You probably haven’t missed it if you’re a real Netflixer: the series_Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story_ is at the top of everything. The seriestells the story of one of the most notorious psychopaths ever. Victim SupportNetherlands believes that the series should be removed from the streamingplatform.
They have received a substantial number of complaints from people who aredisturbed by the way Dahmer’s victims are portrayed in the series.
‘Dahmer loses control’
Between 1978 and 1991, serial killer Dahmer robbed 17 young men of theirlives, most of whom he picked up in gay entertainment venues. He torturedthem, including by injecting hydrochloric acid into their bodies, had sex withtheir bodies after their death and ate body parts. The series is very graphicand shows these details. Victim Support Netherlands received a lot ofcomplaints about this, chairman Rosa Jansen told the newspaper NOS Radio 1News.
The victims of the ‘Milwaukee cannibal’ came mainly from vulnerable groups insociety. So easy prey, which the police didn’t care much about. This allowedDahmer to work undisturbed for years. Evan Peters plays the lead role in theseries. He is doing very well, according to the viewers.
Victim Support does not only argue for the removal of the series in theNetherlands, but also in other countries. The organization will also raise theissue with international umbrella organisations Victim Support Europe. “Ourgoal is to help victims to take back control of their lives after a terribleevent,” explains Jansen. “A Netflix series like Dahmer takes that directionout of their hands again.”
romanticized
It particularly bothers Jansen that “in the series the killer is a ‘powerful,strong man’ while the victims are all emotional and weak. The perpetrator isenormously romanticized and no nuance has been added.” To make matters worse,Netflix has not informed the next of kin: “I was never contacted about theseries. I think Netflix should have asked what our opinion was on this. Theydidn’t ask me anything,” Rita Isbell, sister of one of Dahmer’s victims, told_Time Magazine_.
The chairman of Victim Support Netherlands says he has nothing against fictionseries or the ‘true crime’ genre. “But in this series, fiction and true factsare too intertwined. As far as we’re concerned, this series has crossed aline; we see what effect this has on victims and surviving relatives.” Jansenalso understands that there is little chance that Netflix will actually grantthe request. “But we wanted to send out a clear signal, so that viewers candecide for themselves whether they want to participate in this exploitation.”Netflix was unable to respond to the request from Victim Support Netherlandsthis morning.
Inappropriate Netflix label
Earlier, there was much criticism from the queer community because Netflix hadlabeled the series ‘LGBTI’. Usually this includes films and series that have aqueer person in the lead in a positive way. At the series Monster: TheJeffrey Dahmer Story that is of course not the case. Netflix has sinceremoved this label. Other labels the series has been given include”psychological,” “horror,” “old crimes,” and “dark.”