%Start Here Are The Reasons People Are Upset About Netflix's Jeffrey Dahmer ShowReporting To YouSign In
Here s Why People Are Upset About Netflix s Jeffrey Dahmer Show
The show’s legacy will be its rejection by the relatives of Dahmer’s victims and the disturbing way it’s been received on social media.By by Kelsey WeekmanBuzzFeed News ReporterPosted on October 3, 2022, 3:13 pmTwitterFacebookLink Netflix Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer in Netflix's Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Since Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story premiered on Sept. 21, it has become one of the platform’s most popular shows and its first week was bigger than that of Squid Game, reportedly racking up more than 196 million hours viewed.
thumb_upLike (6)
commentReply (3)
shareShare
visibility689 views
thumb_up6 likes
comment
3 replies
L
Lucas Martinez 1 minutes ago
It’s unavoidable on TikTok too. With the #Dahmer hashtag raking in more than 1 billion views, the ...
A
Andrew Wilson 4 minutes ago
But any positive takeaway from the show is difficult to parse through its many criticisms, including...
It’s unavoidable on TikTok too. With the #Dahmer hashtag raking in more than 1 billion views, the real Jeffrey Dahmer’s life, and the actors’ portrayals have gone massively viral. The Dahmer Netflix show, produced by horror and true crime aficionado Ryan Murphy, has been praised for shedding light on how police failed the 17 victims, who were predominantly Black, for so long.
thumb_upLike (27)
commentReply (1)
thumb_up27 likes
comment
1 replies
S
Scarlett Brown 3 minutes ago
But any positive takeaway from the show is difficult to parse through its many criticisms, including...
D
Dylan Patel Member
access_time
6 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
But any positive takeaway from the show is difficult to parse through its many criticisms, including a depiction of the real-life Dahmer that has endeared the serial killer to some people. Despite its popularity, true crime as a genre is fundamentally fraught.
thumb_upLike (29)
commentReply (0)
thumb_up29 likes
I
Isabella Johnson Member
access_time
20 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
As Stephanie McNeal wrote for BuzzFeed News in May, the “true crime industrial complex” has increased demand for juicier and more shocking cases for public consumption, regardless of what the families of the victims want. It also happens in spite of the inevitably reductive discourse on social media that romanticizes and capitalizes on murder.
thumb_upLike (28)
commentReply (0)
thumb_up28 likes
L
Lily Watson Moderator
access_time
25 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
Here’s a look at the controversies Dahmer has created and the people it has affected:
Relatives of the victims say the show is making them relive their trauma
The show has been commended for the time it dedicates to humanizing the people Dahmer killed. Actor Evan Peters, who stars as Dahmer, said in a promotional interview that Murphy’s “one rule” for the show was that it should “never be told from Dahmer’s point of view.” But those affected by the serial killer’s horrific crimes don’t feel particularly represented, either. A scene re-creating Rita Isbell’s confrontation of Dahmer in court after he killed her brother Erroll Lindsey has been lauded on TikTok and Twitter for its accuracy.
thumb_upLike (1)
commentReply (0)
thumb_up1 likes
J
Joseph Kim Member
access_time
6 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
DaShawn Barnes, the actor who plays Isbell, tweeted she is “grateful the victims weren’t an afterthought but their humanity and perspectives were reflected in this series.” Dash B @DashawnBarnes I feel really honored to be trusted with telling this part of this horrific story. I’m grateful the victims weren’t an afterthought but their humanity and perspectives were reflected in this series. https://t.co/cVr3tmByzV 09:39 PM - 21 Sep 2022 Reply Retweet Favorite Twitter: @DashawnBarnes But Isbell herself told Insider that she was never part of the production or contacted by the creators of the show, and that the family hasn’t made any money from it either.
thumb_upLike (13)
commentReply (2)
thumb_up13 likes
comment
2 replies
A
Ava White 2 minutes ago
Isbell added that watching the exactness of the series’s re-creation has “felt like reliving it ...
S
Scarlett Brown 4 minutes ago
In the comments of those posts on TikTok, users discuss what elements of his life they find interest...
L
Lucas Martinez Moderator
access_time
7 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
Isbell added that watching the exactness of the series’s re-creation has “felt like reliving it all over again.”
“If the show benefited them in some way, it wouldn’t feel so harsh and careless,” she told Insider, referring to the victims’ families. “It’s sad that they’re just making money off of this tragedy. That’s just greed.”
Eric Perry, Lindsey’s cousin, tweeted that the show is “retraumatizing [the family] over and over again.”
TikTokers are capitalizing on Dahmer content
In every corner of the internet, content creators are sharing videos analyzing of Dahmer’s life, crimes, and legacy through childhood videos, interviews, and personal anecdotes.
thumb_upLike (40)
commentReply (1)
thumb_up40 likes
comment
1 replies
N
Nathan Chen 6 minutes ago
In the comments of those posts on TikTok, users discuss what elements of his life they find interest...
