Netflix’s true crime show ‘Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story‘ came out of nowhere and became an internet sensation. It is one of the most viewed shows of all time on the streamer. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, it stars Evan Peters in the titular character.
The show has, however, also garnered a lot of controversies. A family member of one of Dahmer’s victims openly criticized the show for glamorizing the killing. They also accused the makers of not taking any permission. Murphy has now said that he tried contacting several families.
‘Dahmer’ Co-Showrunner Says He Tried Contacting Victim’s Families
The Netflix limited series was applauded by critics and audiences. It also became one of the most-watched shows of all time on the streamer.
However, it was criticized by the family member of some of his victims. In response, Ryan Murphy has said that he and his team reached out to 20 victims’ families and friends. “It’s something that we researched for a very long time,” Murphy said at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles.
He continued, “And we, over the course of the three, three and a half years when we were really writing it, working on it, we reached out to 20, around 20, of the victims’ families and friends trying to get input, trying to talk to people.”
“And not a single person responded to us in that process. So we relied very, very heavily on our incredible group of researchers who … I don’t even know how they found a lot of this stuff. But it was just like a night and day effort to us trying to uncover the truth of these people,” Murphy stated.
Read More: Why Did ‘Dahmer’ Actor Evan Peters And Emma Roberts Call Off Their Engagement?
Murphy Said That The Show Is About Racism
Murphy talked about the issues they tried to raise in the show. “Something that we talked a lot in the making of it is we weren’t so much interested in Jeffrey Dahmer, the person, but what made him the monster that he became,” he explained.
He continued, “We talked a lot about that … and we talked about it all the time. It’s really about white privilege. It’s about systemic racism. It’s about homophobia.”
Ryan also emphasized that the show was about the victims. “They weren’t just numbers. They weren’t just pictures on billboards and telephone poles“, he said.
He concluded by adding, “they were real people with loving families, breathing, living, hoping. That’s what we wanted it to be about.”
Read More: Why Did ‘Dahmer’ Actor Evan Peters And Emma Roberts Call Off Their Engagement?
