Online retailer eBay has officially banned the sale of costumes portraying serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
Website officials invoked eBay's policies regarding violence and violent criminals, which prohibit the sale of items that “promote or glorify violence,” are "associated with violent individuals," or feature a crime scene from the past 100 years.
The company told Buzzfeed News that Dahmer costumes therefore violate their terms of service, stating: "These items are prohibited for sale on our site and we are removing them."
Following the Netflix show Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, retailers have seen an increase in sales of costumes inspired by the notorious killer. Consumers have been purchasing orange jumpsuits, glasses shaped like Dahmer's, and masks based on Evan Peters’ portrayal in the series.
The trend has become so prominent since the release of the show that it prompted American Gymnast Simone Biles to speak out on Twitter.
"im just gon go head and say it, put the jeffrey dahmer costumes back in the closet," she wrote. "we ain’t having it!!!!!!"
\u201cim just gon go head and say it, put the jeffrey dahmer costumes back in the closet. we ain\u2019t having it!!!!!!\u201d— Simone Biles (@Simone Biles) 1666140922
Between 1978 and 1991 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at least 17 men and boys were raped, murdered, and dismembered by Dahmer, who also engaged in cannibalism and necrophilia. Most of his victims were gay men of color, some as young as 13 years old.
Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story intimately documents Dahmer's crimes and following trials, andis currently the second-most popular show on Netflix, proceeded only by Stranger Things. Family members of Dahmer's victims claim Netflix never contacted them about making the series, and have accused the company of opening old wounds.
“It’s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?” wrote Eric Perry, a cousin of Errol Lindsey, who was murdered by Dahmer.
\u201cI\u2019m not telling anyone what to watch, I know true crime media is huge rn, but if you\u2019re actually curious about the victims, my family (the Isbell\u2019s) are pissed about this show. It\u2019s retraumatizing over and over again, and for what? How many movies/shows/documentaries do we need?\u201d— eric perry. (@eric perry.) 1663866674
While eBay has begun pulling all costumes involved with the serial killer, other retailers such as Amazon have yet to follow suit and remove associated items.