What is Hybristophilia? Hybristophilia is a paraphilia involving a sexual interest and attraction to those who commit crimes. This most commonly happens with convicted serial killers, who receive fan mail and wide amounts of support from thousands that are invested in their case. The largest demographic for this is women; more specifically, teenage girls.
Despite the ideas behind Hybristophilia, many believe that this isn’t truly the driving force behind the attraction of certain serial killers. Instead, it’s more likely the portrayal of these killers within the media, making them seem charming, handsome, charismatic and brilliant.
When a killer’s case is covered, it spreads like wildfire throughout every corner of the web. Normally, the reaction of the public is one of distress, fear, horror, and anxiety. However,a new idea has changed our view on the crimes committed by serial offenders. The idea of ‘being conventionally attractive’.
Ted Bundy is one of the first examples of how the media will create a character far different from the truth. Even before the movie called “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” (2019) came to Netflix, Ted Bundy had a fanbase.
The movie sent a shock through many viewers due to the casting choice. The role of Ted Bundy was given to Zac Efron, who for many was only known for his participation in Disney shows and movies at the time. Some of the most popular shows he’s starred in included The High School Musical movies, The Greatest Showman, and Hairspray. For most, it was hard to shake off an uneasy feeling with the change between teenage heartthrob, to that of a serial rapist and killer.
In the trailer of the movie, it focuses on the more charming aspects of Bundy’s personality, inflating his charismatic ‘womanizing’ charm. This tone disturbed many viewers, as it made the goal of the trailer unclear, and to many, seemed to further romanticize the serial killer. Others seemed to think that this trailer perfectly encapsulated Bundy, and how easily he both manipulated and charmed his way out of suspicion.
Although Ted Bundy is one of the first examples of the obsession and romanization of serial killers, he isn’t the only one to have experienced this phenomenon. Another famous case of this is Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer was another famous killer who went viral within America for his gruesome crimes against his male victims.
His influence and wide-spread story caused the creation of multiple different shows detailing his crimes and his life. Dahmer already had a fan base, similar to that of Ted Bundy before separate movies and TV shows increased the amount of admirers for him. In a comparable event, Netflix once again put the spotlight on another world famous serial killer.
Netflix’s series entitled “Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer story” called attention to Jeffery Dahmer’s case. A new wave of people came roaring in after its release, forgiving him for the simple reason of finding him attractive. Many blame this new found infatuation on Netflix for its choice in casting, a call back to their previous movie about Ted Bundy, which was criticized for the same thing.
While casting a person who is handsome for a role that is meant to serve such a gruesome purpose is a terrible decision, how much of the blame can we put on the director, instead of the consumers? The more we normalize violence and desensitize an audience, the more these views will become a common consensus. Jeffery Dahmer’s case isn’t the only example of this kind of behavior demonstrated by fans online.
Recently, a man’s case went viral because of his name, who he shared with the popular Marvel character Deadpool. This man is Wade Wilson. He was originally sentenced to death for the premeditated murder of two women within the state of Florida. This conviction happened in November of 2019, but has recently gained traction since videos of him receiving his sentence gained popularity. It first went viral on Tiktok, but soon spread to other social media platforms as well.
On social media, many claim to want to help him or that they could ‘fix him’. Because of its current relevance within the media, many people have even started fundraising and the signing of petitions as a way to try and minimize his sentence. Over $2,000 have been raised to help pay for his bail currently, and over 25,000 people have signed petitions to release him.
Because of the fact the case is currently being processed, it makes it easier for fans and apologists to find ways of supporting their cause. The romanticization of Wilson through the media is going to bring real world consequences. In previous years, this kind of worship of these killers would result in the spread of certain ideologies, and would also directly affect the families of the victims.
Now, the consequences of these actions are not only the spread of these violent prejudices and ideologies, but also the result of the actions being currently taken. If this pattern continues, these types of figures could be released from jail, and continue committing heinous crimes.
While spreading the news of certain murders and crimes is important, it’s equally as important for news stations and directors to stay truthful to what happened. The portrayal of these people directly affects the consumers, so it’s important to stray away from over-publicizing the event, as well as making sure the tone of it clearly depicts the person for their crimes, not for their looks or charms.
