True crime has recently surged in popularity on streaming platforms and social media alike, making it one of America’s most popular modern pastimes.
84% of Americans state that they consume some form of true crime media according to Edison Research, with the students at Communications High School being no exception.
Freshman Tziporah Kass of Avon claims they watch True Crime television for an hour to an hour and a half each day.
With the rise in traction for True Crime in television,some question the appeal is for such morbid content, and whether the media representation comes at the expense of its subjects.
“I really enjoy true crime because I like trying to put together the story and figure out the culprits as I hear it,” added Tinton Falls sophomore Cameron Ledbetter, “I find the stories really interesting and it can be a good conversation topic.”
Several current true crime series like “Monsters” and “DAHMER” have captured the attention of audiences across the country with their depictions of murderers Jeffrey Dahmer and Erik and Lyle Menendez. However, the ethics regarding these portrayals has left viewers divided.
“DAHMER” faced immense backlash for allegedly glorifying the killing of Dahmer’s 17 victims, while “Monsters” received criticism for a similar same reason. Additionally, the productions teams behind both of the series have come under attack for being misinformed and insensitive to the families of the victims. Many criticize the lack of compensation and notice given to the surviving relatives considering the intrinsic nature of the genre.
Several families have spoken out against the show, such as Eric Perry, a cousin of Dahmer victim Errol Lindsey.
“It’s re-traumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?” Perry said.
In addition to being deemed offensive, many viewers also question the accuracy of the content. Some creative liberties were taken featuring the Menendez brothers’ incestuous relationship with one another, as well as the exaggeration of Dahmer’s interactions with his victims.
Responses to the show have also sparked controversy. In 2022, the hashtag #jeffreydahmer had 4.5 billion views on TikTok, according to Yahoo.com, with many videos romanticizing Dahmer and using real life footage from his crimes.
Despite the controversy, season 1 of “DAHMER” reached 196.2 million hours viewed in its first week, with the latter getting 12.3 million hours during the weekend of its release, according to BBC News.
“Monsters” was not the first of its kind to be deemed morally questionable. Many other true crime programs like “Making a Murderer” and “The Jinx” also reached high levels of success by following similar formats.
The popularity of the genre has become larger and more prevalent than ever. Flat Hat Magazine found that a popular audio on TikTok by @joecastlebaker parodying true crime podcasts was used in a whopping 38,000 videos.
The genre’s shock value allows content creators to earn thousands of views. Larger platforms like TikTok and YouTube are encouraged to push true crime content in the algorithm because it has been proven to attract large audiences.
While the genre may not be dying out anytime soon, more are attempting to understand the whole truth behind many of the “true crime” series out in the world, and the consequences of using trauma to fuel entertainment.
