Last night, I watched this documentary on Ted Bundy.
I remember when they executed him.
The people I worked with joked about having a "Bundi-Q" and celebrated the fact that he was going to "the electric chair", and if anyone deserved to get it, Ted did.
Anyhow, while watching the documentary, Serial Killer Groupie Syndrome (SKG) was discussed...because apparently, Ted had a lot of groupies, some of which are interviewed in the documentary.
I find this absolutely incredible.
How fucked do you need to be to want a guy who slaughtered women for fun?
In fact, all serial killers have groupies...even the most grotesque of the grotesque, which kind of goes without saying....but I mean guys like John Wayne Gacy or Henry Lee Lucas.
What kind of woman would want to be with someone who killed upwards of 30 women or in Gacy's case 32 young boys?
Well, I went on a little search and found this article from The Crime Library.
Turns out that women who choose to be with serial killers have these things in common:
Rescue fantasies: the SKG wants to believe that she has the ability to change someone as cruel and powerful as a serial killer.
Need to nurture: many women have said that they see the little boy in these killers and feel an overwhelming desire to nurture and protect that part of him.
The perfect boyfriend: she knows where he is at all times, and while she can now claim that someone loves her, she does not have to endure the day-to-day issues of most relationships; she can keep the fantasy charged up for a long time.
Need for drama: during the trial, the daily events in the lives of serial killers may attract women who want to get close to the adversarial atmosphere and the possibility that something surprising may occur.
Hybristophilia: some people are sexually excited by others who commit violence
Exclusivity: there's a real sense of ownership of the facts about the killers—which confers its own special status—among those who feel intimately associated with them
Regaining the lost male: some who have been abused, neglected or without a father figure look to the killer to fill that need
Vicarious fantasies: some wish to live out their own visions of violence through a person who can actually act them out
Low self-esteem: some women believe they cannot find a man and since men in prison are desperately lonely, it's an easy way to get involved
Attention: when they do something like get involved with a killer, people talk about them and often the media puts a spotlight on them
Eminence: they evolve from Nobodies into Somebodies
The chance to show their mettle: they align themselves against the world in a heated defense of their beloved
Beauty and the Beast syndrome: they like the idea of getting close to danger that will probably not hurt them, but there's always the slight chance
Interestingly, many SKGs are educated and attractive. Some have money, and some are already married. Quite a few are mothers, and it's often the case that they work in some related field, such as psychology or law enforcement.
Read the entire article. It's pretty fascinating.
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