Serial Killer Culture
Killers in the Kitchen
There's no end of serial killer kitsch.� You know it's entered the realm of tacky when you can purchase paintings of Dorothy Puente or David Berkowitz on black velvet, drink coffee from a mug featuring Ed Gein or Charles Manson, or fry up some meat wearing a Jeffrey Dahmer apron.� You might even enjoy the pretty scene of a Night Stalker snow globe. Jack the Ripper has a whole line of accessories that feature bloody knives, T-shirts, throw pillows, baseball jerseys, caps, camisoles, thongs, aprons, carrying totes, and even a Teddy Bear wearing a miniature T.� For keeping track of your schedule, marketers have made calendars indicating that "Murder can be Fun."� For each date, there's a different murder, or a killer's birth or death day.� If you prefer a memorable outing, Niagara Falls includes among its ubiquitous wax museums a criminal hall of fame, which includes a photo-op at the end where you can sit in an electric chair and get a buzz.
One site presents an array of T-shirts that feature Carl Panzram, Albert Fish, Ted Bundy, Aileen Wuornos, and many others.� Another site has "huggable" demented dolls, Manson and Dahmer.� If you don't want to hug, you can opt for a serial killer wall clock.� The Jeffrey Dahmer Slay Set comes with a doll that wears a zippered suit; unzip it and out come the various parts of a "dismemberable" victim.� These can be stored in "Jeff's trash can."� The slogan on the package goes, "Open me up for a sure delight, and see who I ate for dinner last night."� Sometimes, it's possible to get an action figure, although those Web sites are hit-and-miss.� Someone's idea of Jack the Ripper is available, as is the "Zodiac Killer" from CA, the omnipresent Ed Gein, John Wayne Gacy in his clown get-up, and the evil Richard Ramirez.� If you're satisfied with a mere two-dimensional rendition, trading cards are available through Shell-tone Productions.� On the back of each card are grim but vital statistics.
Then there are serial killer coloring books with cartoonish drawings and games, such as a maze through which you can assist Gacy to find space in his dirt floor basement to bury another victim.� Fox and Levin claimed that that there was also a 1992 comic book that depicted his sexual habits with victims.� If you're inclined, and your friendships are strong enough to take it, there are greeting cards and postcards that feature photos of many different killers.� You choose one and then add a song of your choice to it, along with a greeting.
To test your knowledge, you can go to a quiz online (featuring individual killers or by decade), or even determine what kind of serial killer you might be.� You can also see how well you can make a distinction between photos of computer programmers and photos of serial killers.� (One is both).����
When all is said and done, serial killer culture is no more imaginative than a tourist town comprised of one store after another that offer only T-shirts, coffee mugs, key rings, or wax figures.� Despite the keen interest, the merchandise is mundane fare - like the killers themselves, when the cultural allure is stripped from them.
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