“Netflix Originals” are programs that are produced by Netflix crews themselves. Netflix has a wide range of genres that adhere to all. Although with the release of the series “DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” and the movie “Blonde,” there has been an increase of controversy.
October 2nd through October 9th is mental illness awareness week. Being that both main characters, Jeffery Dahmer and Marilyn Monroe were diagnosed as mentally ill, I believe it is important to not only talk about the movie/show, but the controversy that came from the depiction of mental illness.
In the case of Dahmer, controversy emerged due to the “glorification and romanticization” of the serial killer. Many people have watched the show and acknowledged the amazing performance by Evan Peters (the actor who played Dahmer), but viewers believed that the show was insensitive towards Dahmer’s victims and their families. Is the show shedding light on the situation or just allowing the families to relive the pain that Dahmer brought them?
Jeffery Dahmer murdered 17 boys and men from 1978 through 1991 and he was found guilty for these crimes in 1992. The series shows the actions of Dahmer in a gruesome and gory manner. Sadly, there wasn’t a tribute to the victims after each episode. As a viewer, the show made me uneasy and it felt wrong watching it.
Not only did Netflix produce a film romanticizing a serial killer, they also produced a movie which completely violated and degraded the life of Marilyn Monroe. Monroe has had a multitude of films and shows made about her.
Despite her death in 1962 by overdose, she is still relevant today. The movie “Blonde” had a mortifying depiction of her life and violates the privacy of her reproductive rights. In the movie it brutally shows how Monroe was forced into having two abortions and suffered from one miscariage.
Furthermore, psychiatrists diagnosed Monroe with borderline personality disorder and depression. Once again, the depiction of this movie was wrong and unsettling.
Ultimately, both the movie and the film has brought controversy to social media. Viewers are upset by the depiction of both characters. The romanticizing of a serial killer and the violation of a woman’s reproductive rights. Can’t we just let Monroe rest in peace, as well as the victims of Dahmer? Enough is enough.
Social media can shed more light on this topic.