WHY DO AMERICANS IDOLIZE SERIAL KILLERS?
The article reports on the obsession of U.S. citizens with serial killers. If one logs on to eBay, he will find a variety of memorabilia on sale for anywhere from five dollars for a lock of Charles Manson’s hair to $10,000 for one of John Wayne Gacy’s clown paintings. English professor David Schmid feels that the construction and lionization of the serial killer as a cultural figure reflects the fears felt by U.S. citizens about human nature, power, and sexuality.