J
Joseph Kim Member
access_time
24 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
In the comments of those posts on TikTok, users discuss what elements of his life they find interesting. @woahkae #dahmer #dahmerwasamonster #dahmernetflix #wisconsin #truecrime #jeffreydahmer #wisconsintruecrime original sound - “One thing I found intriguing about him was that he was completely honest and didn’t deny anything,” one user said.
thumb_upLike (43)
commentReply (3)
thumb_up43 likes
comment
3 replies
H
Hannah Kim 17 minutes ago
Some creators have made fan edits using popular songs and footage from the show that inspire comment...
H
Hannah Kim 3 minutes ago
if you find the depiction heinous targeted murders of LGBT and black/brown people “not disturbing ...
Some creators have made fan edits using popular songs and footage from the show that inspire comments about how hot Peters is in his portrayal and even romanticize the onscreen relationships between Dahmer and the people he kills. Some people have joked about how hard the show is to watch, to which others have reacted saying that it could have been more gruesome. em @uhhmmily there is a whole trend of white women on tiktok flexing how they were so “unbothered” and “unfazed” by the dahmer series on netflix.
thumb_upLike (1)
commentReply (3)
thumb_up1 likes
comment
3 replies
I
Isaac Schmidt 8 minutes ago
if you find the depiction heinous targeted murders of LGBT and black/brown people “not disturbing ...
H
Harper Kim 17 minutes ago
In the comments of a post from Netflix’s official TikTok account, fans praised everything from his...
if you find the depiction heinous targeted murders of LGBT and black/brown people “not disturbing enough” then something is wrong with you 05:18 AM - 30 Sep 2022 Reply Retweet Favorite Twitter: @uhhmmily “When everyone is freaking out about how ‘morbid’ the new Dahmer show is… And you’re just bummed they didn’t show the actual ‘morbid’ parts…,” one TikToker wrote in a post. Even if Netflix’s adaptation of the Dahmer story had been ethically airtight and approved by the families of his victims, nothing would have stopped online posters from finding new ways to use the story to draw attention to their own content.
Good acting is making people empathize with Dahmer
Awards buzz is already circulating for Peters, both from critics and viewers.
thumb_upLike (22)
commentReply (3)
thumb_up22 likes
comment
3 replies
K
Kevin Wang 25 minutes ago
In the comments of a post from Netflix’s official TikTok account, fans praised everything from his...
L
Luna Park 40 minutes ago
The Netflix series follows Dahmer being raised by neglectful parents and tormented by bullies. As Ju...
In the comments of a post from Netflix’s official TikTok account, fans praised everything from his accent to his demeanor to the precision of his movements throughout the series. Peters frequently portrays evil men — in other series produced by Murphy, he has played a school shooter, a cult leader, and a fictional serial killer — but embodying Dahmer, he said, was one of the “hardest” things he has ever had to do.
thumb_upLike (21)
commentReply (1)
thumb_up21 likes
comment
1 replies
A
Ava White 15 minutes ago
The Netflix series follows Dahmer being raised by neglectful parents and tormented by bullies. As Ju...
K
Kevin Wang Member
access_time
12 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
The Netflix series follows Dahmer being raised by neglectful parents and tormented by bullies. As Julie Fenwick wrote for Vice, the serial killer appears lonely and misunderstood, as if he murders people so they can’t leave him.
thumb_upLike (19)
commentReply (2)
thumb_up19 likes
comment
2 replies
G
Grace Liu 4 minutes ago
When a gifted actor believably inhabits this role and performs social awkwardness well, the audience...
D
Dylan Patel 6 minutes ago
“When they killed Jeffrey, I was literally teary-eyed.” @marelinn_ i deadass feel bad #fypシ #...
S
Sophie Martin Member
access_time
39 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
When a gifted actor believably inhabits this role and performs social awkwardness well, the audience starts to develop empathy. “Serious question: Is there something wrong with me because I high-key felt bad for Jeffrey Dahmer?” a TikToker said in a post that has been dueted several times.
thumb_upLike (40)
commentReply (2)
thumb_up40 likes
comment
2 replies
E
Evelyn Zhang 15 minutes ago
“When they killed Jeffrey, I was literally teary-eyed.” @marelinn_ i deadass feel bad #fypシ #...
J
James Smith 30 minutes ago
It doesn’t stop at parasocial thirst. Sheila Isenberg, author of Women Who Love Men Who Kill, told...
E
Ethan Thomas Member
access_time
14 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
“When they killed Jeffrey, I was literally teary-eyed.” @marelinn_ i deadass feel bad #fypシ #jeffreydahmer #truecrime #foryoupage #trending original sound - Marelin
People are thirst-posting about a serial killer again
Tweets with screenshots of TikTok comments thirsting after Dahmer have been going viral for weeks, but the people who romanticize him aren’t just drawn to Peters. Even before Zac Efron played Ted Bundy in a 2019 Netflix film, people have been attracted to serial killers.
thumb_upLike (9)
commentReply (3)
thumb_up9 likes
comment
3 replies
J
Jack Thompson 4 minutes ago
It doesn’t stop at parasocial thirst. Sheila Isenberg, author of Women Who Love Men Who Kill, told...
