#serial killing

‘Times like these, I wish there was a real Dexter’: Unpacking serial murder ideologies and metaphors from TV’s Dexter internet forum

By: Christiana Gregoriou

Published by: Language and Literature Volume 21, Issue 3 Pages 274-285

LL Abstract:

In this article, Gregoriou examines posts on a discussion board concerning the television show Dexter to reveal how viewers displayed ideologies about extreme crime victim typology and deservability when discussing the show. Gregoriou uses examples of viewers’ postings to demonstrate that viewers make reference to popular culture and make intertextual references to other cultural narratives, ultimately blurring the line between fiction and reality. 

LL Summary:

Gregoriou begins by describing some background on Jeff Lindsay's Dexter literary series and the resulting Showtime TV adaptation beginning in 2006. In this book and TV series, a serial killer traumatized by his mother's murder kills according to a “deservedness code” established by his foster father. Next, the author uses some examples from the discussion board to describe how some groups like the Parents Television Council objected to the show because of its encouragement to its viewers to sympathize with Dexter. In this next section, Gregoriou discusses how other academics have engaged with this show's subject matter, noting that viewers assume the show's creators have accepted the ideological parameters in which the fictional Dexter operates and that they somewhat adopt that positioning themselves when watching the show, as will be shown by a conceptual metaphor analysis. The author continues by describing the Dexter Showtime message board, restricted to US contributors and organized according to episodes and season. In this section, Gregoriou describes the plot of the fifth season of Dexter and how her analysis was limited to the forum's first 25 posted strings on each of the first 5 episodes of this season. After screening these strings for those that were serial-killing ideologically inclined, Gregoriou was left with 20 strings in total with an average of 21 messages each. The author then outlines the relevant plot of the show, describing how various of Dexter's victims have themselves murdered or abused victims that fall into vulnerable categories or are 'least-deserving,' while in the fifth season Dexter is in grief over losing his wife to another serial killer and kills a random rude man called Rankin. In the next section, Gregoriou begins by describing how fans refer to popular culture in pledging allegiance to the fictional murdering character of Dexter. Alluding to an aspect of the show known as Dexter's Dark Passenger, some fans construe a “TV Show is a Journey” metaphor, while other fans refer to real life killers the show reminds them of. The author points out how some fans worryingly wish Dexter was available, as they present examples of real undeserving victims from real life. Gregoriou argues this ideology seems to be that a crime is treated as more or less serious depending on its impact as stated by the victim. Other posts show how viewers negotiate their need for the show to reflect reality with the fact that it is fictional, intertextually referring to various fictional characters revolving around Dexter's themes. When viewers discuss how Dexter is training a young woman in serial killing, the author identifies a “Dexter is a college/business” metaphor, suggesting that some viewers consider these skills as beneficial to society. The author continues by revealing how numerous posts discussing Dexter's killing of a rude innocent man reveal that viewers forgave this norm-violation of the protagonist-detective because of the way that vigilantism is implied to be both good and bad at the same time. Other posts from the forum are used to show how viewers compare Dexter's code with other killers in the show and portray his motivation as an addiction, animalistic urge, or need. Finally, in discussing several other topics discussed by posters in the forum, Gregoriou notes that the characteristics of a killer's victim such as their gender, appearance, sexual preference, and past experiences appear to be factors in the viewers’ evaluation of the killing act performed upon them. In the conclusion, Gregoriou argues that the ideologies discussed in this article should be only considered implied because extreme views may be a bid to get posts noticed in this context, yet through playful online anonymized responses to fictional shows, people's ideologies relating killing can come to light that reflect the culture they are derived from.

LL Recipe Comparison:

This article reminds me of the recipe for Linguine with Swiss Chard, Ricotta & Walnuts:

Much as Gregoriou uses metaphor to examine the world of discussion boards about fictional serial killing, you will want to use extravagant metaphors to describe this delicious dish! The chard, walnuts, and ricotta all work together to create a fantastic taste, much as Gregoriou does a fantastic job in identifying how fan culture can reflect larger cultural ideologies of crime and punishment. Good Cooking!

“There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward it I have now surpassed. My pain is constant and sharp, and I do not hope for a better world for anyone. In fact, I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no one to escape. But even after admitting this, there is no catharsis; my punishment continues to elude me, and I gain no deeper knowledge of myself. No new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. This confession has meant nothing.”

It was then that he introduced her to Saddleworth Moor, up in the Pennines. He had discovered it on his own, skipping off work one sunny morning and letting his motorbike "take me wherever it wished".

He arrived by chance and was thrilled by its desolation - "vast hills and plains, with exposed black and brown earth spots everywhere, under a pallid canopy of brooding silence".

Now he wanted Myra to see it, too.

They drove out on his motorbike and stopped for her to take in its vastness. "Do you think Ronnie would like to spend eternity here?" Brady asked.

When homicidal maniacs go into the villain monologue, 'they'll never find your body. No one will ever know what happened to you.'