When we dive deep into the in’s and out’s of the crimes committed by serial murderers, we look at the cultural impact that the Bundys, the Dahmers, and the Nightstalkers have had on the world. Even years, after their crimes we still see their faces everywhere, from the screens of our TVs to museums to t-shirts even. “Popular culture appeals to audience desire, and so the fact that something is entertaining raises a fundamental semiotic question. Why is it entertaining, and what does it say about those who are entertained by it? ” (Maasik and Solomon 12).
The fascination with these troubled individuals has become a popular culture and rather than being horrified by these serial killers people have become enthralled by them. In this essay, I will discuss the historical and cultural development of serial killers, including how media influences have cultivated this obsession, and why we as humans are entertained by these serial murders.
To understand why our culture has shifted from fear to obsession, we need to first understand the historical and cultural development of serial killers because “[b]eing attuned to the history that provides background … is also essential”(Maasik and Solomon 12). The term “serial killer” was coined in the 1970s, by Robert Kenneth Ressler. The development of the FBI’s definition and the first use of the term brought about panic. Suddenly, the realization set in that there were dozens of active “serial killers” in the United States causing thousands of deaths.
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Headlines regarding serial killers were everywhere and with some headlines becoming grossly exaggerated, people started to become fearful and anxious. Books, films, and TV involving true crime started to flood the market but the public became more receptive to the serial killer narrative when a face was put to the crime. Ted Bundy, a serial killer who kidnapped, raped, and murdered countless women in the 1970s, became the first example of a serial murderer. Bundy was a handsome, charming, and educated man but what Bundy appeared to be was not reality.
The difference between serial murderers’ appearances and their true realities brought about fascination. Bundy’s trials were broadcasted, women fawned over him, and soon enough he became something of a celebrity. But Bundy wasn’t the only one to capture the attention of women, after Bundy, came Jeffrey Dahmer and Richard Ramirez. And so the public’s strange enthrallment with serial killers began. The obsession would grow and evolve due to the mass amount of media published about serial killers over the years.
While the previous paragraph discussed the historical and cultural development of serial killers, this can only be developed when we acknowledge the role that media plays in popular culture. In the last 40 years there has been an influx of films and TV shows that have been inspired by these serial killers’ stories. The media and entertainment industries have continued to capitalize on the fascination of serial murder with infamous killers rising to fame. Movies like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile and My Friend Dahmer present a glossy adaption of Bundy and Dahmer and their attractive depiction causes them to gain this pseudo-celebrity status.
And it seems as though the media industry suddenly thinks that serial killers are hot and should be depicted as such. This alone has influenced popular culture. Its apart of the reason people today are even interested in serial killers. The people that are engrossed in all things serial are now romanticizing these murderers as a result of watching true crime film and TV. It is only depicting a false and unrealistic version of a real-life story. We have seen countless portrayals and depictions of the same stories. So why do we have such a collective fascination for these killers as a society?
Serial killers hold societies’ fascination and have now for the past few years. They have become a popular topic of discussion as the public has become more and more interested in the macabre. It has become the guilty pleasure of many. As a society, we are far removed from the horrors that are serial killers. The threat has been minimized because of the advancements in DNA and forensic science.
But we are drawn to the scary fun of it. We enjoy the tantalizing taste of getting close to something frightening despite knowing that we won’t come close to any harm. People want to understand the dark side of the human condition. Society has become interested in the puzzle that is these crimes. We want to know the why’s, the motives and reason behind the gruesome acts. We want to find what makes them different from us.
The public is drawn to true crime media because of the titillating experience we get when we indulge in something so vulgar. As a source of popular culture entertainment, it allows us to experience something frightening despite knowing that we won’t come close to any harm. The stories of serial killers and their crimes are often for adults what monster movies are for young children.
Our society has cultivated a pop culture fascination with all things macabre. We are living in a society that indulges in the gruesome and incomprehensible nature of murder and the audiences’ desire for entertainment is appealed to by the likes of serial killers: Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Aileen Wuornos, John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, and the Zodiac Killer.
