The Internet of recent years features some of the most incredible things on the planet. You can learn to do just about anything thanks to videos, follow and interact with some of the biggest celebrities on the planet, and also join powerful, cultural movements. But you can also get really, really creepy. And Netflix is finding that its subscribers are definitely getting a bit too creepy for comfort.
In a new tweet from the official Netflix Twitter, the service is pointing out a pretty terrible trend that seems to be sweeping the internet – Ted Bundy. That’s right, the infamous serial killer that murdered over three dozen women is now one of the hottest names online, as the streaming service recently released a new docu-series about the killer, and Sundance premiered a new biopic starring Zac Efron. Almost 30 years to the day after he died, Ted Bundy has found a second life, thanks to many people thinking he’s just so damn sexy. Yep, it’s weird.
“I’ve seen a lot of talk about Ted Bundy’s alleged hotness and would like to gently remind everyone that there are literally THOUSANDS of hot men on the service — almost all of whom are not convicted serial murderers,” tweeted Netflix.
Now, you can view that tweet in a number of ways. First, there’s the humor aspect of it, and just the ludicrousness of the fact that there are people out there that are turning into Ted Bundy “stans.” That’s ridiculous enough to mock. But there’s the troubling aspect of this that seems to point to a larger problem. When Netflix and films like Efron’s ‘Extremely Wicked’ focus on Bundy as a sex symbol of his time and almost glamorize what he does, it’s not exactly a stretch to imagine that people who weren’t familiar with his horrific actions might see him as a cult figure that could be adored.
We have to remember that with podcasts about serial killers and true crime being all the rage, and services like Netflix looking to release series and films about every horrific crime they can get their hands on, these murderers and psychopaths become celebrities all over again. And yes, when you cast Zac Efron (hunkiest of hunks…and this is coming from a straight man), people are going to have a hard time not imagining Ted Bundy without his shirt.
Long story short, if you think Ted Bundy is hot, you’re a creep. But you’re not 100% to blame. So, stop being a weirdo, don’t obsess over long-dead serial killers and rapists, and understand that Bundy, as well as all these other serial killers and psychopaths, were real people that did horrible things to real victims. Rant over.
I've seen a lot of talk about Ted Bundy’s alleged hotness and would like to gently remind everyone that there are literally THOUSANDS of hot men on the service — almost all of whom are not convicted serial murderers
— Netflix US (@netflix) January 28, 2019