Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has been watched by many, even bringing in an audience around the same size as Squid Game and Stranger Things. However, the anthology series has also been criticized by many, especially those who knew someone who was murdered by the infamous serial killer. While much of this criticism came in the month following the show’s release, the discussion surrounding Ryan Murphy’s show has been reignited after Evan Peters won a Golden Globe for playing Dahmer. Specifically, after the mother of one of the killer's victims opened up about why he should not have been rewarded.
While talking with TMZ, Shirley Hughes, the mother of Dahmer’s victim Tony Hughes, spoke out against Peters’ winning an award for his performance. She explained that he should have mentioned the families who were impacted by what Dahmer did. According to the report she also wished he would have said Hollywood needs to stop telling glorified stories about killers. She then spoke about how her feelings regarding true crime stories being so mainstream, specifically with Dahmer, saying:
There's a lot of sick people around the world, and people winning acting roles from playing killers keeps the obsession going and this makes sick people thrive on the fame.
For some context, during Evan Peters' speech at the Golden Globes, he thanked Ryan Murphy and the production team on the show. He also called making the series a “colossal team effort,” and he finished off by thanking his friends and family. The last thing he said was:
Last, but most importantly, I want to thank everyone out there who watched this show. It was a difficult one to make. A difficult one to watch. But, I sincerely hope some good came out of it.
According to the article, Hughes said “nothing good” can come from Peters’ win. She also said that the continued recognition of the series “adds to the grief” for those who were impacted by Dahmer, and they have to keep “replaying the tragedy over and over.” She concluded, saying:
It's a shame that people can take our tragedy and make money. The victims never saw a cent. We go through these emotions every day.
This is not the first time Hughes has spoken about her disapproval of Dahmer. She was taken aback that it was OK for a show like this to be made, and said she couldn’t see how they could put these people’s names and experiences out there.
Along with Hughes, other people who were close to Dahmer’s victims have also spoken out, like the sister of Errol Lindsey, who said she was “never contacted about the show.” Along with these two women, and many others, a friend of a couple of Dahmer’s victims called the series “wrong” and “ill timed.”
While many have criticized the show, lots of people with Netflix subscriptions watched it and liked it, making it a series many might consider one of the best true crime shows streaming. Due to its success, Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology series will continue. Peter’s win does go to show how many awards voters liked his performance. However, it’s also clear that there are lots of people, especially those impacted by Dahmer’s horrific acts, who do not think content like this should be awarded and watched by the masses.
