White people make up 58% of all killers, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

It’s been debunked in recent years that all serial killers are white men, bringing more attention to lesser-known murderers who are of a minority race or of the opposite sex entirely. However, this fact hasn’t stopped popular culture from focusing on Caucasian men, especially those who are deemed “conventionally attractive,” and thus seen as less of a threat to the general public.  

Ted Bundy, a white male serial killer, was infamous for his charming good looks and the power to make people, especially women, feel safe and secure with his seemingly innocent and misleading wiles. He was even portrayed by “High School Musical” hunk and my first celebrity crush, Zac Efron, in the Netflix movie “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” last June. 

We often expect the bad guys to be obvious, with crooked smiles and dark shadows, but often they’re the ones you least expect. 

But why is that? 

The first part could be attributed to societal stereotypes of minority men that perpetuate a dangerous stigma that they are the type of person to be feared, not at all helped by the image the media often portrays. It could also be due to the ability for some killers to lead two lives, one completely unknown to even close friends and family. 

In an FBI interview with Israel Keyes, a rapist and serial killer of over a 15-year-span, the man revealed the distinct split between the murderer and the facade. 

“No one would ever suspect me,” Keyes said. “I can be both people, a killer and a normal neighbor and family man.”

While that fact and quote are quite chilling and concerning, it is also distressing that there can be a disconnect for audiences regarding characters and relationships of a similar nature. 

Two examples of this recently has been in the relationship between Kylo Ren and Rey in the “Star Wars” series and in the character of Joe Goldberg in the popular Netflix series “You.” 

“Reylo,” as fans of the relationship call it, throughout the sequel trilogy films, is toxic and manipulative, justified by Ren’s redemption over to the light side by the end. I’m not opposed to the dynamic in fiction only, but I think it’s important to recognize that it can be harmful to an audience, particularly young viewers. 

Although Penn Badgley, leading actor on “You,” plays a convincing stalker on both the Netflix show and formerly on “Gossip Girl,” the man himself is nothing like the characters he plays, even dissuading fans from falling for Joe Goldberg, calling him abusive, delusional and self-obsessed. Badgley is not at all here for the thirst, replying with blunt and discouraging tweets to fans who romanticize the handsome killer. 

Badgley’s character, like Ted Bundy, like Israel Keyes, can be two different people at once, with the ability to shield his violent and obsessive inner thoughts from the outside world while his outward persona projects a totally alternative image. 

I personally can become engrossed with media where the main characters are deeply flawed, are even the “bad guys.” While I would never support their actions in real life, it’s incredibly thought-provoking to look through the lens of someone I don’t understand, to get their point of view in a way I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. 

So, I get it. 

However, there is a line. Fiction is fiction, pretend and for fun, but it does have the ability to influence those absorbing it. It is vital to be aware of the difference, to take it with a grain of salt, to not take what you watch, listen to or read into real life.