The following are interviews, edited for clarity, with devotees of Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and Aileen Wuornos.
#WHAT MAKES A SERIAL KILLER TICK RESEARCH INSTITUTE SERIAL#
In a bid to understand what drives somebody to become part of a serial killer fandom, I joined three secret Facebook groups – Stand By Aileen, McDahmer’s, and Ted Bundy Hardcore. The Ted Bundy fans engage with isn’t real, it’s just a glamorous media conception of a real person.” However, he insists the killers that inspire internet fandoms are a far cry from the reality: “People forget that the majority of serial killers aren’t interesting people like Lector, I’ve spoken to a few myself and they are emotionally damaged and very depressing people to be around. A lot of serial killer fans are women too, which could be the Clarice effect.” He was an aspirational figure and a real turning point in making people look at serial killers in a different light. He explains: “Hannibal Lecter discussed Florentine architecture, he was a gourmet cook who knew about opera and listened to classical music. Events and Offers Sign up to receive information regarding NS events, subscription offers & product updates. Ideas and Letters A newsletter showcasing the finest writing from the ideas section and the NS archive, covering political ideas, philosophy, criticism and intellectual history - sent every Wednesday. Weekly Highlights A weekly round-up of some of the best articles featured in the most recent issue of the New Statesman, sent each Saturday. The Culture Edit Our weekly culture newsletter – from books and art to pop culture and memes – sent every Friday. This Week in Business A handy, three-minute glance at the week ahead in companies, markets, regulation and investment, landing in your inbox every Monday morning. Green Times The New Statesman’s weekly environment email on the politics, business and culture of the climate and nature crises - in your inbox every Thursday. The New Statesman Daily The best of the New Statesman, delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. World Review The New Statesman’s global affairs newsletter, every Monday and Friday. Morning Call Quick and essential guide to domestic and global politics from the New Statesman's politics team. Sign up for The New Statesman’s newsletters Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive. The reality is serial killers are en vogue, with our obsession for their crimes now a multi-million business and their names likely to be referenced in rap songs. And Aileen Wuornos, a Florida-based prostitute turned murderer, has been positioned as a feminist icon despite murdering seven men, with Charlize Theron’s Oscar-winning performance in Monster casting America’s first female serial killer in a much more sympathetic light. My Friend Dahmer, a 2018 film tracing the teenage years of Jeffrey Dahmer, an infamous cannibal from Milwaukee who murdered 17 men and boys, earned rave reviews from critics. Upcoming film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile sees former Disney star Zac Efron play Ted Bundy, a US serial killer who confessed to brutally murdering over 30 young women and girls across the 1970s. These fandoms tie into a climate where serial killers have become pop culture icons. They also sometimes feature warped memes mocking murder victims, or posts (especially in the case of Bundy) gleefully admitting a sexual attraction towards a serial killer. Secret online groups provide a safe space for people to debate what drove these killers to kill, resulting in a community for fans of true crime to connect with one another.
Fan communities dedicated to serial killers such as Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and Aileen Wuornos are now commonplace on social media platforms such as Facebook.
Yet, these fandoms also stretch into far darker territory. When you think of online fandoms you tend to picture Taylor Swift’s Swifties or Lady Gaga’s Monsters passionately defending their pop idol’s latest single on Twitter.
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