Kim Alsup worked as a production assistant on the show and stated in a tweet, “Worked on this project and I was 1 of 2 Black people on the crew and they kept calling me her name. We both had braids, she was dark skin and 5'10. I’m 5'5. Working on this took everything I had as I was treated horribly. I look at the Black female lead differently now too.” Alsup further elaborated on her statement during an interview with LA Times. She had the following to say, “I just feel like it’s going to bring back too many memories of working on it. I don’t want to have these PTSD types of situations. The trailer itself gave me PTSD, which is why I ended up writing that tweet and I didn’t think that anybody was going to read. [Dahmer] was one of the worst shows that I’ve ever worked on. I was always being called someone else’s name, the only other Black girl who looked nothing like me, and I learned the names for 300 background extras.” Alsup further stated that the streaming platform did not provide mental health coordinators for those working on the show. While Netflix has declined to comment on her complaints, a company spokesperson denied the claim that there were no provisions for the health of the crew. The spokesperson stated that the company provided all crew members enjoyed free health and wellness resources, including a licensed therapist. Jeffrey Dahmer is a serial killer that hailed from Milwaukee and was arrested in 1991. Within the 13 years that began in 1978 and lasted until his arrest, he killed, dismembered, and ate 17 boys and men. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story has been plagued with numerous controversies since its release. The Netflix show is the third such exploration of the serial killer’s life. As a result, some critics have expressed the opinion that it is redundant and, thus, merely exploitative of the murders. Apart from this, a relative of one of the victims depicted in the show claims that the show’s recreation of her testimony during Dahmer’s trial opened up fresh wounds and re-traumatized her. Other criticisms the show has faced include Netflix’s decision to categorize it under LGBTQ+ viewing, as well as claims that it takes liberty with some of the facts. If nothing else, the streaming platform has since removed the LGBTQ+ tag. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story is currently streaming on Netflix. The show was created by Ryan Murphy and stars Evan Peters, from American Horror Story, as the titular character. Despite the criticisms, the limited series has been hugely popular with fans. It is currently Netflix’s fifth most-watched premiere of all time.
