The Dirties, My Friend Dahmer and Sensationalism in the Media
Sensationalism and the Media
-The magazine and newspapers dealing with Jeffrey Dahmer are perfect examples of sensationalism. They focus on the most gruesome aspects of his acts as opposed to all of the pieces to the story. For instance the news clip and the magazines focus on the necrophilia and cannibalism parts of the story, and paid little to no attention to his childhood or any other background information. These particular mediums are used to frighten, warn and slightly inform. They are supposed to frighten you because the more frightening paper, or an interview is the more likely people are to purchase it. They are also to warn in that they bring attention to things the victims might have done differently to avoid this run in with a serial killer. They also are intended to inform slightly. While they mainly focus on sensationalizing Dahmer’s acts, they still pay attention to key aspects of the events. While sensationalism is not the greatest form of informing the masses, it is still useful due to the rapid widespread of information. These magazines might have done a little over kill but they still served a purpose.
-The Dirties and My Friend Dahmer did a good job at an oppositional technique of afore mentioned articles, a more matter-of-fact look at the events leading up to the atrocity, the backstory if you will. This technique is useful because it informs the public on key factors to look out for in their own society to avoid these horrible acts being repeated. They demonstrate that serial killers and mass murderers don't have to put off such a monstrous vibe, they could be anyone. This is a frightening fact, so these pieces could be seen as techniques aimed at the scare of their viewer, or reader, in this way. But this piece serves mostly as a warning to the general populous. The main warning in The Dirties is basically to be kind to everyone because you never know what is going to set who off. Whereas My friend Dahmer is mainly meant to inform. The author even states that he doesn't think the Dahmer should have been dealt with differently after his crimes, but it's possible to sympathize with a serial killer. This doesn't mean you believe that what they did was ok, it simply means that you can recognize something innately human in them and that that recognition can allow for some basic human sympathy.
