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The controversies around the Dahmer series on Netflix continue, this time a YouTube star has come under fire for pretending to live like the serial killer for a day.
Influencer DuB Bridge heads the DuB Family collective YouTube channel with 1.35 million subscribers and more than 280 million combined views.
The family is known for its humorous content and prank videos, but some are saying Dub crossed a line recently.
Netflix's Dahmer follows the horrifying story of the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed and tortured at least 17 men and boys.
Many of Dahmer's murders involved drugging his victims, rape, mutilation and cannibalism.
The fictionalized telling of his crimes smashed Netflix viewing records with 500 million minutes watched in the first 12 days of release.
DuB watched the series over a couple of days and then "decided to go to the store" to buy a blonde wig and glasses to dress up like the late serial killer.
He then filmed himself living being Jeffrey Dahmer for 24 hours, where almost 190,000 watched him try to give a drink to his camera person, intimating it was spiked — a common method Dahmer used to incapacitate his victims.
DuB also traveled to a local liquor store dressed as Dahmer and again copy the serial killer who had a drinking problem by buying beer and questioning the cashier, asking "do you know who Jeffrey Dahmer is?"
The influencer also went through a Chick-Fil-A drive-thru and visited a friend's apartment where he proceeded to act creepy toward everyone there.
He then pretended to drug his friend, who was portraying Dahmer's 14-year-old victim, Konerak Sinthasomphone.
They mimicked a scene in the show where Dahmer offered to pay the teenager to take photos of him.
The scene cuts to the friend acting as though he was passed out on the bed and DuB entered the room before the man playing Sinthasomphone got up and tried to leave.
Three women played Dahmer's neighbor, Glenda Cleveland and her two daughters, who found the teenager and tried to help him, but police returned the boy to Dahmer's apartment after falling for the killer's story that they were boyfriends having an argument and he was drunk.
The video ended with DuB's six-year-old son, Woo Wop — an internet star in his own right — calling out his dad's actions telling him, "you look stupid."
People responded fiercely to the video saying it was inappropriate and insensitive.
"I don't know why it's suddenly cool to have people want to be Jeffrey Dahmer. I've seen a lot of creators doing this. I support you Dub, I just had to drop by and say that there are families still haunted by these terrible murders man. I know it's just fun and games so don't take it wrong, but this one just isn't for me. Take care Dub and I'm sure this video is a W. Nothing less from you bro, you a goat," wrote one fan in the comments.
Another added: "Imagine someone recreating what happened to your brother & then being told to laugh more. Where's the integrity? This is FOUL."
And a third wrote: "Imagine someone making a skit about the person who killed your brother. Can't be joking about the pain that the families of these victims felt."
DuB originally responded to the criticism by writing, "stop taking everything so serious, and laugh more," in the comments.
But two days later he released a video entitled, "I got canceled," where he tried to explain his actions.
He claimed he had never heard of the serial killer before the show aired on Netflix and after seeing videos on TikTok thought it would be ok to make something "funny" himself and that he did not realize it was a true story.
"He's like a character, he's being funny," DuB told a friend of actor Evan Peters, who portrays Dahmer.
Then pointing to the wig he said, "I put on being a [funny] person and I was just drinking Budweiser and talking. That's all I did."
"Then people were like, 'what about the families?' but I didn't know he eliminated people," Dub continued.
His friend reassured him: "I thought it was funny," and added that people should also be mad at the show's creators and star for bringing the story into the mainstream again.
Many of his fans did not appreciate the video, telling him it was still wrong to have made the original one in the first place.
"I feel yall both. I know it's just fun and games Dub, I just feel like I wouldn't be a real supporter if I didn't tell you that wasn't the move. I don't want you canceled though my guy, I love your content and keep going! Road to 2 [million]," wrote one fan.
Another said: "The actors are portraying a movie of awareness the cops [were] wrong for not responding correctly, and telling the story of the victims and [they] don't take life to serious is not the right attitude...cause those that loss there life is serious and the pain they bare for their family is serious."
DuB has released two more videos since his video about being canceled.
Since its release last month, Dahmer has been plagued with controversy.
The families of Dahmer's victims say the attention has retraumatized them, and it could lead to desensitizing audiences to Dahmer's crimes. Additionally, Netflix was forced to remove the show's LGBTQ label.
Law enforcement was blamed for not properly investigating the victims' deaths because of the stigma around homosexuality at the time.
One expert told Newsweek how Dahmer could set back families in their grieving process.
Dr. Gerard Lawson, a licensed professional counselor at Virginia Tech and past president of the American Counseling Association, said the series was "inconsiderate and more likely disrespectful" to the families.
"Over the years since these events, I imagine many family members have made progress in restoring some sense of control in their lives," he said.
"This show has removed that sense of control abruptly and without advanced notice, with a retelling of the worst episodes of these families' lives.
"I don't know if there was ever any contemplation of contacting or consulting with the families, but my hunch is that there was an understanding that any portrayal of Dahmer would be unacceptable to the families.
"So if they were determined to make this series, they probably felt they had to exclude these families."
Newsweek reached out to DuB for comment.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more