Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story 

BY MAGGIE OLIVE KLEIN
KONKLIFE STAFF WRITER AND EDITOR 

*TRIGGER WARNING- DISCUSSION OF SERIAL KILLER JEFFREY DAHMER*

Jeffrey Dahmer, the Milwaukee Monster, was an American serial killer and cannibal who terrorized Wisconsin between 1978 and 1991, having committed the murder and dismemberment of seventeen men and boys. Dahmer was able to get away with so many murders throughout his life as a gay white man because of the political climate and societal norms around the time that he reigned. Dahmer mostly targeted black men, who he found while out at bars, and brought them home to his apartment to follow through with his fantasies of having complete control over his victims by drugging them. Whenever Dahmer’s neighbor, Glenda Cleveland, alerted police and/or building managers about the alarming sounds and putrid odors coming from Dahmer’s apartment, she was brushed off and told to calm down. The calls were always seen as an overreaction. Cleveland was a black woman who felt severe concern for the men that came home with Dahmer, and no one listened or paid mind to her countless complaints and worries. 

The series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, is “currently Netflix’s most-watched title, according to its self-reported data released September 27, amassing more than 196 million viewing hours in the past week.” According to CNN. The fascination with serial killers and their violent tendencies is very prevalent amongst the current generation, and there is much controversy surrounding series’ such as this one, including ones about Ted Bundy, Ed Gein, and John Wayne Gacy, to name a few. For example, many of Dahmer’s victims’ families are having a tough time with their trauma resurfacing for the entire world to gain entertainment from, yet again. The upside to the way that this series was done, though, was the producers placed heavy emphasis on the victims lives and families, as well as the corrupt justice system that failed so many people during this time. However, Rita Isabell, sister of Dahmer’s victim Errol Lindsey, commented on the series, saying, “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.” The creators of the series failed to contact those that were severely and permanently affected by serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer prior to production to ask or at least notify about the show. According to Insider, Isabell further elaborated on her frustration with Netflix by saying, “It’s sad that they’re just making money off of this tragedy. That’s just greed. The episode with me was the only part I saw. I didn’t watch the whole show. I don’t need to watch it. I lived it. I know exactly what happened.” Others see the documentary as respectful towards all victims and their families, as well as informative about a pivotal moment for history’s change. 

So, what do you think about the series, if anything? Are you 100% invested? Or are you deeply upset for those that have suffered, and had to stop watching because your empathy got the best of you? Any reaction is valid. Rest in peace to Steven Hicks, Steven Tuomi, Jamie Doxtator, Richard Guerrero, Anthony Sears, Raymond Smith, Edward W. Smith, Ernest Miller, David C. Thomas, Curtis Straughter, Errol Lindsey, Anthony Huges, Konerak Sinthasomphone, Matt Turner, Jeremiah Weinberger, Oliver Lacy, and Joseph Bradehoft. And may all loved ones find peace. 

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