NCJ Number
131846
Date Published
Unknown
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The crimes of the serial killer, Jack the Ripper, have provided a cultural framework for evaluating sex crimes and have legitimized male violence against women.
Abstract
Serial killers are often celebrated in movies, music, jokes, pornographic magazines, and sadist publications. A parallel to Jack the Ripper is Freddy Krueger from the movie series, "Nightmare on Elm Street." Serial murder has become an increasingly prevalent reality that involves female victims. Such crimes are rooted in a system of male supremacy in the same way that lynching is based on white supremacy. Sexual murder is a product of the dominant culture and is the ultimate expression of a view of sexuality that defines sex as a form of domination and power. The enduring cultural popularity of Jack the Ripper is primarily rooted in patriarchal foundations of the contemporary world, and his essential meaning is that of an emblem of misogynist terrorism. Other killers that come from the generations inspired by Jack the Ripper are examined, including Ted Bundy and David Berkowitz. 68 notes