Images of Serial Killers in Popular Culture

Images of Serial Killers in Popular Culture

Using serial killers in movies has become a widely spread theme in Hollywood.

However the transformation from psychopathically deranged individuals, to supernatural dehumanized monsters has occurred. The media is fueled by films and novels, allowing wider coverage of serial murder cases. The public is interested, and the topic sells. Writers keep producing fictional stories about the atrocities that a single human commits, and Hollywood supports the writers by transforming their books into graphic movies.

After the 1970's psychological thrillers changed direction toward senseless killing committed by a disturbed individual, who is nearly impossible to kill until the end of the movie when he finally dies. However, the movie can't just end with the termination of this superhuman killing machine. The killer always has to return in a later film to claim the relatives of his initial victims. We call these horror films, and they are a favorite among the average American citizen.

The media has changed the way the public looks at serial killers through the production of movies, the mass coverage of true cases, and the authors who keep putting out new books consisting of supernatural cold-hearted killings.

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Rarely is the psychological perspective included? This may be partly because it is too hard for the average person to understand. However, it might just be that the average American takes pleasure in watching the graphic content. Maybe, we the average citizen, aren't all that different than the people we love to fear. After all the serial killer enjoys watching the mutilation that he is committing.

The Signature Of Serial Killers

The serial killers calling card is his psychological signature. This signature is left at every one of his crime scenes. Homicide detectives are taught to look for unusual patterns in different murders. Serial killers are psychologically compelled to leave their signatures at each crime scene. This compulsive disorder is spawned from strong and violent sexual fantasies. Most killers live relatively long lives dealing with their fantasies before snapping.

Signature killers are the largest subcategory of serial killers. Their drive comes from a strong primal psychological motivation to act out the same crimes over and over again, until the patterns become obsessive. The act that a killer commits gives him a form of sexual gratification. The crimes were committed to express the ways the killer needed to satisfy this dark sexual desire. The moments leading up to the fulfillment of the killer's desire are the fuel that supplies the fantasy of the effect.

Signature killers often change their MO trying new ways to satisfy their sexual cravings. Usually, the killer will take some type of object to remind him of the crime he has committed. This object will help to satisfy him for a time, but soon the craving returns and he must kill again. The only way to catch a serial killer is to think like one. The signature patterns of a serial killer are like a large puzzle. The pieces have to connect, and once connected the MO and soon the apprehension of the killer.

Public Reactions to a Serial Murder

Although serial murders everyone is infrequent, public fear is still high. This fear is derived from the random unpredictable nature of serial killers. When a serial murder first occurs in a community every one looks for an explanation, and for the authorities to solve the crime. As it takes a long amount of time to solve the case the public may begin to believe that there is an evil, or supernatural force at work. Psychics are brought in to assist in the case, and if these measures don't work the killer may achieve a superhuman status in the eyes of the people. These ideas are then fed by the media, who attempt to satisfy the public with wide coverage of the case.

Socially a killer at large will effect the public in three ways. Fear of the poised killer, and the failure of the authorities to catch the killer. The second factor is media coverage spreading fear and intensifying it throughout the public. The media attention may also provide the killer with gratification. This can, in turn, lead to more killing, helping to boost the killer's new celebrity status. The last result is the breakdown of social order due to defensive changes in normal public patterns.

Serial murder has an intense impact on public order. The media helps to aid in this breakdown while pushing fear into the community. The media also contributes to making the case more difficult to solve with the rampant hysteria that is spread.