'The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' and the Moral Conundrum Facing the True Crime Genre
As a huge fan of horror, it was impossible for me to pass up 'Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.' Like many people, I've spent years studying him, watching biopics and documentaries, reading about the history of his crimes. I asked myself about nature and nurture. I picked up on his dull stare and his hushed tone, and I wondered what twisted lesson could be learned from him--at least that's what I told myself. In truth, I didn't really care about the psychology behind any of it. People do freaky things. They just do. Instead, I was pushing past my gag reflex, training myself to digest the horror of it all, the drill, the skulls, that poor man who begged the police to help him. I wanted to know this monster's secrets. He was in a fishbowl, and it was just too intriguing to look away. It was hell's gossip. I wasn't alone in this. I was part of a trend that has dominated American media for decades. We cannot get enough of these icons. We grab a microscope, shove them onto a slide and stare, and we keep staring, hoping for a new angle, a new rendition, another piece of the puzzle to keep us salivating.