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Penn Badgley Calls Out Netflix For Glamorization Of Jeffrey Dahmer
The star of You had some words for serial killer obsessives.
Netflix's killer hit series You is back for a fourth season and once again, fans are thirsting over the main character Joe Goldberg – despite the star Penn Badgley's declaration that he is, indeed, a bad guy.
But this is fantasy, and Badgley says Netflix is to blame when viewers sexualize real-life serial killers like they did last year with Ryan Murphy's drama DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
Entertainment Weeklyasked Badgley what he would say to viewers who found themselves attracted to serial killers. “You need to look at that inside,” he said. “Now, to be fair, with our show, you’re meant to fall in love with him, that’s on us."
But there's a stark difference between You and dramatizations of real-life murderers.
“Ted Bundy? That’s on you," Badgley points out. "Jeffrey Dahmer? That is on Netflix. That is squarely on the shoulders of Netflix.”
@entertainmenttonight Penn Badgley has a message for those of you who are a little TOO obsessed with Joe Goldberg and serial kworders 💀 #younetflix #pennbadgley #joegoldberg
Now as to why people fall for these bad guys, Badgley doesn't quite know. “I don’t have answers," he says, adding, "It’s weird, man.”
Bold to call out another show on the streaming platform You is hosted on, but the Dahmer series has received backlash from all angles. The massively successful series followed the story of the Milwaukee Cannibal, Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered 17 boys and young men between 1978 and 1991. Evan Peters stars as Dahmer and it was uncomfortable for many to see some viewers thirsting over the character. Many folks couldn't even stomach watching the show, including Shirley Hughes, the mother of one of the victims who also called out people who dressed as Dahmer for Halloween.
“It’s already super triggering to see a hit Netflix series about the serial killer, much less folks dressing like the killer,” she told TMZ at the time.
Eric Perry, the cousin of victim Errol Lindsay, also spoke out about the uncomfortably accurate recreation of his cousin, Rita Lindsay, in a vulnerable courtroom moment. “I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you’re actually curious about the victims, my family are pissed about this show. It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?” He concluded the thought in another tweet, saying, “recreating my cousin having an emotional breakdown in court in the face of the man who tortured and murdered her brother is WILD.”
Later that year, Peters took home the Emmy for Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Television Movie for the series.
Yes, season 4, part 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
Netflix has not renewed the series just yet, so its future is unclear.
Season 4 of you is split into two parts. Part 1 premiered February 9th and is only five episodes long. Part two will premiere March 9th and we'll get five more episodes in the season.
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
