Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has been Netflix’s top hit series since Stranger Things landed on the streaming service, but not everybody is happy about it…
Including Whoopi Goldberg who has shared some pretty strong words about the series…
Scroll on to find out more.
The new Netflix original series is what everyone seems to be talking about.
It’s pretty straightforward as to what the series is about…
The story is about one of the world’s most notorious serial killers, called Jeffrey Dahmer, and is told from the perspective of his victims.
In the series, Dahmer is played by actor Evan Peters. It is a 10-part series exploring the serial killer’s brutal wrongdoings of murder, cannibalism, and alcoholism.
Many viewers have praised Evan Peters for his amazing portrayal of Dahmer.
So much so, that people have found it “creepy as hell,” and others have called it “bone-chilling.”
While people find Evan Peters’ portrayal of Dahmer creepy…
Some have become wary of glamorizing the serial killer because of Peters’ portrayal.
One user took to social media and said: “Dahmer is out, let’s not romanticize Jeffrey Dahmer just because he is played by Evan Peters. Remember the victims.”
Another added: “It’s okay to praise Evan Peters for his performance, he is a brilliant actor. But do not romanticize him in the role as Jeffrey Dahmer.”
Now following the series’ release on September 21, many have called it one of the scariest shows ever!
Alberto Carlos for Espinof said: “A remarkable example of true crime that is as forceful as it is truly absorbing and disturbing in its merciless portrayal of the killer.”
While Ed Power from the Daily Telegraph called it, “A competent and earnest character study that goes out of its way to make the viewer’s insides lurch, their skin crawl.”
Many want to know more about what Evan Peters went through to get into the mind of his character…
In a recent interview about his role in the series, Peters said he knew before filming that it would be one of the “hardest things” he’d have to do in his life.
He even spoke about the depth of his character’s mentality and how scared he was to do all the things which in real life Dahmer actually did…
“Honestly, I was very scared about all of the things that he did, and diving into that and trying to commit to that was absolutely going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life, because I wanted it to be very authentic, but in order to do that, I was going to have to go to really dark places and stay there for an extended period of time,” he said.
Peters also said it was everyone else on set that helped him play the killer.
“So, we had one rule going into this from Ryan that it would never be told from Dahmer’s point of view.
“As an audience, you’re not really sympathizing with him, you’re not really getting into his plight, you’re sort of watching it from the outside. It’s called The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, but it’s not just him and his backstory. It’s the repercussions. It’s how society and our system failed to stop him multiple times, because of racism, homophobia… it’s just a tragic story,” Peters said.
“Everybody gets their side of the story told,” he added.
Although the actor seemed to get fully into the shoes of his character, previous reports did suggest that the Netflix series will have scenes of Dahmer’s neighbor, Glenda, suspecting him of being a psychopath.
However, this was proved to be false…
As she was never listened to by the authorities, which extended Dahmer’s years of getting away with murder.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Glenda didn’t live near Dahmer…
But her daughter reported that her mother lived down the road from Dahmer.
One incident that occurred in Dahmer’s apartment was the death of Konerak Sinthasomphone.
Glenda called the authorities after her daughter spotted a person running out of Dahmer’s apartment naked and drenched in blood.
When 2 police officers arrived, Dahmer was able to trick the police officers and said that the teenager was his adult lover and they believed him.
The cops then allowed Sinthasomphone to go back inside with Dahmer.
Glenda called the police yet again and urged them to do something…
But the police denied her claims.
Sadly, Sinthasomphone became the thirteenth victim of Dahmer.
Ten months into Dahmer’s prison sentence, his father Lionel Dahmer wrote a letter to Judge William Gardner in 1990 pleading for some sort of help or intervention before his son was released.
“I have reservations regarding Jeff’s chances when he hits the streets. I have experienced an extremely frustrating time trying to urge initiation of some type of treatment,” Lionel said.
“I sincerely hope that you might intervene in some way to help my son, who I love very much and for whom I want a better life. I do feel, though, that this may be our last chance to initiate something lasting and that you can hold the key.”
But that’s not all…
The 86-year-old told CNN’s Larry King Live back in 2020 that he missed an early sign of deviant behavior in his son
According to reports, Lionel said Dahmer would ride around rural roads to collect dead animals when he was between twelve-forteen-years-old.
It was here Lionel offered advice to other parents.
“I really want to tell parents about what I think they should look for in rearing their children,” he began.
“One of the things I’d like to tell parents is don’t disregard shyness. Talk deeply and intensely.”
Lionel also spoke to Oprah Winfrey back in 1994, just before Dahmer was killed.
He discussed how his relationship with his son changed after his incarceration.
According to reports, Lionel said their relationship grew closer and he would often visit Dahmer once a month…
And would even speak to him on the phone at least once a week.
Even so, Dahmer’s mother told The Washington Post, that her son “always said that, if he could be of any help, he wanted to do whatever he could,” which inspired her to want to donate his brain after his remains were cremated.
Reportedly, she believed that it would be helpful to see if there were any biological factors that may have played a role in the heinous killings Dahmer committed.
However, not everyone has been impressed by the series…
As the family of one of Dahmer’s victims has opened up about it…
According to UNILAD, they said they weren’t informed that a series about a man who scarred their family for life was being made.
Rashad Robinson, the president of nonprofit civil rights advocacy organization Color of Change, told Tudum that the series tried to offer a way to “understand and see the humanity of those who were murdered by Jeffrey Dahmer.”
However, Rita Isbell, a sister of one of Dahmer’s victims said she didn’t know anything about this and didn’t have a say.
Isbell’s brother, Errol Lindsey, lost his life to Dahmer.
According to Insider, Isbell said she was “never contacted about the show.”
“I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it,” she said.
“They didn’t ask me anything. They just did it.
“But I’m not money hungry, and that’s what this show is about, Netflix trying to get paid,” she added.
Another of Lindsey’s relatives, Eric Perry, has also spoken out about the show.
He shared a post on Twitter that included a clip of the new series and described it as “retraumatizing.”
“I’m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell’s) are p*ssed about this show. It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?” he wrote.
Perry then went on to shame Netflix, talking about the utter failure of reaching out to the family prior to making the series.
According to Perry, he only found out about it when everyone else did.
“It’s all public record, so they don’t have to notify (or pay!) anyone. My family found out when everyone else did. So when they say they’re doing this ‘with respect to the victims’ or ‘honoring the dignity of the families’, no one contacts them.
“My cousins wake up every few months at this point with a bunch of calls and messages and they know there’s another Dahmer show.
“It’s cruel,” Perry wrote.
But despite the negative feedback the show has received…
It hasn’t stopped people from watching the series.
It has been watched so many times that it is Netflix’s best show since Stranger Things in terms of views.
Only Squid Game, All of Us Are Dead, season 4 of Stranger Things , and season 2 of Bridgerton have beaten it in that period.
Deadline reports that a whopping 196.2 million people have watched the show since its launch on September 21.
The miniseries also takes over other shows, such as Inventing Anna (195.97 million views) and the third season of You (179 million views).
But despite the controversial series being a hit with streamers, it hasn’t gone down well with everybody…
Including Whoopi Goldberg who has strongly criticized the series.
“Ryan [Murphy] is an amazing artist. If that were my family, I’d be enraged,” she said after the series became the subject of debate during a recent episode of The View.
“Because it is being killed over and watching your child get [killed], and then you have to listen to how it went and all this other stuff that, as a person who’s lost someone like that, it’s just – you can’t imagine.
“Over and over and over! I think, if you’re gonna tell these stories, be aware that a lot of the people who are part of these stories are still with us,” Goldberg said.
What do you think of her comments?