"Maybe that's a sign you shouldn't have made it": Ryan Murphy slammed after revealing none of the victims' families responded for Dahmer research

Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer has rapidly become one of Netflix’s most popular releases of all time, but it has also drawn its fair share of controversy. The show has been under constant fire for seemingly glorifying the notorious American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

On Thursday, series creator Ryan Murphy once again received massive backlash from people across the world. The director said that his team tried to contact the 20-odd family members of Dahmer's victims during the creation of the show, but received no response from them.

This admission follows several family members' claims that the show has profited off their tragedy and “retraumatized” them without their involvement or consent.

Murphy revealed that the research for the show took a very long time. He added that over the course of three and a half years, his team reached out to around 20 of the victims' families to get their input and to try and talk to them. However, he said that not a single person responded to them in the process.

Needless to say, the statement drew quite a lot of flak from netizens, with many questioning the rationale behind the show's creation. One Twitter user even said, "maybe that's a sign you shouldn't have made it."

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Ryan Murphy catches flak over Dahmer again

The Netflix series delves into the motives behind Jeffrey Dahmer's murder of 16 adolescent boys and men between 1978 and 1991, and the subsequent court case.

Rita Isbell, whose brother Errol Lindsey was one of Dahmer's victims, has claimed that she was not contacted by Netflix. She also revealed to Insider that the show bothered her and that it was quite sad that "they're just making money off of this tragedy.”

Lindsey's cousin, Eric Thulhu, reacted to Ryan Murphy's recent statement and tweeted, "I wonder why" in response.

Thulhu had previously criticized the show for "retraumatizing" the victims. He also clarified that Netflix did not notify or pay the families since the matter was on public record.

Some users agreed with Thulhu and others said that the families' silence could have been attributed to their unwillingness to talk about the tragic killings. Many others were simply baffled by Murphy's decision to proceed despite the silence.

Ryan Murphy noted that the series wanted to focus on "what made [Dahmer] the monster he became" and that it was really about white privilege, systemic racism, and homophobia.

Paris Barclay, who directed episodes six and ten, said that the show intends to be about "celebrating the victims" and ensuring that they are not "erased from history."

Barclay said that the show is about making sure that Dahmer's victims aren't erased by history and that they have a place. He said that they wanted to make sure that the victims are recognized as important people who had full lives. He added:

"When Tony writes ‘I won’t disappear’ on that last card, that’s what this show is about."

Shirley Hughes, whose son Tony Hughes was another one of Dahmer's victims, did not see it this way. She told The Guardian that she didn't understand how the makers did it and added:

“I don’t see how they can use our names and put stuff out like that out there.”

One Twitter user also picked up the quote and wrote that victims do not want to be celebrated.

Ryan Murphy has also been criticized for not anticipating the show's impact. Some users have revealed how people of color have begun to find themselves at risk as a result of the show's content.

Netizens have also noted that this is not surprising considering Ryan Murphy's history. Murphy created The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story despite the family asking him not to make it.

There has been no talk of compensation for the victims' families or giving them any benefit from the show. However, Ryan Murphy commented that he is in favor of creating a memorial for Dahmer's victims and stated that he would be happy to pay for it himself.