Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, The Night Stalker, and The Menendez Brothers, these men have captivated the minds of police, detectives, psychologists, and the hearts of women.
In light of the release of the second season of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, I have decided to take a deep dive and learn why women are enthralled with men who murder. It’s no secret that women love true crime. I, myself, am an avid consumer of true crime content. However, there is a fine line between being fascinated by the psycho – and sociopathic tendencies of these killers – and having full-fledged romantic feelings towards them.
Women from all over the world sent letters, gifts, explicit pictures, and even money to these criminals while they were incarcerated. Famously, a woman recorded her jailhouse conversations with Lyle Menendez and published them in a book.
While on trial, Bundy proposed to and married Carole Ann Boone, a divorcee obsessed with his case. Additionally, Bundy bribed a prison guard to allow him and Boone a private conjugal visit. This visit resulted in the birth of Boone and Bundy’s daughter, Rose, who was born while her father was on death row.
Dahmer received several gifts while he was in prison including books and bible scripture. Despite being a known homosexual, multiple women sent the cannibal provocative polaroids. According to The Associated Press, Dahmer received more than $12,000 in donations from letter-writers worldwide.
So, why do women love murderers and true crime so much?
True crime is one of the most popular interests across the globe. According to a study by Audiochuck Productions and Edison Research, 84% of the U.S. population ages 13 and older have interacted with some form of true crime content – television, YouTube commentary videos, or podcasts.
If a person watches a lot of true crime, they may be more aware of the world around them. Watching true crime can help people learn what signs to look out for in order to keep themselves safe. In a way, women are attempting to conquer their fears head-on by consuming content related to (often) gender-based violence
The Highlander, the student newspaper for Regis University, published an article that includes insight from clinical psychologist Chivonna Childs, PhD. Child claims that women are more likely to be interested in true crime because women are more likely to be the victim of a crime.
Child continues on, “We [women] want to watch true crime in part to learn how to avoid being a victim. “It can teach us to be prepared in case we’re ever in that situation.”
Moreover, Child speaks about the risks that come along with consuming too much true crime. “Shows that focus on murder and rape can really take you to a bad place,” Childs states. She then touches on the importance of balancing one’s personal interests and mental health, “They can help you become more vigilant and aware, but you don’t want to become overly reactive to the point where you’re not leaving your house, you’re not socializing, you’re not functioning.”
The second possible explanation of why women are infatuated with true crime could be that women have a more understanding nature. So often, women ignore their own needs for the sake of others. Women ignore their safety by dating toxic men. Women hope that with time and guidance, these men will change, but instead, they become victims of their circumstances. The same can be said about murderers. Women take into account a person’s childhood, whether or not they were abused, and how their home life may have shaped them into who they are today.
As a society, it is important that we stay vigilant and aware of what can lead a person to act out such morbid desires. When directors flashback to these killers as children, it often showcases where in that person’s life they shifted from normal to compulsive, obsessive, and uncontrollable. These scenes may enable women’s feelings of sympathy and compassion towards these individuals, as watching a young Jeffrey Dahmer, a Dahmer who has not yet committed heinous and unimaginable crimes witnessing his parents fight or be bullied, can make feelings of empathy arise. Humans are not supposed to enjoy seeing others suffer, yet when consuming this type of content, women sympathize with men whose actions cause permanent suffering for not only their victims but also their families and friends.
Let’s be clear here: I do not think that women are the problem. In fact, a lot of the romanticizing and sexualization of these murderers stems from Hollywood’s choice of who plays these demented individuals. For whatever reason, casting directors choose beloved and attractive actors to portray murderous monsters. Ross Lynch and Evan Peters have both played Jeffrey Dahmer. Zac Efron played Ted Bundy, and in the most recent casting choice for homicidal heartthrobs, Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez were cast to play Erik and Lyle Menendez. All five of these men have large fan bases made up of women who find them extremely attractive, and those feelings do not disappear when they are cast in roles such as these.
Although, it is important to recognize that the sexualization of murderers did not begin in Hollywood. After the arrests of people like Bundy and the Menendez brothers, women would flock to the courthouses to sit in at their trials.
True crime is fascinating, and learning new developments about cases can make the everyday person feel like a detective. There is nothing wrong about being captivated by true crime, or curious about how these killers became who they are. Psychoanalyzing others to learn their motivations is not a foreign concept. At the end of the day, these men are mentally unstable, unpredictable killers who deserve no sympathy for their actions. Nobody leads a perfect life. Very few people live a life completely void of trauma. Many people experienced bullying, feelings of isolation, or abuse as a child. Most of those who experience that kind of trauma continue on with their lives as best they can. Only a small fraction actually take those experiences and inflict pain on others.
Men like Bundy, Dahmer, The Night Stalker, and the Menendez Brothers should not be viewed any differently than men like John Wayne Gacy, The Golden State Killer, David Berkowitz, or The Green River Killer. All of these men stole the lives of innocent people; they decided to play God. These men are criminals, whose actions should not be overlooked because of their appearance. How good-looking a person is should not change how society views murderers. Stop romanticizing these men and start remembering the lives of their victims.
