Ladies, let's chat.
We're all out here in the world, not stuck under a rock. We know there's a new Ted Bundy docu-series on Netflix, a new Ted Bundy movie starring Zac Efron, and a fun new thriller show out called "You" starring One of the Hottest Actors From Gossip Girl, Penn Badgley. One might ask, why? Why this little surge of docu-series, TV shows, and movies about hot, charming, could-be-any-guy-you-know serial killers?
Well, first of all: marketing. Duh.
But second of all, still marketing. Get real. It's been 30 years since Ted Bundy was executed by the electric chair and obviously, anniversaries make us nostalgic, sentimental, and reflective. Talking about one of America's most graphic and prolific serial killers is not typical Thursday night dinner table conversation, so when there is an opening in space and time to discuss something so tantalizing and juicy, we all obviously jump at the chance to revisit the Ted Bundy. Spice in a modern murder story too because why not: spun from the same tale as Bundy's track record but with the added bonus of social media, "You" has been apparently charming the pants off a perplexing amount of women.
It's this trend that I think we should talk about today: romanticizing violent crime when the perpetrator is hot. Yes, I'm going to say it: Ted Bundy and Joe in "You" are conventionally very attractive men. That's not an issue.
The issue, which feels asinine to even have to explain, is that their attractiveness is in no way, shape, or form responsible for their actions. It's like that John Oliver bit where he breaks down President Trump's logic by stating: "I'm rich, therefore I tell the truth has the same internal logic as, I'm a vegan, therefore I know karate." These men (and many others, might I add) didn't kill people because they were hot; they killed people because they were psychopaths. They were able to get away with it because they were hot which is a totally separate issue, a problematic one which we perpetuate by not acknowledging this distinction.
This is not to say, as some people have, that we as women should fear attractive men because the guy driving us home from class might take us back to his to murder us violently. I can't believe I have to say this either, but not every male you meet is a serial killer. You don't need to question every guy's motives just because you binged "Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes" in one day and you're remarkably confused. We can acknowledge the attractiveness of one (1) notable killer in his case and then move on. You don't need to say Bundy was hot 9 times in a 362-word long piece. I don't know who needs to hear this but someone has to say it (like everything else in this piece) so I might as well: we have to remember serial killers can be ugly men, too. Serial killers can also be women. It's 2019; expand your thinking.
The takeaway, the only takeaway, from this hot serial killer fetish we all recently and collectively discovered, is that yes: these men could be anyone. They could be guys you go out with, talk to in class, meet one time in a bookstore and suddenly he's wildly obsessed with you and takes the light stalking we all do when we like someone and just kinda want to check them out on social media to see what's up past light and into very clearly dark and illegal stalking territory.
But that has nothing to do with their looks. Sure, in Ted Bundy's case, his looks were what prevented people from believing such an attractive and charming man was guilty of the violent crimes he was accused of, but again: looks and actions are incredibly mutually exclusive. No one commits murder simply because they look like Zac Efron.
Should you never trust anyone ever again and actually move under that rock I mentioned? Maybe. I'm all for trying out something new every once in a while and who knows? maybe acute paranoia and isolation is your new thing. But for the rest of us, I don't really want to have to remind you that you can trust people and love people and get into cars with guys driving you to class. Just be conscious. Be aware, not afraid.
