The Costume Simone Biles Doesn't Want To See On Halloween
Many people first learned about cannibal serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer from song lyrics. In Katy Perry's "Dark Horse," Juicy J raps, "She eat your heart out like Jeffrey Dahmer," and Kesha sings, "Be too sweet, and you'll be a goner, I'll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer" in her song "Cannibal." However, the recent series "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" has been added to the list of Netflix documentaries for true crime junkies, and his chilling story has gained more popularity.
The Ryan Murphy-directed docuseries has garnered 299.84 million viewing hours during its second week on the streaming platform, per Deadline, surpassing popular shows like "Ozark," "13 Reasons Why," and "Bridgerton." It also became the second most-watched English-language series in a week, just behind "Stranger Things 4."
Despite its popularity, controversy has surrounded the show. According to Time, the sister of one of the victims claimed the show never contacted her or their family for consent to use the victim's story. Additionally, people weren't thrilled when Netflix put the docuseries in the LGBTQ category. Although Dahmer's victims were male, many viewers pointed out that the shows and movies in the category mainly had lighthearted and celebratory themes, which this series obviously doesn't. Now, because of the story's popularity, many people want to dress up as Dahmer for Halloween, and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles isn't having it.
Simone Biles is against Jeffrey Dahmer Halloween costumes
The controversy of the new Jeffrey Dahmer Netflix docuseries only got worse when TikTok edits of Dahmer and his victims were posted. "People are making romance TikTok edits about a serial killer and his victim," one person tweeted. "This is about a murderer and a man he killed. My heart goes out to the families of Jeffrey Dahmer's victims."
Evan Peters portrays Dahmer in the series, and according to The Star, many were uncomfortable when TikTok users began posting "thirst traps" of him using clips from the show. Due to the actor's popularity, Dahmer has become a desirable Halloween costume. Simone Biles has spoken out about the matter on Twitter, writing, "Im just gon go head and say it, put the jeffrey dahmer costumes back in the closet." Clearly not a fan, she added, "We ain't having it!!!!!!"
Online shopping companies like eBay have taken a stance on the Dahmer costume idea, as well. According to TMZ, a spokesperson for the company said that selling Dahmer-inspired costumes goes against one of their policies, which rejects, "Items closely associated with or that benefit violent felons, their acts, or crime scenes within the past 100 years."
Biopics of serial killers lead to romanticization and glorification
"Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" star Evan Peters is known for his time on "American Horror Story" and for portraying Pietro Maximoff in "WandaVision," but the Dahmer docuseries has catapulted his popularity. According to Glamour, the show has sparked discussion about Peters' popularity causing fans to "romanticize" him as the serial killer.
A similar thing happened with Zac Efron's portrayal of serial killer Ted Bundy in "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile," though many defended the star. One of Bundy's survivors, Kathy Kleiner Rubin, spoke to TMZ about the glorification of the character. She mentioned that she "doesn't have a problem" with people viewing Efron as attractive because it shows that the serial killer used his charm to hide the things he did for so long, as that was just who he was as a person.
A Twitter user also spoke up about the matter. "That Zac Efron – Ted Bundy trailer is getting unfair criticism," the person tweeted. They then went on to mention that in real life, Bundy acted like a "charismatic, cool, American guy," which is why he got away with what he did for many years. Although these serial killers may be considered attractive, many people have made it clear that it doesn't make it any less wrong to dress up as them for Halloween.
Jeffrey Dahmer makes the list for 'problematic' Halloween costumes
As Halloween nears, Jeffrey Dahmer has made it onto several lists of people not to dress up as this year. Spy ranked the notorious serial killer number three on their list of controversial costumes, along with Monkeypox, Queen Elizabeth, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong-un.
The Dahmer drama even sparked TMZ to release an article showcasing celebrities who have dressed up as controversial figures in the past. These included Julianne Hough's Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren from "Orange is the New Black," and Rick Leventhal's "Rust"-inspired cowboy he donned just days after a fatal shooting on the film set, among others.
In 2020, Pride came out with a list of categories deemed "problematic" for Halloween costumes, such as blackface and cultural appropriation. For example, the media outlet described the use of Holocaust victim Anne Frank as a Halloween costume as "trivializing" — minimizing the significance of what she represents. Simone Biles is just one of many that believe a Jeffrey Dahmer Halloween costume is also disrespectful to his victims and their families and glorifies the horrific things he did.