Dahmer the Controversy

The recent controversial show Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story, has made some serious noise since its release on September 21st, 2022. The series is a partly fictionalized account of the life and crimes of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, which took place in Milwaukee during the late 1900s.

While hugely popular, the show has also generated ethical debates about whether this show should’ve been made in the first place, bringing concern regarding any repercussions for the producers or reparations for the victim’s families.

Whether you believe that the show is morally wrong or not is up for debate, however, many true crime fans can see there are some significant inconsistencies between the show and the real story, including some of the main characters, and their part in the events that took place.

 One argument that can be made is that the inconsistencies are a form of creative license, and help the storytelling and dramatisation of the show. This makes it easier and more enjoyable for a viewer to consume. At the same time, this can also impact the real narrative and impact the people who are portrayed in the gruesome story. A major inconsistency of the show is the portrayal of Miss Glenda Cleveland who was Dahmer’s supposed neighbour. In reality, Cleveland was not his neighbour and never actually interacted with Dahmer. She also wasn’t the one who discovered the young boy Konerak at the foot of the Oxford apartments.

If you are familiar with the Dahmer Files documentary you would be familiar with the name Pamela Bass, Dahmer’s real neighbour. She would recount how she and the other neighbours believed that the weird smell coming from Dahmer’s apartment was urine-like but were not aware of the fact it smelt of rotting flesh. She would also mention how she wasn’t suspicious of Dahmer at all and even occasionally had a beverage with him.

Another major misconception of the show is the fact that Lionel Dahmer never taught his son Jeffery how to dissect roadkill, he only taught him how to preserve animal bones. In Lionel’s book ‘A Father’s Story’ he reaffirmed these facts that challenge the show’s narrative.

Apart from these, there are several other small inconsistencies that let the show down in terms of staying consistent to minor details of the Dahmer story. An example would be Dahmer wearing his glasses in court which never happened in reality

Regardless of whatever opinion one might have on the show, the fact of the matter is that the show is a hit for Netflix. The show has already recorded over 700 million hours viewed in its first month and is currently one of the most streamed shows on the platform. Whether you believe if the show is morally appropriate or not, you can’t deny its success.

Dahmer the Reaction

As it is in our nature as humans, everyone is entitled to their own individual opinions. When Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story was released, social media had a variety of reactions to the show ranging from admiring the class act Evan Peters put on to portray Dahmer to being shocked at the gruesome and chilling scenes of the show. Others questioned why there was a need of another Dahmer show on Netflix.

Critics and reviewers gave high marks to the show and to each individual episode, noting that director Ryan Murphy did a phenomenal job to showcase all the dark and twisted details of Dahmer on the big screen.

Although many true-crime fans, and avid Netflix watchers enjoyed the show, others did not. Amongst those others were some of the families of Dahmer’s victims. These included Eric Perry, cousin of victim Errol Lindsey who posted on Twitter. “I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are pissed about this show,”.

Even Lindsey’s sister, Rita Isbell wrote an essay about her opinion of the show and how her family felt. “When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself — when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said,”

Finally, a group of teens, one of Netflix’s target demographics, were asked about their thoughts on the show. Conrad Winthrop, from Hamilton, New Zealand, doesn’t refer to himself as a true crime fan but enjoys the genre by listening to some podcasts and watching a fair bit of the shows on Netflix. When asked about his opinion on the show he stated he wasn’t too familiar with Dahmer and only knew a little about him. He followed up by mentioning it was a gruesome but interesting watch.

Other true crime fans such as Daniel Haynes and Teigan Horwood, also from Hamilton,  would agree and add that the showing of different perspectives was a nice touch to the portrayal of the story. When asked how they would feel if they were a victim’s family member and knowing this show was made with little consideration of them, they all had a consensus that they would feel annoyed, distraught, and also feel like they were reliving the horrors of what happened a few decades ago.

Overall the reactions of the public, victim families, and true crime fans were very mixed, however, regardless of the opinions of these people the show has seen major success and has been renewed for another season.