5 reasons we’re fascinated by serial killers
American Psycho, Monster, Hannibal, Aileen, Dexter, American Horror story; just some of the many current pieces of pop culture that feed much of humanity’s obsession with the serial killer. (We know, making a murderer isn’t about a serial killer but with a title like that can you blame us for including it?!)
Most of the people featured in these tv shows and movies would be horrifying to meet in real life, and most people would likely run very far in the opposite direction if they knew just how evil these people would be. So that begs the question: why on EARTH are humans so fascinated with those people who commit the most gruesome and awful crimes on earth?
It all comes down to society’s intrinsic nature to glorify and sensationalize that which is macabre or over-the-top criminal.
- They provide shock value
The reason people slow down to look at the scene of a horrific accident is the same reason people like watching things about serial killers; it is so out of line with our moral and ethical values that it provides a type of shock value we can’t get anywhere else. It scares us, but we are just removed enough to be observers without suffering any of the real-life consequences. The same can be said about people fascinated with grand-scale natural disasters that don’t affect them directly – it’s all frightening fun! - They are rare
Unusual and unique displays of behaviour are always something that fascinates society in general. The fact that these people commit multiple murders rather than just one out of pure rage is something that makes humanity curious. - Their behaviour doesn’t make sense
The motives behind their murders don’t make a whole lot of sense, there is no scorned lover, nobody they kill has usually done anything to them. There are constantly reports of people who killed family members over disputes, cases of relationships gone awry, and drug-related murders; but the difference in serial killers is that there are no known reasons for any of their murders. They just choose to kill for whatever reason they see fit, so no known motive. - Their killings are random
This means anyone can become a victim of a serial killer, you could just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even though anyone could be a victim, serial killers are so rare that your odds are very, very low – but still scary. The mythical nature of the serial killer fascinates many of us. - They kill a lot of people
Serial killers don’t just kill someone once and be finished with it. They take a lot of lives over a long period of time. This is completely opposed to the norm, going back to the fact that they have behaviour that just doesn’t make sense. For example, John Wayne Gacy killed 33 boys over a period of a few years.
References:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wicked-deeds/201409/here-s-why-we-love-serial-killers
http://geekandsundry.com/why-are-we-obsessed-with-serial-killers/
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160331-why-are-we-eternally-fascinated-by-serial-killers
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