Monsters: The Menendez Brothers, who is the real monster? 

Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Kooch depicting Lyle and Erik Menendez  (People.com)

On September 19th, Netflix released a second season of the controversial series “Monsters” directed by Ryan Murphy. After season one which focused on the serial killer, Jeffery Dahmer, got lots of traction and caused moral debates, fans wondered what case and killer season two would focus on. Immediately after the news that a show called “Monsters” would be covering the complex case of the Menendez Brothers, those who have followed the case, including myself, were outraged. 

Despite the murder of Kitty and Jose Menendez happening more than 30 years ago, as social media has developed, so has more and more support for the brothers’ case over the years. As someone who is a true crime junkie, The Menendez Brothers has always been a standout case. Two rich kids in Beverly Hills kill their parents on a regular Sunday evening. What was the motive? How could a kid do this to their parents? The motive, even decades later, is heavily debated among social media. 

My opinion, however, is simple: The Menendez Brothers were telling the truth.

There is no doubt that the brothers killed their parents; it was always just a matter of why. The Menendez brothers claim it was an act of passion after years of sexual abuse at the hands of their father and their mother knew about it and still stood silent. The brothers felt that their lives were at risk and believed that their own parents, after years and years of abuse, were finally going to finish the job and kill them. 

There is lots of speculation around the case and every so often a new documentary or “Based on true events” story about the case pops up, stirring the waters even more. 

The newest stirrer being “Monsters” on Netflix. Ryan Murphy brings the story to life, with the intention of drawing attention to the case and raising awareness, or at least that’s what he tells the media after dramatizing the case and characters. 

Two years ago, Ryan Murphy was under fire for the first season of “Monsters” surrounding Jeffery Dahmer. Many believed that Murphy tried to humanize the serial killer in an attempt to make people feel bad for him. Most anger stemmed from the fact that Murphy didn’t get consent from the victim's families for the show, raising a lot of trauma and animosity. 

Two years and one season later, Ryan Murphy still hasn’t learned his lesson.

In the show, Murphy sexualizes the brother's relationship by hinting at incest with a kiss and many unneeded moments of weird behavior. Murphy also not only hints but fully claims that Erik Menendez is a homosexual despite the fact he is currently married to a woman and has never entertained the rumors. Murphy dramatizes aspects of the brother’s lives that come across as harmful for the case and their image. According to a statement released by Erik Menendez’s wife, Tammi Menendez, on the app “X”, Erik Menendez condemns the show by claiming that the series created a “horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me.” 

The statement also adds Menendez’s thoughts on the show attempting to discredit their experience and set back male rape culture decades. Menendez claims Murphy portrayed that men experience rape trauma differently than women, which is harmful and false. 

In Tammi Menendez’s post, Menendez states, “...I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent.” 

Telling to Murphy’s character and the show itself, Murphy responded to questions about having a sit-down conversation with the Mendenez brothers saying he has “no interest” in speaking to them.

As a follower of the case, despite the amazing cinematography and acting of the show, despite the potential and endless budget provided by Netflix, “Monsters” is a harmful and inaccurate series that should have never reached the public. 

If you have not watched it yet, don’t. Netflix is releasing a documentary on October 7th with Lyle and Erik Menendez coming forward for the first time in 30 years about what really happened. This documentary without a doubt won’t be as dramatized or as harmful as the inaccurate portrayal created by Ryan Murphy.

As for my current stance on the show, the Menendez family said it best in a statement released on “X”, “Perhaps, after all, ‘Monsters’ is all about Ryan Murphy.” 

By: Mackenzie Frost