Television Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (on Netflix)

amolbhatia50k

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Without spoiling anything why is this show hard to watch? It is very graphic and visual in its depiction of things? Or would people used to horror / bit of gore be fine.
 

choiboyx012

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Without spoiling anything why is this show hard to watch? It is very graphic and visual in its depiction of things? Or would people used to horror / bit of gore be fine.
Should be fine. It’s not too graphic or visual. It’s just disturbing because these things actually happened with actual victims. Also shows the kind of twisted and fecked up things he did to his victims.
 

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I legit cannot binge watch this show. I get done with an episode and I have to watch something else. It’s so damn dark
 

Nialler

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I remember this case at the time, it was huge. Gave up on the Netflix show after 2 episodes, utterly ridiculous imo.
 

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I mean.. it’s not going to be cheery is it.
 

lsd

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I do enjoy watching shows about about Serial Killers but for some reason Dahmer just never seemed that interesting to me.

He just seemed bland and dull
 

Abraxas

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I'm not a massive fan of the acting for Dahmer, the dad is better. Yes he's weird and gets that across but the subject matter makes that fairly easy. He doesn't really seem that well studied in the way Dahmer came across in interviews. The flatness of Dahmer's affect was much more than the actor shows.
 

Kevin

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This show made me google and YT a few crimeshows about serial killers. Seems like there are even worse and more horrific killers than this guy. Google toybox killer (the tape he plays when his victim wakes up in his ‘toybox’ is on yt) and toolbox killers :nervous:
 

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This show made me google and YT a few crimeshows about serial killers. Seems like there are even worse and more horrific killers than this guy. Google toybox killer (the tape he plays when his victim wakes up in his ‘toybox’ is on yt) and toolbox killers :nervous:
aw toolbox killers gave me sleepless nights and after I watched a doc where you hear a few seconds of one of the tapes they made from outside a courtroom that was it for me and gruesome true crime. Have never read deeply into any of that stuff since. Really stayed with me. the evil was incomprehensible
 

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It’s a well made show, but very disturbing and extremely slow which makes it a tough watch for me. I guess I’ll finish it but something like Mindhunter shits all over it.
 

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I’ve just watched the deaf tony episode.….that was a very hard watch. It’s a long time since I’ve watched an episode of a TV programme that had me all over the place.
 

sullydnl

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This show made me google and YT a few crimeshows about serial killers. Seems like there are even worse and more horrific killers than this guy. Google toybox killer (the tape he plays when his victim wakes up in his ‘toybox’ is on yt) and toolbox killers :nervous:
aw toolbox killers gave me sleepless nights and after I watched a doc where you hear a few seconds of one of the tapes they made from outside a courtroom that was it for me and gruesome true crime. Have never read deeply into any of that stuff since. Really stayed with me. the evil was incomprehensible
Of all the true crime stuff I've been exposed to over the years they're the ones that grimmed me out the most, to the point where I actively regretted reading about them and have happily avoided any content on them since.
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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The episode about his relationship with Tony, the deaf lad, is really tough to watch. You almost start to soften on him. Seeing him happy whilst battling against his urges to do what he would normally do, along with that moment where his Dad is proud of him getting his life together. You're almost rooting for him.

Every episode has me feeling empty inside, but that one was the worst so far. I don't think a show has had me like this since the more grim episodes of Black Mirror.
 

Rado_N

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I actually had to go and look up the stuff with the Native kid in episode two cause I assumed it was made up, but nope, it wasn't, nuts.

Him being pulled over in episode three at night when he killed the guy going to the festival was bullshit, though, I think. From what I've read he never tried to actually transport him anywhere first.

I'm still a bit unsure on the series 4 episodes in. It's treading a really fine line between showing how evil he was and needlessly showing what he did to those poor victims as well as justification for him being the way he was. Dahmer led a pretty average life (by serial killer standards, anyway) as a child.
Watched the first 3 episodes of this last night and this pretty much sums up my feelings so far.

It’s gripping and dark and uncomfortable but the adding in of things that didn’t happen is poor, and some of the stuff we’re being shown does almost seem to be trying to justify him being messed up.

