the rise of a dark obsession
True crime has become one of the most dominant genres in modern entertainment. From Netflix docuseries to TikTok breakdowns and YouTube channels like Rotten Mango, the demand for stories about real-life crime and tragedy seems never-ending. Cases like Jack the Ripper’s gruesome murders or the disappearance of Gabby Petito continue to capture massive public attention, drawing millions of viewers into the dark world of human violence. But beneath the fascination lies a serious ethical question: when does curiosity about crime turn into the exploitation of suffering?
At its best, true crime storytelling can raise awareness, uncover systemic failures, and even bring long-overdue justice. Some creators aim to serve as a platform to allow victims’ families to spread awareness, expose police negligence, or educate audiences about how to avoid dangerous situations. But as the genre grows, it has also become increasingly commercialized and stylized, minimizing the significance and raw brutality of individuals and turning real trauma into marketable entertainment. The line between seeking justice and chasing views has become dangerously blurred.
glorifying the killers
A growing concern in the world of true crime today is the fetishization of killers and the glorification of their violent crimes. Serial murderers like Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer have been transformed into pop culture icons. When Bundy was arrested in the 1970s, the media covered his trials like entertainment events. Bundy represented a new kind of criminal in the public eye, one who didn’t “look like a killer.” The constant public exposure led to some viewers sending him love letters, arguing his innocence, or even justifying his actions.
It also doesn’t help that Hollywood’s dramatizations often feature conventionally attractive actors, subtly turning these criminals into fascinating antiheroes rather than reminders of human cruelty. Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) rekindled the public’s fascination with this particular killer. Despite its intent to critique the justice system, the dramatization and the casting of Evan Peters to play Dahmer caused a social media craze where people even began making fan edits. When their names become hashtags and their faces trend on social media, it’s easy to forget that their stories began with victims who can no longer speak for themselves and families who will never see their loved ones again.
true crime culture escalated
YouTube has only intensified this trend. The platform has birthed a massive subgenre of “true crime commentary,” where creators narrate disturbing cases while maintaining an approachable, conversational tone. Stephanie Soo’s Rotten Mango is a well-known YouTube channel that blends detailed storytelling with an almost podcast-style delivery, sometimes even mixing in casual or humorous moments. While such content can be engaging and accessible, it also raises uncomfortable questions. Should the retelling of violent crimes ever be “entertaining”? Does turning tragedy into an easy-to-watch story help people understand it better, or does it make us forget the real pain and horror behind it?
The public’s fascination with these narratives speaks volumes about our culture. On one hand, it reflects a desire to understand the evil underlying motives behind the world’s most twisted minds, to feel safer by analyzing danger from a distance. On the other hand, it exposes a growing comfort with consuming violence as content and becoming almost desensitized to the telling of a victim’s reality. Each retelling, each thumbnail featuring a crying face or crime scene photo, risks turning real human pain into a performance for the sake of engagement and profit.
While many creators include disclaimers and emphasize respect for victims, the reality is that the true crime economy thrives on tragedy. The amount of true crime “junkies” who create or consume this content often do so not for the sake of justice or awareness but for suspense, shock, and emotion, all rooted in someone’s real loss.
fictional fascination and the forgotten victims
A product of the attraction to such content includes the rise of fictional media based on the public’s morbid fascination with the mind of a killer. The popular show Dexter is an example of this, as it reflects society’s growing interest in the psychology of killers. These shows invite audiences to empathize with or even root for characters who commit horrific acts, blurring the line between understanding evil and glamorizing it. What was once shocking has become entertainment.
The issue of consent and representation deepens the moral dilemma. Families rarely approve of their loved ones’ stories being shared online, yet they often find themselves powerless as strangers profit off their grief. Some relatives of victims have even spoken out, pleading with creators to stop discussing certain cases, only to be ignored in the name of “public interest.” It’s a stark reminder that our digital curiosity can cross ethical lines without us realizing it.