On Sept. 19, true crime limited series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” premiered on Netflix. The limited series garnered nearly 31.8 million views in the first two weeks and quickly took the top spot on Netflix’s global TV charts. With so much viewership, the series has faced backlash from critics and Erik Menendez himself for deviating from the truth in harmful ways and blatantly lying to make the series more palatable for viewers. Though this is common for true crime shows, we can’t help but question the ethics behind these choices. This week, Opinion Writers discuss the extent to which true crime productions are moral.
Evelyn Pazan, Associate Opinion Editor:
It is human nature to be drawn to true crime and the darker aspects of life. That is why we can’t seem to look away from car crashes and find “Criminal Minds” fascinating. For the average person, true crime provides them with a sense of security knowing that justice prevails. True crime also protects us. It is a healthy warning of what not to do and who not to trust. There is no shame in enjoying it.
True crime becomes immoral when it turns real events into mindless entertainment, filled with twisted lies that hurt victims and their families. Oftentimes, this happens when productions shift from a factual documentary style to a fully recast reenactment. Documentary style productions tend to focus on confirmed evidence and real tapes. In contrast, reenactments tend to be overly dramatized and turn a devastating loss into a gossipy scandal. The families of victims deserve peace and truth as they recover from tragic events. They shouldn’t be forced to watch their trauma reenacted and twisted by directors.
Amber Greene, Contributor:
True crime productions walk a very fine line between informational and terrifying. Too often, stories from decades ago have been dug up by desperate producers looking to make a profit on someone’s real life. For the real people who were affected by these events, seeing it resurface can bring back memories of very traumatic events. It is important for the producers of these shows to ask about and respect the boundaries of the people who have experienced these “stories.” Making a movie or short series is not worth the risk of offending someone if it leads to repercussions for the people who lived it.
In extreme cases, these resurfaced events are taken to court because they put profit before the truth. A streamer in 2019 sued Netflix for misuse of his photo in the true crime series, “The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker.” This is just one example of the many true-crime productions that have misused information. Filmmakers must use their power carefully.
Raegan Skelly, Contributor:
When the goal of true crime content strays from information to entertainment is when the issue of morality comes into question. YouTubers whose entire careers are composed of doing their makeup while a true crime case plays in the background create an environment of tragedy becoming “content”. True crime podcasts are the real epidemic, specifically ones that have playful names and merch stores, like “My Favorite Murder.” This podcast has over 900 episodes and is described as a “true crime comedy,” which shows exactly what is immoral with true crime content; it lacks the sensitivity needed to be respectful to not only the victims of the crime, but their loved ones as well.
Grace Donahue, Contributor
True crime is a genre that has gained many viewers in the past few years. While entertaining for many, there’s a certain way in which true crime movies and TV shows must be constructed. Shows such as “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” cross the line of ethics to make them interesting. They fail to convey the extent of what occurred, which has led to the glamorization of the killer Jeffery Dahmer. The families of Dahmer’s victims were also exploited and retraumatized due to the creation of this series. Taking artistic license with tragic events that have negatively affected individuals to this extent is morally wrong. No one should have to feel the way that families of Dahmer’s victims did simply for someone to make an entertaining television show or movie.
However, if done in the format of a documentary, true crime television shows and movies are able to spread awareness about the crime and support the victims and their families by validating their experience. They could also possibly inspire others to reopen closed cases. In this format, there is little to no breach of ethics seen.
Thus, true crimes and documentaries can be morally correct. It just depends on how they are produced.