This post was originally published on here
TV is a universal activity for leisure and entertainment. In recent years, many different shows have come out based on true crime events. These shows are dramatized for viewer appeal, which taints judgment on the real murderers and the circumstances surrounding their crimes.
“Monster,” a Netflix series about the Menendez brothers and other infamous figures, is a well-known show that has gained traction over the last few years. The show is exaggerated and paints the brothers out to be the real victims, as flashbacks are used to depict the poor treatment received from their parents, and the Menendez brothers’ lives after murdering them.
Many public theories were also written into the show, such as the sexual relations the brothers were rumored to have had with one another alongside rumors surrounding Erik Menendez’s sexuality. The brothers have made statements disapproving of the Netflix show, stating it is unrealistic and that it is “damaging” to their reputation.
Not only are the shows exaggerated, but they involve inaccurate representations of the murderers as individuals. Distorting the image of murderers clouds how they are portrayed and can draw more remorse from fans of the show, sometimes converting them to fans of the figures in question.
A transformation of emotions surrounding a show that encourages viewers to relate to the real murderers, who have engaged in actual crimes, downplays the crimes they executed.
Fans have taken this show and empathized with the real Menendez brothers, who are incarcerated for first-degree murder. Not only are the brothers seen as the victims, but they are also idolized for the abuse and trauma they went through as children.
In no way am I stating that abuse or trauma is something anyone deserves to experience, but sensationalizing criminals should not occur. When online edits are being made of murderers like Lyle and Erik Menendez, it is no longer about watching the show; it bleeds into reality.
Other mini-series that star Jeffrey Dahmer, Gypsy-Rose Blanchard and Ed Gein have drawn similar attention from streamers. A pattern is developing where melodramatic murder docuseries turn into dramatized, empathic appeals for the real murderers, despite their crimes.
Dahmer’s 15 counts of murder, Blanchard’s second-degree murder, and Gein’s first-degree murder convictions were all more or less thrown out of the window when an interesting TV show or movie was made about them.
Blanchard’s show gained so much traction that, after she was released from prison, she turned into a celebrity. Being paraded around by influencers and going on tours to meet and greet fans when she was involved in murder is simply blasphemous.
While her situation can be seen as a special circumstance due to the abuse she succumbed to at the hand of her mother, it is still undeniable that she was sentenced to jail time and declared guilty for murder.
The desensitization around murderers is a theme in our modern generation. I believe the education of real trials, and watching accurately portrayed documentaries before watching grandiose shows aimed at gaining viewers, is a good way to remain level-headed.
Cinematic literacy for brutal topics that are transformed into lighthearted shows requires resisting manipulation designed to keep the audience interested and entertained. I assert that education of the real topic or citation that shows are based on would reduce the empathy from viewers towards the actual individuals.
Ava Bullion is a 19-year-old political science and criminology double major from Baton Rouge.
