Steve Becker raised the issue of psychopaths in movies a few months ago – I’d like to raise it again. I’ve been watching the second series of the TV show ‘Dexter‘. For those who don’t know it, Dexter is a serial killer who operates according to a code taught to him by his father. Dad, a cop, realised that Dexter was different (socially inept, blood lust, etc.) and so instilled in him the principle that he was not to hurt people in general, but to work at getting along with them. Dexter is permitted to kill only those who deserve it, e.g. killers who’s escaped justice.
Commentators automatically call Dexter psychopathic. That’s what these words seem to mean in the general public: psychopath = serial killer = psychopath.
Hannibal Lector seems to be the association. Either him or a character like Chigurh in ‘No country for old men’. In fact he’s portrayed like a schizoid automaton – where’s the famous psychopathic charm? Only in the scene where he verbally torments the old store-owner get a whiff of psychopathy. It’s not helpful; it’s just one of the reasons regular folks can’t/won’t understand what psychopathy is really like. (For starters, psychopaths aren’t by any means all killers.)
This despite the fact the Dexter himself feels most understood at a program for addicts. (To my mind he’s a pervert.) His girlfriend Lila, though, does seem to me to be a psychopath, though with a definite female bent. A clue, Dexter is wholly likeable whereas Lila is terrifying. A bit like Sante Kimes as depicted in ‘A little thing called murder’.
This public confusion occured around ‘The Sopranos’ too. Donna Andersen has argued that Tony is not a psychopath (she prefers the term sociopath). I agree. (My diagnosis: narcissist – not that it would matter if he had you in his sights.) To me his buddy Paulie ‘Walnuts’ is the true psychopath.
Lovefraud readers have earned the right the hard way to know what is and what isn’t a believably psychopathic. Which movies/shows/books do you think get the essential quality?
Glinda: Bundy’s girlfriend didn’t know, simply because he didn’t want her to know except what he showed her … that of being a loving, kind, considerate, decent boyfriend … same with his mom and his circle of friends … he allowed them to see the person he pretended to be … only his victims, before they breathed their last breaths saw the monster behind the mask. If my memory serves me correct, one victim did break free after he locked her in his car … she jumped out as soon as she was able … and sadly she has to live with seeing the true monster he became … as did law enforcement, court, others as he represented himself during his court proceedings …
He fooled many, many, many people that knew him over the years.
What I remember is when he left the Colorado holding cell, he purposely fled to Florida, knowing they had the death penalty in their state … seems to me, he wanted to be caught exactly in a state where he could be tried and executed … he knew he was getting worse and out of control … even his murder spree in Florida was in doors … leaving evidence behind … whereas, his other horrendous acts were out doors … harder to locate evidence, plus, the fact of moving his deeds from the location where they happened to a dumping ground.
Do I believe that his girlfriend did not know. Absolutely I believe she was innocent of this knowledge.
Peace.
Anne Rule is a true crime author that wrote the “Deliberate Stranger” and many other (true crime) books (some are movies) about sociopaths. They are fascinating…I just read “Green River Running Red” about Gary Ridgway a classic sociopath. …
When I read her books nowadays, they are SO INTERESTING because my X-S had some of the habits, behaviors, lifestyle patterns and attitudes of the sociopathic killers who are the subjects of her books…It’s eery!!!
One movie from one of herbooks about Dianne Downs starred Farrah Fawcett, but I can’t remember the name of the movie…Farrah F. did a great job in the leading role…
stormee: Anne Rule worked with Bundy on a help crisis line … she sat side by side with him at that job. Never did she think he was the opposite of what he projected. I believe after that experience, knowing Bundy personally, she then went into her current profession of True Crime author.
Peace.
The 2005 movie Match Point, by Woody Allen, has a good portrayal of a sociopath who blithely kills his lover and her elderly neighbor in order to maintain his upperclass lifestyle. Really creepy.
There was a TV series that only ran for one season about 10-15 years ago. I wonder if anyone remembers it. It was about a classic sociopath who convinced everyone in his office he was great, while secretly plotting and scheming for their jobs/lives. The chilling this about this character was that they give you insight into how he got to be that way. He was apparently left in a cardboard box night after night with the TV as his mother when he was growing up. So as an adult, every night he would go home, change his clothes, and curl up in a large box with a TV. Creepy and sad.
Also, has anybody seen The Temp? A female sociopath who starts out as a temp at a corporation. She sleeps and murders her way to the top. Good movie.
I have a copy of Ann Rule’s book, and I just finished re-reading it for the “Umpteenth” time. At first Ann didn’t see any red flags at all, but as time went on there WERE red flags seen by several people.
At FIRST she didn’t see anything, but because of that, she held on to some “hope” even after it was APPARENT that he was guilty. His behavior during his incarceration and trial prior to his convictions was very CONSISTENT with a psychopathic person who was also VERY Narcissistic and arrogant. Most of his behavior was actually counter productive for his situation, and ended up putting him in the execution seat.
At the END Ann did “get it” about psychopaths but I’m not sure she COMPLETELY got it since his behavior didn’t wound her as deeply as if she had been more involved with him or had been his victim more (although he did USE her).
