There has been a high demand for Jeffrey Dahmer costumes since Netflix's "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" was released. Sadly for those who wish to disturb people by dressing up as the serial killer, you can't buy them on eBay anymore.
eBay is one of many online shopping sites to ban any costume relating to Jeffrey Dahmer. Although according to CNET, the ban was implemented long before the Netflix hit show. The company said that they prohibited the costumes as it violated their policies.
eBay's Policy
According to eBay's policy, sellers cannot list items that promote or glorifies violence, whether it is toward animals or people. One of the sub-policy that also coincides with the film is that eBay does not allow items that closely associate with felons, their acts, or crime scenes from the past 100 years.
Violating these terms would result in the unlisting of the item, as well as all listings from the search results. It could also lower the seller's rating, restrict them from selling, or simply suspend the account. Anyone who paid for the product prior to it being unlisted will not be reimbursed.
An eBay spokesperson confirmed the ban via email to Gizmodo. eBay claims that the policy was made out of respect for the victims of crimes that might be associated with certain listings. There were no Dahmer costumes in the sit anymore, aside from one item that seemed to be inspired by Jeffrey Dahmer's glasses.
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Netflix's Dahmer
Ever since the release of the limited series, people have been encouraged to dress like the notorious serial killer for Halloween. Even though many are speaking out against this, people are still adamant about dressing up as Dahmer.
Dahmer committed his crimes between the 70s and 80s, his 17 victims being both young boys and men, so when Netflix released a show centered on the American serial killer, it was bound to face some backlash.
One of the concerns of some people was how Dahmer's biopic romanticized his life. People are calling out to remember the victims instead of glorifying the felon's actions by dressing up as him.
Shirley Hughes, the mother of Tony Hughes, spoke to TMZ about the Halloween costumes associated with Dahmer. She stated that Dahmer was pure evil and that she did not understand how folks decide to dress like him and sleep at night.
Tony Hughes was featured the most among his victims, especially since he had an episode that revolved around his relationship with Dahmer called "Silenced." Shirley Hughes added that they wouldn't have been re-victimized if Netflix did not stream the show.
Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey, also spoke out and said that Netflix didn't contact them about the show. She felt that they should've asked the families of the victims how they felt about it, but no one was contacted.
Other Issues
One of the problematic moves made by Netflix concerning the show was adding it to the LGBTQ category. At first glance, it seems like a normal thing since it was confirmed that Jeffrey Dahmer was a homosexual. However, when clicking on the category, it is shown beside wholesome shows like Heartstopper, which did not sit right with a lot of viewers.
Online retail stores may have also avoided listings that had something to do with the infamous serial killer to avoid backlash like Netflix has.
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