Falling in love with a serial killer. That must be a scene out of a terribly cliche horror movie. Right? Wrong, these cliches are rising from the dead and manifesting themselves into our real world. 

With Netflix and many other large scale streaming services advertising their platforms more and more everyday, people around the world funnel in to watch their wide variety of options. But recently, true crime has created an iron grip around our media-obsessed world. Favored by over two-thirds of Americans today, podcasts, television, and crime documentaries showcase some of the world’s most gruesome murders. 

With the premiere of “Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” starring Evan Peters (American Horror Story) this past September, true crime was put under the spotlight for all the harm that it is causing. Although the non-fiction series intended to share the stories of the 17 victims that were brutally killed from 1978-1991, the show ended up focusing more on the story of Dahmer himself. By paying more attention to the feelings and emotions of the infamous serial killer, the stories of the victims are given little light. Besides this, neither Netflix nor anyone on the set contacted any of the victims families for their approval of the show; Loved ones were never able to give their consent to have their victim statements or even their loved ones blasted on television. Shirley Hughes, mother of Tony Hughes, quotes: “I don’t see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there.” And Rita Isabell, the sister of Errol Lindsay, says “It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then. I was never contacted about the show … they just did it.” This show, made for what seems more like entertainment than information, has already caused more harm than good, and this is not the only one. 

“Conversations with a Killer”, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, and American Boogeyman, all movies and docuseries about the life and killings of Ted Bundy, released to portray more about the killer than the innocent. Both movies cast decade-old teenage heartthrobs, Zac Efron from High School Musical and Chad Murray from One Tree Hill, as Ted Bundy. This is not just a coincidence, these actors were specifically picked in an attempt to glamorize serial killers deemed “interesting” by many who tune into true-crime. Hollywood acknowledges the world’s newfound love for this and they plan to maximize profits from this opportunity. By producing an average of 2,800 podcasts, 20 movies, and 30 series/documentaries in 2022, the entertainment industry is capitalizing off of the crime genre. But, as previously stated, true crime has stopped informing and instead started hurting. 

Cases of Hybristophilia, an attraction to serial killers, have been revealing themselves through different social media platforms. Many of these users, mostly women, are finding themselves personally attracted to the killers they see on their TV screen. Similar to how the love interests (wives or girlfriends) of serial killers appear after they have already been incarcerated, women find themselves more and more interested in these men. This is not just a mild acknowledgement of attractiveness or a slight crush, instead these women write love letters, create mental delusions, rally other women to support their admired, and actively seek out ways to form a real relationship. There has been an influx in these cases in the past few years, one being of a Tampa man being convicted of vehicular homicide who was then sentenced to 24 years in prison for the death of a mother and daughter. He had rallied over 900 fans on Twitter who believed that he was “too cute” to be guilty of this crime, creating friction and disagreement in the trial. More recently, after the airing of the Jeffrey Dahmer documentary series, many people were found filming videos and creating “edits” of the character while paying more attention to his looks rather than the history of the character. His actions were overlooked because of his physical characteristics, and because of the reaction by the women, many of the victims’ families have come forth with their disappointment and discomfort. In a similar fashion, after the conviction of Ted Bundy, groups of women dubbed “groupies” were found in the courtroom dressed with parted hair and hoop earrings, in hopes that it reflected Bundy’s victims. And, during the trial of Richard Ramirez, an American serial killer convicted of 13 murders, over 75 love letters were sent to him in prison and some of his return letters are now sold online for public purchase. 

While reasoning as to why these women do what they do is not heavily solidified, psychologists find that histories of physical and mental abuse put women at a higher risk of having such strong feelings and attraction. They can find themselves attracted to these men for a multitude of reasons. Dr. Louis Schlesinger, a professor of forensic psychology at John Jay College, finds that having a ¨criminal boyfriend¨ can create a “controllable and safe relationship” because they know where they are at all times: in prison. Women might also feel willing to stay with these men because they feel wanted and are given the attention they desire, especially if they fit the demographic of some of the victims. And finally, quotes Schlesinger, many of these women feel a natural sense of “dominance and masculinity”. This is because many serial killers “are master manipulators and can appear charming and enigmatic”, as stated by Kristin Canning from Women’s Health. Psychologists have not been able to prove if innocence or guilt plays a factor in this attraction, but regardless hybristophilia is still concerning. 

This big boom in true crime has left a permanent stain on the entertainment industry. Every single movie and show created to tell the story of a serial killer leaves its audience with a warped perception of what happened. Hollywood executives are exploiting the lives of everyone affected by the killer in order to make a little extra money for themselves. There is little acknowledgement of the victims stories and their loved ones are given no option to consent for their information to be shown online. And because of this, women are becoming attracted to these killers and giving their lives for the one they admire. By the media encouraging women to commit to these sorts of relationships, it lowers their self worth and perpetuates violent behavior among men. While it is rare, hybristophilia is real and dangerous and can affect anyone interested in true-crime.