CNN
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Netflix’s hit series ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ has sparked renewed interest in the notorious serial killer just in time for the Halloween season, but at least one online retailer is shutting down sales of Dahmer costumes .
An eBay spokesperson confirmed to CNN in an email that Jeffrey Dahmer costumes are banned on the platform and are removed under its “Violence and Violent Crimes Policy.”
The policy states that “ads that promote or glorify violence or violent acts, or are associated with individuals known to have committed violent acts, are not permitted.”
The spokesperson added that the banning of Dahmer suits was not a new or recent decision.
The series has sparked heated debate for its depiction of the serial killer. Some critics, like Sara Stewart writing for CNN, have suggested that despite its attempt to focus on Dahmer’s victims, the show veers into insensitive — particularly because some of the victims’ families have said they don’t had not been consulted before being represented.
But the show, starring Evan Peters, was hugely popular: it racked up more than 196 million viewing hours in the first week after its release.
Dahmer murdered and dismembered seventeen men and boys, most of whom were black, in Wisconsin between 1978 and 1991. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1992 and was beaten to death by a fellow inmate in 1994.
On Saturday afternoon, searching eBay for “Jeffrey Dahmer’s costume” still brings up some listings, like see-through glasses resembling those worn by the real Dahmer and Peters playing Dahmer in “Monster.” And other online retailers like Etsy also appear to be selling blonde wig kits, see-through glasses and orange jumpsuits labeled as Jeffrey Dahmer costumes.
Gymnast Simone Biles also spoke out against the costumes, writing, “put the Jeffrey Dahmer costumes back in the closet.” on Twitter Last week.
