As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I have seen more than my fair share of controversial content in the world of entertainment. However, the latest installment of Ryan Murphy’s Monster series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, has truly taken the cake.
As a captivated fan, I can’t help but express my enthusiasm for Ryan Murphy’s latest addition to his “Monster” series – “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”. This gripping true crime drama has skyrocketed to the number one spot on the streamer’s most-watched list, barely a week after its release. However, it seems that this riveting production has also stirred controversy, with innuendos suggesting an intimate relationship between the two convicted murderers raising eyebrows among viewers.
Criticism towards the Netflix series about the Menendez brothers, which started streaming on Thursday, intensified quickly on Friday. The nine-episode drama depicting the 1989 murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez and their aftermath was met with backlash as soon as it was announced that the two brothers were involved in a new Netflix docuseries. First, comments from supporters of the Menendez brothers, who have gained prominence on TikTok and Instagram lately, filled social media platforms. Many viewers took offense at script elements in Ryan Murphy and co-creator Ian Brennan’s work that implied the brothers were romantically involved. Later, Erik Menendez himself voiced his disapproval of the series, calling it a concoction of lies and damaging character portrayals.
The TV series occasionally hints at scenarios reminiscent of Murphy’s Law, suggesting potential incest, and this theme is just as prevalent as its exploration of the journey of generational trauma, the preoccupation with material success in America during the 1990s, and satirizing some controversial trends in early ’90s L.A. The music of Milli Vanilli can be found throughout the show’s background score.
In the second installment, we see the brothers sharing a quick kiss after Lyle touches Erik’s neck, followed by Lyle interrupting Erik while he dances with a woman at a party in their suite at Hotel Bel-Air. This is later followed by Lyle removing cocaine from his nose and placing his thumb into Erik’s mouth. In a scene that appears to be a fantasy, depicted in episode six, mother Kitty Menendez climbs the stairs only to discover her sons showering together.
In their second joint trial, Lyle stated that he had never engaged in a sexual relationship with his brother. Robert Rand, author of the comprehensive 2018 book titled “The Menendez Murders“, who has been closely following their case since the day after the murders as a reporter, echoed this claim to The Hollywood Reporter over the phone recently. According to Rand, the brothers were traditional athletes and did not partake in drug use.
Rand clarified that the representation of the brothers’ relationship on the show being possibly incestuous was unfounded, instead suggesting that the show depicted the perception of their relationship held by those surrounding them.
Rand clarified that he doesn’t think Erik and Lyle Menendez were romantically involved, suggesting this idea might have originated in Dominick Dunne’s imagination. While there was speculation about a strange bond between the brothers during the trial, Rand is convinced that their physical contact was limited to what Lyle testified – an incident when he was eight and they played with a toothbrush in the woods, which mirrored their father’s behavior with them. In his opinion, this interaction was more a response to trauma than a sexual relationship.
In the courtroom, Lyle Menendez’s testimony during the trial was as emotionally charged as it was depicted in the series, according to Rand. A veteran journalist shared with THR that both reporters and jurors were moved to tears when the accused murderer detailed how the abuse he had experienced at his father’s hands later led him to inflict similar harm on Erik.
In the game’s narrative, I find myself pouring out my past to my lawyer, Leslie Abramson, portrayed by Ari Graynor. During this confidential chat, I reveal that my father, José, inflicted abuse on me and my brother. It’s a painful confession, one that’s difficult to share, but necessary for healing.
The Menendez brothers are serving their time at Donovan Correctional Facility in California, without access to Netflix. It’s possible that Erik Menendez learned about the series from his wife, detailing how he and Lyle were portrayed. Although his statement on Friday didn’t explicitly address the inclusion of incestuous undertones, he appeared displeased with the overall representation of him and his brother. The show presents the brothers as victims of abuse, but Erik stated that it also judges them, just like the justice system did when they were convicted by a jury for premeditated first-degree murder, with additional charges of lying in wait and multiple murders.
In a post shared by his wife Tammi Menendez on social media, Erik expressed: “I thought we had progressed past the falsehoods and damaging depictions of Lyle, crafting a distorted version of Lyle that mirrors the harmful stereotypes prevalent in the series. I can only assume these were intentionally fabricated. It saddens me to state this, but I believe Ryan Murphy is not so unaware or inaccurate about our reality to portray us this way without malice.
I find it regrettable that Netflix’s depiction of the crimes we’re associated with is misleading, as it seems to roll back the progress made in acknowledging the harsh realities of sexual abuse and trauma. In an unfortunate rewind to a time when the justice system was built on the flawed notion that men could not be sexually abused or traumatized by rape in the same way women were, Erik Menendez stated. He went on to say that these harmful falsehoods have been challenged and debunked by countless courageous victims over the past two decades who’ve bravely shared their stories despite personal embarrassment. However, Murphy has continued to create a disturbing narrative, using offensive characterizations of Lyle and myself, as well as unjust slurs.
As of yet, neither Ryan Murphy nor Netflix have issued a public response to Menendez’s statement about the series that debuted all its episodes over the weekend and currently ranks as the No.1 series in the U.S. on their platform. The Hollywood Reporter has not received a reply from either party when they reached out for comment on Monday.
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2024-09-23 22:55