The way the police handled the incident with the poor kid when the neighbour called them and kept insisting he was a child was disgusting.
 

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Watched the first 3 episodes of this last night and this pretty much sums up my feelings so far.

It’s gripping and dark and uncomfortable but the adding in of things that didn’t happen is poor, and some of the stuff we’re being shown does almost seem to be trying to justify him being messed up.

The way the police handled the incident with the poor kid when the neighbour called them and kept insisting he was a child was disgusting.
Which bits were added in? It's been a long time since I first read about him so can't remember the facts.
 

Rado_N

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Which bits were added in? It's been a long time since I first read about him so can't remember the facts.
Apparently the scene with him getting pulled over drunk and just being sent on his way with the bin bags of body parts in the back of the car didn’t happen. I’m not sure to what extent other scenes are accurate as I’m trying not to read too much until I finish the show.

Edit: this was seemingly inaccurate and it did happen - apologies!
 
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Are any proceeds from this show going to the victims' families? Were their names changed or consent received before portraying their stories?
No and No.

Sister of one of Dahmer's victims has spoken out:

"I was never contacted about the show," she told the outlet. "I feel like Netflix should've asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. 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."

"When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself — when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said," Rita continued, adding that she hadn't seen any other part of the show.

She also expressed that she "could even understand" if the streamer gave profits from the series to the late victims' children. "Not necessarily their families. I mean, I'm old. I'm very, very comfortable," Rita explained. "But the victims have children and grandchildren. If the show benefited them in some way, it wouldn't feel so harsh and careless."


https://www.insider.com/rita-isbell-sister-jeffrey-dahmer-victim-talks-about-netflix-show-2022-9
https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/jeffrey-dahmer-netflix-series-criticism-victims-family
 

Gandalf Greyhame

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No and No.

Sister of one of Dahmer's victims has spoken out:

"I was never contacted about the show," she told the outlet. "I feel like Netflix should've asked if we mind or how we felt about making it. 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."

"When I saw some of the show, it bothered me, especially when I saw myself — when I saw my name come across the screen and this lady saying verbatim exactly what I said," Rita continued, adding that she hadn't seen any other part of the show.

She also expressed that she "could even understand" if the streamer gave profits from the series to the late victims' children. "Not necessarily their families. I mean, I'm old. I'm very, very comfortable," Rita explained. "But the victims have children and grandchildren. If the show benefited them in some way, it wouldn't feel so harsh and careless."


https://www.insider.com/rita-isbell-sister-jeffrey-dahmer-victim-talks-about-netflix-show-2022-9
https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/jeffrey-dahmer-netflix-series-criticism-victims-family
The hypocrisy is disrespectful and unsurprising. Netflix out here to make money, all this narrative focus on victims is pointless and just gimmicky when you don't truly care.

That said, it was a well directed, well acted show.
 

Donut

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I wish they wouldn’t have started with
him getting caught.
Many of us don’t know the story and it’d be much more thrilling.
 

TheReligion

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Apparently the scene with him getting pulled over drunk and just being sent on his way with the bin bags of body parts in the back of the car didn’t happen. I’m not sure to what extent other scenes are accurate as I’m trying not to read too much until I finish the show.
I didn’t know that. Urgh shoehorning stuff like that in its plain wrong and totally unnecessary.
 

calodo2003

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Apparently the scene with him getting pulled over drunk and just being sent on his way with the bin bags of body parts in the back of the car didn’t happen. I’m not sure to what extent other scenes are accurate as I’m trying not to read too much until I finish the show.
Was that scene an amalgamation or was it completely made up?
 

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Apparently the scene with him getting pulled over drunk and just being sent on his way with the bin bags of body parts in the back of the car didn’t happen. I’m not sure to what extent other scenes are accurate as I’m trying not to read too much until I finish the show.
Yes it did happen?

Where did you read it didnt
 

Semper Fudge

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The episode about his relationship with Tony, the deaf lad, is really tough to watch. You almost start to soften on him. Seeing him happy whilst battling against his urges to do what he would normally do, along with that moment where his Dad is proud of him getting his life together. You're almost rooting for him.