One episode in his life that I found “interesting” is that early in college he “fell in love with” (read: wanted to own) a girl who was somewhat “higher class” financially. It ended when she sort of dumped him. Years later he came up with a very contrived PLOT to win her back, become engaged to her and then DUMP HER in the most cruel way possible, which he did.
Also, all of his known victims all physically resembled her to a great degree, same hair style, etc. So Ann suggests and I think I agree that he was killing this woman over and over. There is also some evidence according to Ann’s book, that he may have killed as early as age 15 even before he met this woman that dumped him.
He also had a GF, Meg, who was a “chronic victim” that he hung on to even while he was in prison, and while he was carrying on telephone, visit and letter “affairs” with other women at the same time, convincing these women that he was Innocent and they were going to do his leg work and save him by the evidence they uncovered.
Meg finally broke free and moved on, realizing that he was lying to her over and over.
Bundy’s total arrogance that he is “the smartest most clever criminal in the world” reminds me very much of my own very smart and totally arrogant P-son. Bundy even managed to escape custody several times. While continually complaining about the weight loss he had “due to the poor quality of the food in the jail” he deliberately starved himself to the point he could slip through a 12″ vent and get out.
Bundy postured for the press and made a nuisance of himself to the judge, the detectives and everyone concerned with is arrest and incarceration and his trial. His attorneys were abused, and he wanted to represent himself (again, arrogance and a chance to confront his living victims on the stand as he cross examined them).
His most “pitiful” victim in my mind was his mother. Maybe my own empathy for her stems from my own role as the mother of a murdering psychopath, but I can definitely relate to that woman’s grief. Bundy was born out of wedlock, but his mother did everything she could to hold on to him and give him a descent upbringing and a chance out of poverty through education. I don’t think she was a wise woman, but I think she definitely loved her son. I pray for her peace, and the peace of the families of his dead or “missing” victims, and for the recovery of those that he terrorized, but managed to get away. God bless those people.
Ann Rule had already secured the contract to write about the “Ted” murders six months prior to Bundy phoning her to tell her that “he” was a suspect. Imagine the shock she must have felt!
Bundy’s girlfriend, at the urging of a friend, did phone the police and give a tip that Bundy seemed to fit the profile and info the police were releasing of the killer. The tip was just placed in a stack with all the other tips and not taken seriously. Ann Rule also mentioned Bundy to a detective she knew. (both girlfriend and Rule felt a bit of guilt and reluctance to do so, because they were thinking it was unlikely it could be him).
I always found it interesting that Bundy’s Aunt Julia said she awoke one time when Bundy was around 3 years old, to find him standing there grinning at her because he had placed knives in the bed around her. She said no one else in the family seemed to find it that big a deal, but her.
Wini- I just meant that’s what other people said about the girlfriend. I know all too well how she didn’t really know. I had no idea what the xs was capable of under the roof I paid for. There was no criticism by me towards the gf. I’ve worn the same shoes, if you know what I mean.
As most of us know, whenever one of these monsters get caught, they seem to get off taking responsibility and their victims “shoulda known.”
Sorry I wasn’t more clear 🙂
Warning You are not going to like what I am going to tell you so if you want to stay in your own little pity party and fantacy Island skip this blog and read something else ! Love Jere
This Nation is the most powerfull Nation ever known In human existance ! I don’t think anyone is going to have a doubt that this is TRUE ! ?
This Nation Is THE BEAST 666
You may have felt like a number sometime in your lifetime ? Thats because you are ! Your birth certificate has a # You have a social security # Your credit Score is three numbers You have a credit card , a checking acct.# a drivers licence # a voteing # the list goes on and on and on!
You might say that this can’t be it’s 2008 it’s allready happened ! WWII Holocost the germans tatooed the # on the Jews and anyone else they thought was undesirable !
Do you really expect The Beast to have as many heads and all the trappings of a sience fiction movie?
Satan wears a million dollar suit and shines like the sun!
This Nation fearing the threat of fighting a war on two fronts has committed the most horrindus attrocity ever commited by a nation on earth and in the existance of man kind ! Hiroshima and Nagasaki !
Hummmmm Sodom and Gamora ???
Talk about post tramatic stress syndrome !????
This Nation is PSYCOPATHIC !
Why do the Terorists Hate the usa because It Preaches one thing and does the opposite !
Each side of a conflict believes it is fighting for the GOOD
Each side of a conflict believes it is fighting for GOD
Marterdom the extreem expression of I will give up my life to prove my point!
I don’t pretend to elevate myself to proffit I just tell it like it comes to me !
Not my words but the one who is in control of it all! love jere
Indigo, sometimes it seems our society has turned into a big corporate machine, like the Borg in Star Trek Next Generation.
I got a call from my mortgage company on Sunday afternoon (!) telling me my account is delinquent because I wrote the October check for 9 cents too little. THEY CALLED ME OVER 9 CENTS! Then, they asked if I wanted to put the 9 cents on my credit card.
Do I think Citimortgage is an agent of evil? Damn straight I do.
You’re right, it’s a pretty crazy society we live in.