen in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile when Zac Efron is cast as Ted Bundy. Zac Efron was one of America's Sweethearts for a while as Troy in High School Musical. When you see Efron's face, it's hard not to trust him, and be charmed by his mannerisms. This is a similar case for Darren Criss who stars as Andrew Cunanan in American Crime Story, another attractive star portraying a cold-blooded killer. What makes these romanticizations worse is that all of these shows mentioned so far are based on real individuals who committed real heinous crimes. The relatable and in-depth character arc we see coupled with the attractive main star creates a recipe for disaster and idolization of serial killers.
Joe Goldberg, the Lovable Stalker/Murderer
On top of all that, Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) of You has had a loyal fan base since the show's inception in 2018. You follows Joe, who becomes so overly obsessed with making Beck (Elizabeth Lail) fall in love with him that he manipulates every interaction with her to curate the perfect setup for her to garner interest in him. This pushes Joe to murder her friends and eventually kidnaps Beck and holds her in a vault in a basement. While holding her captive, he tries to guilt her into feeling bad for him being a murderer because he has childhood trauma. Despite being a stalker, liar, manipulator, and killer, Joe is loved by audiences.
Penn Badgley, the actor who plays Joe, has mentioned on multiple occasions that he despises the character. Audiences were cheering for Joe because they want him to find true love, regardless of what it takes to get him there. In every episode, we get the inner monologue that Joe has with himself and that contributes to the feeling of knowing him and sympathizing with the pain or sadness, or anger that he feels. Even though this show is not based on real-life events, it is still problematic for viewers to cheer on a killer because you got to know them and understand their trauma, which doesn't excuse committing murder.
Murderous Appeal
This is just a small batch of recent examples where the story encourages us to empathize and even cheer for the killer. Chucky, Hannibal, and The Fall are more examples where fans can't help but watch adoringly as a sadistic killer does whatever they want and kill whoever they want. It is human nature to be enticed by trying to understand and conceptualize evil. Stories can add a new twist where sympathizing with the killer adds a layer of depth, so shows continue to focus on making the killer the protagonist. Audiences love a good anti-hero, but when it comes to a serial killer like Joe Goldberg or Ted Bundy, does that title still qualify?
It's almost as if viewers are asked to brush aside the terrible crimes committed because it's viewed as just a TV show or movie and not rooted in reality because they see Evan Peters or Zac Efron on the screen instead of the real Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. As amazing as these shows are, it can't help but feel like they are setting viewers up to idolize someone who would likely kill or harm them given the chance, despite how relatable they may come off as.