Netflix's series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has been at the center of much controversy since its release. There was backlash over its initial 'LGBTQ' tag, which was later removed, while others on social media criticized the show's portrayal of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Now, TikTok users are facing backlash after the Jeffrey Dahmer victim "polaroid challenge" went viral.
As reported by The Independent, the so-called "challenge" sees people on social media post videos of themselves searching for and reacting to the real-life polaroids Dahmer took of his victims – after his murders, Dahmer would position his victims in sexual poses and take polaroids.
TikTok has taken steps to delete the content, yet one repost with the caption "TikTok took down the unedited one with 130k views" has now gained 3.7 million views as of writing. The trend has become so prolific that videos tagged "Jeffery Dahmer polaroids" have garnered 3.4 billion views on the platform.
While some TikTok users have taken part in the challenge, others have decried it as disgusting. "Y'all are actually sick," wrote one person on Twitter. Another wrote: "This isn't some gore movie looking for grossed-out reactions, this is real shit." On TikTok, one person warns: "Don't let curiosity make you see the actual polaroids." The video has 1.8 million views.
Created by American Horror Story's Ryan Murphy and his frequent collaborator Ian Brennan, Dahmer sees Evan Peters play the infamous serial killer. The series has broken records on Netflix, beating Squid Game to become the streamer's biggest debut ever. Richard Jenkins stars as Jeffrey's father Lionel, Molly Ringwald appears as Dahmer's stepmother Shari, and Niecy Nash plays his neighbor Glenda Cleveland.
Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is available to stream now. If real-life crime dramas aren't your bag, then check out our list of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.