Every episode has me feeling empty inside, but that one was the worst so far. I don't think a show has had me like this since the more grim episodes of Black Mirror.
Apparently that was all made up. Dahmer was never close to anyone like that and remembered Tony as “some deaf guy” he picked up and murdered in the same evening. Seems in pretty poor taste to completely fabricate a relationship with a victim, feel sorry for the family.
 
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Berbaclass

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Weirdly I thought it portrayed Dahmer in an almost sympathetic manner at times. I felt sorry for him. Maybe I’m just weird :lol:
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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Apparently that was all made up. Dahmer was never close to anyone like that and remembered Tony as “some deaf guy” he picked up and murdered in the same evening. Seems in pretty poor taste to completely fabricate a relationship with a victim, feel sorry for the family.
Not knowing much about him and his victims going into this, I had assumed there would be a lot of embellishment or even complete fabrication of particular events.

Not sure how I feel about the series as a whole. Embellishment or not, I feel incredibly sorry for the families of all the victims. It seems an unnecessary story to re-tell. I can only imagine that none of them are getting a cut, right?
 

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I wish they wouldn’t have started with
him getting caught.
Many of us don’t know the story and it’d be much more thrilling.
Gotta be honest, I'm quite surprised anyone hasn't heard of Dahmer or the fact that he was obviously caught! He's probably the name I'd come up with next after Ted Bundy when thinking of a serial killer.
Not knowing much about him and his victims going into this, I had assumed there would be a lot of embellishment or even complete fabrication of particular events.

Not sure how I feel about the series as a whole. Embellishment or not, I feel incredibly sorry for the families of all the victims. It seems an unnecessary story to re-tell. I can only imagine that none of them are getting a cut, right?
Nope, and the series received very little marketing in advance (I think a trailer dropped a few days before it was released) so for a lot of them it was a surprise. I saw an article that made a good point, Netflix didn't market it or advertise it and then just dropped the whole thing on a Wednesday. It seems clear they knew it was a bit in poor taste overall and probably thought it better to let if fly under the radar. Instead it became one of their most watched shows, go figure.
 

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Gotta be honest, I'm quite surprised anyone hasn't heard of Dahmer or the fact that he was obviously caught! He's probably the name I'd come up with next after Ted Bundy when thinking of a serial killer.

Nope, and the series received very little marketing in advance (I think a trailer dropped a few days before it was released) so for a lot of them it was a surprise. I saw an article that made a good point, Netflix didn't market it or advertise it and then just dropped the whole thing on a Wednesday. It seems clear they knew it was a bit in poor taste overall and probably thought it better to let if fly under the radar. Instead it became one of their most watched shows, go figure.
They need to make amends. It's disgusting dragging the family members of victims back into the limelight and dredging up horrific memories for them whilst profiting off a show that in an episode makes a point of showing how vile a practice that is.
 

RexHamilton

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They need to make amends. It's disgusting dragging the family members of victims back into the limelight and dredging up horrific memories for them whilst profiting off a show that in an episode makes a point of showing how vile a practice that is.
I dunno though. Do we just not tell any stories about horrific events then? I've watched this show. Definitely disagree with a lot of things in it. Like how they do at times make him a sympathetic character.

But if we say we can't tell this story because we'd be dragging up horrific memories for the families, do we just decide that we won't write books, make films or TV shows about any abhorrent subjects.
 

Fortitude

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I dunno though. Do we just not tell any stories about horrific events then? I've watched this show. Definitely disagree with a lot of things in it. Like how they do at times make him a sympathetic character.

But if we say we can't tell this story because we'd be dragging up horrific memories for the families, do we just decide that we won't write books, make films or TV shows about any abhorrent subjects.
Most stories about real life serial killers don't attempt to have this kind of intimacy and depth - they might be seen as a porn of sort, focusing on the killer and his 'count' whilst making the victims almost faceless; forgettable unless really "out there" in line with other victims. It's not right, sickening, even, but it's "better" that than personalisation which brings these victims/families right into the spotlight without their consent especially so when Netflix are profiting from it.