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"A Blatant Lie": the Controversy Behind Ryan Murphy's "Monsters"

TV & Film

October 27, 2024

With six shows currently on air, Ryan Murphy is one of Hollywood’s most popular producers. He's turned out projects beloved by millions. But despite the numerous awards he’s received and the praise his shows have gotten, he remains a controversial force in the entertainment industry, and his projects are nothing short of polarizing.

The recent release of Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story has opened up new conversations about Murphy and brought back previous controversies about how he handles the stories of real people and the implications his narratives have.

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What is Monsters?

Monsters, written and produced by Ryan Murphy is a biographical drama series which each season focusing on a different killer or killers. The first season covered the story of notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, the lead-up to his crimes, the crimes themselves, and the trial. Season two follows the story of the Menendez brothers, covering the murder of their parents in 1989, their accounts of the abuse they endured, the trial, and their imprisonment.

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Monsters - The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story

While I enjoyed season two of Monsters and found it brilliant at times, some glaring issues took away from the show’s value. Ryan Murphy’s tendency to distort facts and make stories more dramatic can make the show confusing and leave one wondering what’s fact and what’s fiction.

Murphy's most nefarious decision for the show was to imply a romantic relationship between the Menendez brothers. While it’s never explicitly stated, the show hints at something egregious through promotional material and the brothers kissing in episode one. Not only is this disgusting, but it has no factual basis, making one wonder why Murphy even decided to pick this narrative.

The next main issue lies in his portrayal of Lyle Menendez. While Erik is portrayed as a kindhearted, shy, and sympathetic person, his older brother is shown to be aggressive, manipulative, and spoiled. Additionally, in episode two Lyle is shown abusing substances, despite there being no evidence to suggest that he ever did drugs. Erik Menendez slammed Murphy for this decision, describing the portrayal as a caricature of his brother, based on lies and done with bad intentions.

Murphy’s intentions are something that needs to be questioned in this show. While the show does focus on the child abuse they endured, it’s intertwined with negative portrayals and lies that show the brothers in a bad light.

By fictionalizing real events Ryan Murphy runs the risk of spreading misinformation about real people. If a person watches the show without knowing about the creative liberties taken by Murphy then they’d walk away from the show with false impressions about the Menendez brothers and the case.

Murphy defended himself by claiming that he was using a “Rashomon” approach. The Rashomon effect is when a story is told from multiple perspectives since there’s no way of knowing what exactly happened. While this is an intriguing narrative for storytelling, it’s better to be left out of shows that are about real people and real events. Choosing to distort and twist facts for entertainment value leads to confusion about serious topics that should be regarded with sensitivity and caution.

Erik and Lyle Menendez

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Image Credit: Orsf via Wikimedia

Prior Controversies

Ryan Murphy is no stranger to dodging criticism for how he portrays people in his shows. His depictions are at best distasteful, and at worst depraved.

Season Twelve of American Horror Story, Delicate follows the story of an actress who feels an evil presence while undergoing IVF in pursuit of motherhood. It’s heavily inspired by the 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby. In an episode, the show portrays actress Mia Farrow preparing to film her scenes. While she feels distraught in her dressing room, actress Sharon Tate visits her, and acts strange as she tells Mia “The devil is beautiful.”

The implication here is that Sharon was some sort of a devil-worshiper and that her presence in the dressing room is evil. Sharon Tate was a real actress, who in 1969 was brutally murdered by the Manson Family cult while she was eight months pregnant. After her death, some media outlets published photos that claimed to show her partaking in Satanic rituals and blamed this for her death.

These claims were soon debunked when it was discovered that the photos were from the movie Eye of the Devil and that these claims against her had no factual basis. For the show to reiterate the disgusting notion that Sharon was involved in Satanism is beyond distasteful. She was an innocent woman who was murdered. To rely on disgusting rumors for entertainment value highlights the biggest issue with Murphy’s writing.

Season one of Monsters was also met with numerous controversies due to Murphy’s handling of the story of Jeffrey Dahmer. While he claimed to have contacted the families of Dahmer’s victims, some later came out and said that they’d never been notified about the show and that they were appalled by the series.

The show also led to discourse about how true crime should be portrayed in films and TV. Some people felt that Monsters was glorifying Jeffrey Dahmer, and feeding into the obsession with serial killers.

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Image Credit: BernerAchim via Wikimedia

Final Thoughts

Ryan Murphy is not a bad writer. His work is interesting and his shows are popular for their entertainment value. But if he continues to handle serious subject matters with no sensitivity then he’s not only hurting himself and his art, but others as well.

Tackling serious topics in film or on TV is never easy, especially when it’s based on true crime. Adapting these stories requires endless research and conversations with the victims' families to ensure that it’s carried out honestly, respectfully, and empathetically.

Ryan Murphy has proven time and time again that he’s more than happy to disregard these principles to gain attention and push certain narratives. By choosing this route he’s disrespected the life and legacy of Sharon Tate, the lives of Erik and Lyle Menendez, and the victims of Jeffery Dahmer, along with their families. If he continues to dramatize and distort facts he could potentially end up hurting numerous victims and their families.

File:Monsters-.webp

Image Credit: Bsmith22345 via Wikimedia

Amy Guerin
5,000+ pageviews

Writer since Jul, 2024 · 13 published articles

Amy is a high school junior who writes for her school newspaper and plays varsity water polo. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her friends, reading, and sewing. Her interests include history, fashion, and vintage pop culture.

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