LE300J Final Essay
Jennifer McCabe
Final Project
LE300J Serial Killers as Heroes in Popular Culture
Professor Donna Strong
Park University
Throughout time many have had a fascination with serial killers and with help from the media they have become celebrities within our culture. There are many books, movies, television shows, and news coverage to introduce viewers to their lives. With all the interest behind serial killers, many wonder how they come to be this violent. The question is often asked, are serial killers born or made? There are many myths that describe, or stereotype a serial killer. You may have heard that serial killers are all dysfunctional loners or that all serial killers are white males. One might also hear that serial killers are only motivated by sex, they travel and operate interstate, they cannot stop killing, they are all insane or evil geniuses, and serial killers want to get caught. As easy as it might be to believe these stereotypes, and although some serial killers meet a few of the descriptions, they are not necessarily true. Through studying Dexter, Perfume, Silence of the Lambs, Frankenstein, Dead Until Dark, and the Walking Dead it can be determined that serial killers are all driven by their own unique motives, they have committed more than three murders, not limited to any specific demographic group, and are committed over a short period of time with a “cooling off” period. Aside from these characteristics it is undetermined why a serial has a desire to kill, they all have their own unique reason. To understand why a serial killer commits their violent acts we must understand if their motive was developed by nurture or nature. Research has provided evidence leading to believe that a parental figure or childhood environment can have a large influence of a child’s development into a murder. Sociologists believe that socialization factors play a key role in a serial killers life. One’s environment as a child and adult as well as
Final Project
LE300J Serial Killers as Heroes in Popular Culture
Professor Donna Strong
Park University
Throughout time many have had a fascination with serial killers and with help from the media they have become celebrities within our culture. There are many books, movies, television shows, and news coverage to introduce viewers to their lives. With all the interest behind serial killers, many wonder how they come to be this violent. The question is often asked, are serial killers born or made? There are many myths that describe, or stereotype a serial killer. You may have heard that serial killers are all dysfunctional loners or that all serial killers are white males. One might also hear that serial killers are only motivated by sex, they travel and operate interstate, they cannot stop killing, they are all insane or evil geniuses, and serial killers want to get caught. As easy as it might be to believe these stereotypes, and although some serial killers meet a few of the descriptions, they are not necessarily true. Through studying Dexter, Perfume, Silence of the Lambs, Frankenstein, Dead Until Dark, and the Walking Dead it can be determined that serial killers are all driven by their own unique motives, they have committed more than three murders, not limited to any specific demographic group, and are committed over a short period of time with a “cooling off” period. Aside from these characteristics it is undetermined why a serial has a desire to kill, they all have their own unique reason. To understand why a serial killer commits their violent acts we must understand if their motive was developed by nurture or nature. Research has provided evidence leading to believe that a parental figure or childhood environment can have a large influence of a child’s development into a murder. Sociologists believe that socialization factors play a key role in a serial killers life. One’s environment as a child and adult as well as
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