Within the past few years, women have become engrossed in true crime series and anything to do with top-name serial killers. Now for some, it is definitely just a fascination on why some people are so disturbed to want to commit crimes. Others, I feel, romanticize the perpetrator to an extent and that we end up with these Netflix documentaries that seem more like “disturbing movies” than actual reality.
Why is it when a crime happens, we end up placing the criminal within their own spotlight? We’re highlighting the actions of what occurred and not even trying to do the same for the victims. It feels like once someone has died, that’s it. You just write the obituary and move on to talking about the killer.
Let’s take a look at three of the most recent killers who have essentially gained a “fan base” within the past few years:
1. Ted Bundy
A man who was able to discard bodies and commit many murders while getting away with it due to his “clean cut” appearance. Ted Bundy moved all over the United States stalking primarily college women and pretending to have a disability to get them to help him before abducting.
And as we saw, the Ted Bundy movie that appeared on Netflix casted Zac Efron in the leading role, showcasing his good looks.
2. Jeffrey Dahmer
A name that many pop songs and media reference nowadays due to his cannibalistic nature and preying upon men. Dahmer would brutally murder men and keep photographs of the process afterwards. Once authorities found them, many skulls and body parts were in different areas of his apartment.
3. Paul Bernardo
Otherwise known as the “Scarborough Rapist” or “School Girl Killer,” Bernardo was located in Ontario, Canada and abducted female adolescents that would get off buses at night to return home. The disturbing part about his story is that his wife at the time helped engage in abducting or participating in the killings or rapes that occurred between the victim and her husband.
When reading things like this, I honestly can’t imagine why people become engrossed in this stuff. Sure, in research or from a psychology standpoint, trying to understand why someone is the way they are can be beneficial.
But I truly feel that for people like the men above, there is no understanding why. Whether they came from broken or strong households, some people just decide to engage in abnormal and immoral behavior.
I’m not saying I have anything against the true crime podcasts or the crime shows that share information on this sort of thing. However, there is a difference between just explaining what to look for in a “serial killer” versus “spotlighting” someone who got away with heinous crimes. And as much as women sometimes enjoy a “bad boy” stereotype, this is not what we are envisioning.
Photo by Dekler Ph on Unsplash