J
Julia Zhang 11 minutes ago
Charles Manson, both Menendez brothers, and the Hillside Strangler duo are all convicted murderers w...
It doesn’t stop at parasocial thirst. Sheila Isenberg, author of Women Who Love Men Who Kill, told CNN in 2015 that some women fall in love with murderers because they claim to see their “true” good side.
thumb_upLike (38)
commentReply (0)
thumb_up38 likes
D
Daniel Kumar Member
access_time
80 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
Charles Manson, both Menendez brothers, and the Hillside Strangler duo are all convicted murderers who found love while imprisoned for their crimes. It doesn’t hurt that the actor now portraying Dahmer is talented and objectively handsome.
thumb_upLike (46)
commentReply (3)
thumb_up46 likes
comment
3 replies
J
Jack Thompson 77 minutes ago
TikTokers have shared scenes from the show in which Peters dances and shows off his muscles. “Was ...
A
Alexander Wang 25 minutes ago
@thelovelyloganblair forgive me #dahmer #evanpeters #sofineforwhat BILLIE EILISH. - Armani White Tw...
TikTokers have shared scenes from the show in which Peters dances and shows off his muscles. “Was Dahmer actually snatched or was this something Ryan Murphy made up?” one TikToker asked. “I know Dahmer is about [a] serial killer… but the clutch Evan [Peters] had me in with this scene,” another wrote.
thumb_upLike (50)
commentReply (1)
thumb_up50 likes
comment
1 replies
E
Evelyn Zhang 3 minutes ago
@thelovelyloganblair forgive me #dahmer #evanpeters #sofineforwhat BILLIE EILISH. - Armani White Tw...
J
Jack Thompson Member
access_time
36 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
@thelovelyloganblair forgive me #dahmer #evanpeters #sofineforwhat BILLIE EILISH. - Armani White Tweets about how the real-life Dahmer was “kinda hot” and “could have lured” them into his apartment have gone viral, both on Twitter and when they’re shared on other platforms.
thumb_upLike (43)
commentReply (2)
thumb_up43 likes
comment
2 replies
S
Scarlett Brown 32 minutes ago
Regardless of what Netflix set out to do with the series, the show’s legacy will be its rejection ...
D
Dylan Patel 15 minutes ago
27, 2022 “My Brother Is So Far Gone”: How Male Influencers Turned The Men In These People’s Li...
A
Andrew Wilson Member
access_time
38 minutes ago
Monday, 05 May 2025
Regardless of what Netflix set out to do with the series, the show’s legacy will be its rejection by the relatives of Dahmer’s victims and the disturbing way it’s been received on social media.
More on this
Hailey Bieber Got Dragged For A Video About “Brownie Glazed Lips” Because She Didn’t Give Credit To People Of Color Ikran Dahir · Sept. 30, 2022 The Try Guys’ Ned Fulmer Confirmed He’s Left The Comedy Group After Leaked Photos Showed Him Cheating On His Wife Steffi Cao · Sept.
thumb_upLike (37)
commentReply (2)
thumb_up37 likes
comment
2 replies
W
William Brown 28 minutes ago
27, 2022 “My Brother Is So Far Gone”: How Male Influencers Turned The Men In These People’s Li...
27, 2022 “My Brother Is So Far Gone”: How Male Influencers Turned The Men In These People’s Lives Toxic Ade Onibada · Sept. 28, 2022 “Don’t Worry Darling” Is Out Now, And Here Are Some Social Media Reactions Steffi Cao · Sept.
Netflix
Kelsey WeekmanBuzzFeed News Reporter
Kelsey Weekman is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York. Contact Kelsey Weekman at [email protected]. Got a confidential tip?
thumb_upLike (42)
commentReply (3)
thumb_up42 likes
comment
3 replies
J
Joseph Kim 7 minutes ago
Submit it here
incoming
Your weekday morning guide to breaking news, cultural analysis, and...
L
Lily Watson 33 minutes ago
Here Are The Reasons People Are Upset About Netflix's Jeffrey Dahmer ShowReporting To YouSign I...
Your weekday morning guide to breaking news, cultural analysis, and everything in betweenThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
thumb_upLike (31)
commentReply (2)
thumb_up31 likes
comment
2 replies
M
Mason Rodriguez 13 minutes ago
Here Are The Reasons People Are Upset About Netflix's Jeffrey Dahmer ShowReporting To YouSign I...
S
Sophia Chen 33 minutes ago
It’s unavoidable on TikTok too. With the #Dahmer hashtag raking in more than 1 billion views, the ...