In September of 2022, Netflix released “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” starring Evan Peters. “Dahmer” is a limited series dramatizing the vicious and heinous crimes that American serial killer Jeffery Dahmer committed against his victims and the impact that this had on the families. This example is just one of the various reasons why true crime is not ethical. It is often traumatizing for families of victims and has damaging effects on how we violent crimes as a society. 

According to the streaming platform, the series has surpassed one billion viewing hours and is only the second-ever English-language series to do so. The show’s creator, Ryan Murphy, was reportedly offered $300 million to produce shows for Netflix. However, families of the victims claim that they were never contacted by the popular platform prior to the release of the series, and therefore had to relieve the trauma of their loved ones’ passing. Situations like these often bring up the question of the ethics of consuming true crime media. 

True crime works can be traced back to 16th century England where Puritan preachers would give sermons prior to the execution of a criminal, detailing the actions of their crimes. These sermons were often distributed in printed versions and even interviews with the convicted. Today, this has manifested into true crime makeup routines, podcasts and documentaries. But what makes true crime so appealing to viewers?

Some studies claim that true crime viewing is a subconscious coping mechanism to deal with the chaos of the world. It can also help to give insight as to why some behave the way they do. Or, people can simply crave the feeling of solving a mystery. On one hand, true crime media can help keep stories alive, seek justice and raise awareness for topics such as domestic violence or mental health. While this is true, there is a thin line between spreading awareness and normalizing violence. 

When consuming true crime media, it is easy to forget that the victims are real people that had to live through the crime. Oftentimes, true crime focuses on the criminal and their actions. Additionally, producers often cast celebrities that fans admire to portray the criminal, which results in the viewer being distracted from what the suspect did. Examples of this include Zac Efron, who was cast as the infamous serial killer, Ted Bundy, in the film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.” Ross Lynch was also cast as Jeffery Dahmer in “My Friend Dahmer.” 

One of the biggest dangers of true crime, however, is the negative impact that it has on victims’ families. In 2015, Robert Mass was violently strangled by his girlfriend, Lindsay Haugen. This case was then featured on the hit Netflix series, “I Am A Killer,”  where Haugen was given the platform to discuss her crime and why she did it from prison. Mindy Pendelton, Mass’ stepmother, pleaded with Netflix producers to not release the episode, but she was ignored and the show was released. This has been the case with numerous true crime productions; families are forced to relieve their trauma and get exploited for financial gain by producers. 

Ultimately, true crime entertainment has positive attributes by keeping victims’ stories alive and serving as a warning to viewers. However, these helpful factors are overshadowed by the greedy and inhumane behaviors often shown by producers. If we choose to consume this media, it is important to remember that the victims are real people and not simply a source of entertainment.