Ryan Murphy's recent series, "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," is a prime example of the brand undermining its own mission to tackle issues of systemic injustice and social critique. By focusing on the sensationalized aspects of Dahmer's crimes and utilizing Evan Peters in a starring role as the titular character, Murphy's team veers away from their intended goal of shedding light on the dark underbelly of American society.
The series has all the makings of a thought-provoking drama: it delves into the lives of marginalized communities, highlights the failures of law enforcement, and critiques the societal ills that contribute to these injustices. However, in its attempt to humanize Dahmer, Murphy's team finds itself walking a fine line between shedding light on the atrocities committed by this monster and perpetuating his mythos.
The show's central message – that Dahmer's crimes were not just gruesome but also a metaphor for the societal ills of America – is telegraphed through various episodes and characters. However, it is undermined by the emphasis placed on Peters' portrayal of Dahmer as a sympathetic figure, rather than focusing on the real-life victims and their families.
A prime example of this disconnect can be seen in the way the show's writers employ Peters to give us what we've come to expect from his performances: a star-making role. This comes at the expense of the actual message the series aims to convey – that Dahmer was a product of societal ills, and his actions were not just monstrous but also symptomatic of a larger problem.
Furthermore, this emphasis on Peters' performance serves as a reminder of how the true crime genre has conditioned us to consume tragedy by turning murderers, victims, and loved ones into characters. By slapping down Glenda's (Niecy Nash) assertion that she is not watching Dahmer for entertainment purposes but rather because he lived next door, the show forces her to become the narrative voice, instead of delving deeper into the societal issues at hand.
Ultimately, "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" exemplifies how Ryan Murphy's brand can be at odds with its own mission. While it attempts to tackle complex social issues and sheds light on the failures of law enforcement, it also perpetuates a sensationalized portrayal of Dahmer that undermines the very message it aims to convey. By prioritizing Peters' performance over the real-life victims and their families, Murphy's team sends a mixed message about what constitutes true storytelling in the context of systemic injustice.
The series has all the makings of a thought-provoking drama: it delves into the lives of marginalized communities, highlights the failures of law enforcement, and critiques the societal ills that contribute to these injustices. However, in its attempt to humanize Dahmer, Murphy's team finds itself walking a fine line between shedding light on the atrocities committed by this monster and perpetuating his mythos.
The show's central message – that Dahmer's crimes were not just gruesome but also a metaphor for the societal ills of America – is telegraphed through various episodes and characters. However, it is undermined by the emphasis placed on Peters' portrayal of Dahmer as a sympathetic figure, rather than focusing on the real-life victims and their families.
A prime example of this disconnect can be seen in the way the show's writers employ Peters to give us what we've come to expect from his performances: a star-making role. This comes at the expense of the actual message the series aims to convey – that Dahmer was a product of societal ills, and his actions were not just monstrous but also symptomatic of a larger problem.
Furthermore, this emphasis on Peters' performance serves as a reminder of how the true crime genre has conditioned us to consume tragedy by turning murderers, victims, and loved ones into characters. By slapping down Glenda's (Niecy Nash) assertion that she is not watching Dahmer for entertainment purposes but rather because he lived next door, the show forces her to become the narrative voice, instead of delving deeper into the societal issues at hand.
Ultimately, "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" exemplifies how Ryan Murphy's brand can be at odds with its own mission. While it attempts to tackle complex social issues and sheds light on the failures of law enforcement, it also perpetuates a sensationalized portrayal of Dahmer that undermines the very message it aims to convey. By prioritizing Peters' performance over the real-life victims and their families, Murphy's team sends a mixed message about what constitutes true storytelling in the context of systemic injustice.
I'm so disappointed in this new series 
Ryan Murphy really dropped the ball on this one 
The fact that they're focusing on Evan Peters' portrayal as Dahmer instead of the real-life victims and their families is just wrong 
It's like they're more interested in making a star out of him than actually shedding light on the systemic injustices that led to these heinous crimes 
And don't even get me started on how they're using the show to make Peters look good instead of really exploring the societal ills that made Dahmer who he was 
It's all just so... superficial 
I mean, I know true crime is a popular genre and all, but it feels so exploitative when you think about it. They could've done so much more with the story and the themes, but instead they just phone it in 
. And don't even get me started on how they're handling Glenda's character 
. It's just so... frustrating 
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. And what's with the "true crime" vibe? It's like they're feeding into the same culture that objectifies violence and tragedy 
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and honestly im not even sure what ryan murphy's ultimate goal was w/ this show did he wanna shed light on societal issues but also make a star-making role out of evan peters? its all so confusing 
. But seriously, it's like, can't they just make the show about the victims' families or something? Instead of making Evan Peters all sympathetic and stuff. It's like, I get it, he's a talented actor and all, but let's focus on the real-life trauma instead of turning him into a star-making role 
. Like, what's next? Making me feel guilty for binge-watching true crime documentaries? 
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. They're focusing way too much on the sensationalized stuff and not enough on the real impact of Dahmer's crimes on the families and communities affected. And Evan Peters is just so... distracting, you know? 
. And Evan Peters as Dahmer? I get it, he's talented and all, but can't we just focus on the victims and their families for once? It feels like the show is more about Peters' star-making role than actual storytelling 
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. I wish they would have taken a more nuanced approach, one that actually sheds light on the societal ills that led to his crimes. This whole thing just feels so... messy 
. Evan Peters' performance is definitely a problem – it makes you feel bad for him instead of being horrified by his actions 
. The ratings are insane, but I'm not sure if it's because people are actually learning something or just getting hooked on the Dahmer horror vibes 
. On one hand, I love how the show's tackling some heavy topics like systemic injustice and societal ills - it's like they're giving us a mirror to reflect on our own complicity in these issues 
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. I mean, sure, he's talented and all, but does he really need to be the main focus of this show? It's like they're trying to humanize a monster instead of using him to highlight the monstrousness of our society 
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. The real questions being asked here are: What systemic changes can we make? How can we work towards creating a more just society? These aren't questions that Peters' performance can answer 
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. But another part of me is like, wait, isn't this just perpetuating the same problem we're trying to critique? 
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anyway i felt so bad for glenda nash's character she got killed off and stuff 
and why did they have to make evan peters' character all sympathetic like that? cant we just focus on the real victims and their families instead of making dahmer into some kinda anti-hero? 
. But seriously, I wish they'd focused more on the real-life victims and their families, instead of trying to make Dahmer a sympathetic figure 
. Can't they do better than that?