Media representations of female murderers and serial killers in culture

Media's Role In The Proliferation Of Violence In Society:

An Annotated Bibliography

Berrington, E., Honkatukia, P. "An Evil Monster and a Poor Thing: Female

Violence in Media." Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, vol. 3, no. 1 (2002): 50-72.

This study compares two treatments of women murderers in two different countries -- England and Finland -- and shows how the English media portray the female killer as the epitome of evil whereas the Finnish media portrays the female murderer with more sympathy. The study argues that these representations are manifestations of two very different cultures within the respective countries -- the former sensationalistic and blood-thirsty, the latter empathetic and more peaceful.

I view this article as helpful in understanding how media can shape public perception of crime and either promote a call for more blood (the head of the criminal) or take a more measured, charitable view of the crime and call for temperance and understanding. This article shows that media wields a significant role in shaping attitudes towards violence in society.

Jarvis, B. "Monsters Inc.: Serial killers and consumer culture." Crime, Media,

Culture, vol. 3, no. 3 (2007): 326-344.

This study puts forward the argument that "serial killing" has huge entertainment market share in popular culture, from TV shows like CSI to movies like Saw. The researcher's claim is that consumerist culture is the main reason for this because it is materialistic and obsessed with an appetite for death in order to satisfy its own emptiness.

This study was very interesting to me because it reflects a real connection between culture and action: as we are a consumer culture that cannot ever have "enough," it makes sense that we would crave more and more sensation (including blood and violence depictions) which are more and more over the top in terms of graphic depiction.

Kinnell, H. Violence and Sex Work in Britain. Oxon: Routledge, 2013.

This study examines how the media promotes a between prostitution and serial killing as in the case of the Yorkshire Ripper, when in reality only two of the victims had had anything to do with prostitution. This link establishes a more sensationalistic line which helps to sell more papers.

I found this study to be interesting because it illustrates how the number one goal of the mainstream media is to sell stories, which brings in ad revenue -- and sensation sells (sex and murder are the two biggest sensational draws).

Mason, P. Criminal Visions. Cullompton, Devon: Willan, 2003.

The researcher examines a number of films in which murderabilia are a drive of the antagonist. He connects these findings with real-life murderabilia obsessions among followers of mass/serial killers. Essentially, murder becomes a marketing business in popular culture.

I found this study to be disturbing it that it identifies a problematic underlying problem in society -- the perverse relationship between mass media and murderabilia, as the former promotes and helps foster a desire for the latter, which only serves to proliferate the public's fascination with violence.