Monster: The Ed Gein Story is receiving a great deal of criticism for its fabricated storylines and lenient portrayal. Is the series showing too much empathy to the murderer?
Netflix markets the series as “the shocking true-life tale of Ed Gein, the infamous murderer and grave robber who inspired many of Hollywood’s most iconic on-screen killers.” However, many critics and true crime historians state that the series isn’t as factual as it seems.
Who Was Ed Gein?
Ed Gein was an American murderer who confessed to killing two women in the 1950s: Bernice Worden, a 58-year-old hardware store owner; and Mary Hogan, A 54-year-old tavern owner. However, authorities suspect there were more victims, with many labeling him a presumed serial killer.
Just as disturbing, Gein was known for his alleged grave robbing and skinning human corpses, using deceased women’s skin to make household items. Upon searching his home, police found the bodies and body parts of several women, who allegedly resembled his deceased mother—with whom he shared an odd relationship.
‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ Criticism
Of course, now, there’s an entire season of Monster dedicated to Gein’s story—and many viewers believe it’s a bit too empathetic to the murderer.
Not to mention, there was a host of fabricated storylines that clearly dramatized the already unsettling and heartbreaking truth. Many believe the series is insensitive to the victims, their family members, and anyone else involved.
Harold Schechter, a true crime historian and author of “Deviant: The Shocking True Story of Ed Gein, the Original Psycho,” even told The Post that the series majorly missed the mark.
“Ever since I heard that Murphy was planning to make Ed Gein the subject of his third season, I have been feeling aggrieved and resentful because I worried that Ryan and his co-creator, Ian Brennan, were going to kind of rip off my book under the pretext that it was all in the public domain,” Schechter told the outlet.
“After watching the show… I mean, there is some unauthorized use of my book, I feel, but the show veers so wildly from the reality of the case,” he continued. “So much of it is pure over-the-top fabrication. Now I’m mostly upset that all the people who watch the show are going to think they’re seeing the true story of Ed Gein.”
Is Watching the True Crime Series a Red Flag?
Back in a 2023 episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast, Dr. Thema Bryant, Psychologist, Minister, and Sacred Artist, said, “If your idea of relaxing before you go to sleep is to watch three episodes of Law and Order, I would encourage you to think about ‘why is trauma relaxing to me?’”
Surely, watching true crime stories like Monster can’t be good for your nervous system. However, many of us keep returning to consume someone else’s tragedy from a safe distance.
Now, I’m as interested in true crime as much as the next person, but with this particular series receiving so much backlash for its fictionalization and empathetic portrayals, perhaps reconsider your viewing choices.
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