So, who was your last crush? Maybe it was someone at uni or maybe a celebrity? Or, just maybe, it is currently Lyle Menendez?Â
All of us have had our fair share of questionable crushes in the past. Whether it is the charismatic fox, Nick Wilde, from Disney’s Zootropolis or the endearing tiger, Daniel, from Dreamworks’ Ice Age, it is not new to have an acquired taste. However, while these conventionally odd crushes remain relatively harmless, the strange attraction towards convicted criminals slips into a different, disturbing territory. We go from having innocent crushes to unsettling infatuations. However, being attracted to a convicted murderer isn’t as far-fetched as it seems. Â
During one of my usual late-night scrolls on TikTok this month, my for you page was bombarded with a particular edit of Erik Menendez. Videos of people showing their family members the edit, obsessing over him, and treating him as some sort of celebrity has spread everywhere… but are we forgetting that he is a convicted murderer? Â
Social media is romanticising their life and posting them as idols meant to be pined over. The social media culture we live in excuses wrongdoing for the sake of finding a new subject to “edit”. Carefully picking clips of him, deciding the best music and crafting an edit to produce a desired emotional effect are deliberate efforts to idealise a criminal. Drawn to their charisma, rebellion and tragic backstory, many are searching for ways to justify their crimes. So, for the sake of going viral, we celebrate and normalise behaviour which is far from normal.Â
Their crimes took the media by storm, shocking the world not only because of the murder of JosĂ© and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home, but also for the sexual abuse allegations that were uncovered. This trial captured the nation and was one of the first high-profile cases to be broadcasted on TV. Becoming national obsessions, their crimes became the main topic of discussion online and in person. We, as the audience, feel a part of their story and like we know them personally. Yet, they also feel more like characters as opposed to people, fiction, not reality. Humanising them and treating them fairly and ethically is important, but there is a risk of turning the Menendez brothers into cultural icons. Â
The accessibility of social media especially empowers people to over-involve themselves into the lives of the Menendez family. The recent Netflix TV show has amassed a worldwide cult following, which has indeed led to the reopening of their case. New evidence has surfaced but, without the frenzy from the show’s publicity, will its consideration be the case? Evidence of a letter written by Erik Menendez that corroborates the allegations that he had been sexually abused by his father emerged, but I can’t help but wonder why this is happening now. It is not new for a criminal case to attract immense public and media interest, but to what extent is the reopening of the case a product of the legal system or of media-driven public pressure? Is this degree of public interference with the justice system fair? What impact does this have on jurors and all other legal actors involved, who may be swayed by public opinion. What about the misinformation spread online? What about the unfounded accusations the public feels entitled to make? The legal process is being obstructed and tarnished by the media and by public pressures.Â
This is not a new phenomenon, however. Indeed, this is a consequence related to the explosion of true crime as a genre. Whether it be documentaries, podcasts, television series, books, etc., true crime remains a guilty pleasure for many to indulge in. However, with the vast volume of media we have access to, criminal behaviour has increasingly been desensitised. Thus, we feel a strange personal connection to criminals. While people online side with the Menendez brothers and root for their release from prison, one must ask whether or not we have the grounds to support criminals in this manner? Most of us do not have a legal background and have simply fallen victim to their “pretty privilege,” thereby trivialising their crimes. Suffering has been commodified as a form of entertainment, something we can consume at our leisure. This encourages obsessive empathy or attraction, which would otherwise be considered highly inappropriate. Â
So, while the TikTok edit may seem like harmless internet fun, one should at least be aware of the ways true crime has become a concerning form of entertainment. Criminal acts have still been committed, and people continue to suffer because of it. Let us, therefore remember this fact turning criminals into new TikTok sensations. Â