Zeitgeist: Please do not dress up as this man for Halloween

Evan Peters portrays serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Photo / Netflix

Opinion:

I have not watched Dahmer on Netflix. It is, from what I've read of it online, more than a little bit gruesome and I don't care to put that into my brain at this time so, while I'm normally a sucker for a compelling true story, this particular tale has been a hard pass for me.

I am, however, the minority. All over the world, people can't get enough of the serial killer's story which has now been trending on Netflix for weeks.

The popularity of the Netflix show has been deemed problematic, for multiple reasons, including the fact that the victims' families have spoken out against it but also the way Dahmer is portrayed, which has led some people to accuse the creators of glamourising the serial killer.

You don't have to dig very deep to find social media posts about how "handsome" and "attractive" Jeffrey Dahmer was.

Halloween is prime time for this kind of gruesome content and the TikToks, like Danny Zuko's chills, are multiplying. As a result of the show's popularity, there are actual people out there dressing up as Dahmer for Halloween. But wait, it gets worse: some people are dressing their kids up as Dahmer for Halloween.

I'm confident we don't need to spend too much time debating why this is a very, very bad choice. Fictional serial killers, like Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers, are one thing - but dressing up as a real-life serial killer who murdered and dismembered 17 predominantly black men and boys, and engaged in necrophilia and cannibalism? Honestly, this column could just be one-word long: don't.

Tony Hughes’ mother calls out stores selling Jeffrey Dahmer Halloween costumes:

"It hurts for Netflix & all the online stores to profit off my son's death..If Netflix hadn't streamed the show, none of the families would be re-victimized... and then there'd be no Dahmer costumes” pic.twitter.com/Ob6x6S7enh

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 20, 2022

That kid dressed as dahmer ruined my day the parents even had the nerve to paint black body parts and put it in a bucket for their kid it’s sick

— Nikki🧜🏾‍♀️ 💗 Haunted 👻 (@colorsparkly) October 23, 2022

i hope everyone who dresses up as jeffrey dahmer for halloween goes to hell no matter what

— raven 🤓 (@twerkwind34) October 7, 2022

At least one online retailer has banned sales of Dahmer costumes and accessories, so far. eBay confirmed that it has removed numerous items that it deemed a violation of its policy that prohibits "listings that promote or glorify violence or violent acts, or are associated with individuals who are notorious for committing violent acts". Etsy, at the time of writing, still has Dahmer T-shirts for sale, with "I eat guys like you for breakfast" on them. Searching for Dahmer costumes on Amazon still brings up orange prison jumpsuits and blonde wigs.

Dahmer's crimes were beyond horrific. He does not deserve to be the subject of collective fascination and sure as hell does not deserve to become a horror icon.

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles' tweet pretty much says it all: "I'm just gonna go ahead and say it," she tweeted. "Put the Jeffrey Dahmer costumes back in the closet. We ain't having it."

im just gon go head and say it, put the jeffrey dahmer costumes back in the closet. we ain’t having it!!!!!!

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) October 19, 2022