The Other Side of “Dahmer”

Gruesome true crime Netflix series may have positive impacts on viewers

by Bethany Knode

On Sept.21, 2022 Netflix a cautionary tale about what can hapreleased “Dahmer – Mon- pen when we ignore obvious signs of ster: The Jeffrey Dahmer needed health care. Story” to the public. Within While the show is disturbing enough a week it it went from being in the top to warrant an 18+ rating (it is in some 10 on Netflix to #1 with 196.2 mil- scenes gruesome), it is still appropriate lion hours viewed. At least 56 million for its main audience. The ability to households have watched the show handle the disturbing scenes and story from start to finish. That’s 56 million depends on the person. Every epihouseholds that sode comes with determined that a warning that the show was good Teens and adults had more shares and informs enough to watch all audiences on the 10 episodes. That’s of an understanding of how content: “subbecause it actual- and why he did what he did. stances, language, ly is a good show violence, nudity, for those who can gore, sexual viohandle the disturbing events. lence, smoking”. When it comes to TV The show is one of the most accurate shows, it’s up to the individual whethrepresentations of Dahmer that the er to choose to watch or not. world has seen. The reason some peo- Regardless of content, the artistic ple find this show awful isn’t because elements are solid. Along with being it’s too “inappropriate”; it’s because a good actor, Evan Peters, who plays of how realistic and intense it is. The Dahmer, truly committed to his role. series does a good job of showing the He was able to successfully portray intensity of Dahmer’s mental illness how Dahmer’s mind would’ve worked and the horror of his victims, who before, during, and after his murders. were portrayed in a way that people Teens and adults can have more of were able to see their backstories. an understanding of how and why he The series also illustrates how his did what he did. mental illness manifested itself, yet Overall, this show has contributed even the police did not pay adequate more information so the public can attention to him or to those in his low have the understanding of the true income neighborhood; Dahmer is also Jeffrey Dahmer case.

Art by Marissa Ball