Morality of the Menendez Case

Turning someone’s traumatic experiences into entertainment is unethical and has unfortunately been normalized in today’s society. Cases like the Menendez brothers, the murders by Jeffery Dahmer, and Ted Bundy have been turned into Netflix series. Although these documentaries appeal to true crime fans while providing alternate perspectives into such mysteries, they undermine the victims and their families’ sufferings. Not to mention the people capitalizing off of these horrible events; the increasing demand for these types of shows only encourages this shameful trend.

In late August of 1989, Erik and Lyle Menendez fatally shot their parents, Jose and Kitty, in the living room of their house in Beverly Hills. The brothers endured years of sexual and physical abuse from their parents when they were only children. In their second trial in 1996, the jury found them guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced them to life without the possibility of parole. But just this week, the Los Angeles District Attorney, George Gascon, is recommending a resentencing for the brothers. 

Dr. Delavan, a government and law teacher at Blake, says “They’re trying to make bad situations possibly even worse. They’re just trying to make money out of horrible situations.” From prison, Erik shared his opinion on the show on his wife’s X account; he wrote that Murphy produced the show with bad intent.  

Although the trial was televised, the Menendez family still deserves privacy and respect. Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, Monsters, glorifies the brothers’ trauma while reinforcing stereotypes and portraying them in a negative light. Murphy wrote Lyle’s character, played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez, as very hostile and arrogant. He also wrote scenes that imply the brothers had an incestuous relationship. These stories of murderers involve people who have gone through horrific experiences that should not be glamorized.