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After just two weeks, Netflix's controversial true crime drama series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, has become one of the streamer's biggest titles of all time.
As reported by Deadline, the show accumulated 299.84 million hours viewed during week two of its availability on Netflix. This number puts it second only to Season 4 of Stranger Things for the most-watched English-language television series on the streamer over the course of one week.
Despite its popularity among audiences, Dahmer has also seen its fair share of controversy since its premiere. Some people took offense when Netflix gave the show an LGBTQ+ label, which was meant to reference the fact that serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, whose crimes spanned 1978 to 1991, typically targeted gay and bisexual men. One Twitter user said that the tag highlighted the exploitative nature of the show as a whole, explaining, "Netflix having the audacity to put Dahmer under the LGBTQ+ tag is literally so fitting - exploiting the trauma of real, gay, Black and Brown victims for their own financial gain. Turning their stories into a sideshow attraction." As a result, Netflix promptly removed the tag.
Dahmer Scores High on Netflix
People who were actually affected by Dahmer's murders also spoke out against the show, including Eric Perry, the cousin of victim Errol Lindsey. "I’m not telling anyone what to watch," Perry wrote on Twitter. "I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you're actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbells) are pissed about this show. Recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD."
Similarly, Kim Alsup, a production coordinator on Dahmer, recounted her "horrible" behind-the-scenes experiences on the set of the Netflix series as one of two Black employees on set. "Working on this took everything I had as I was treated horribly," she said. Alsup described working on the production as "exhausting," calling Dahmer one of the "worst shows" she’s ever worked on.
Created by American Horror Story's Ryan Murphy and The Politician's Ian Brennan and starring Evan Peters as the titular serial killer, Dahmer was given the green light in 2020. The limited series explores 10 specific instances where Dahmer was given the benefit of the doubt by law enforcement due to their own incompetence, and how his white privilege helped him evade capture for so long.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is currently available to stream on Netflix.