A Public Memo to Molly or Murphy's Flaw

Dear Molly:
You've done two projects with Ryan Murphy now.  I suspect there will be more.

Chloe Sevigny has imbibed the Kool-Aid-Slushie.

Will I be watching The House of Murphy's latest project about the bros. Menendez?  No, I won't.  I don't particularly want to see Chloe gunned down on screen via buckshot to the face in what I'm guessing is ultra slow-motion.  I don't need to see that.  I already lived it in my mind when this unspeakable crime was all over the news in the early 90's.  And the numerous TV movies that have already been made.  Why do we need to see this again?  In ultra slow motion, yet?  And yes, this has triggered me (as much as I hate that phrase).  That really upset me at the time and it has upset me again, thinking of it happening to an actress I admire.  And yes, I know it's not real; and yet, this is why I am writing this.
Why, again, did we need to see the Dahmer story?  We all lived it when it happened.  We lived it again when Jeremy Renner took on the role.  And again and again in various and sundry TV exposes.  What is the purpose of the "Monsters" TV series, yet another franchise from Ryan Murphy?  I did not watch the Dahmer entry either.  Nor, Molly, was I even aware that you were in it.  The purpose?  Not having nor planning to see any episodes of this televised endeavour should I really be offering my opinion?  Well, it hasn't stopped me before, so here goes!
It seems to me that "Monsters" apart from being a ratings, thus moolah juggernaut, is merely an excursion into the desecration of the flesh and ultimately the spirit. The mind is merely an afterthought.  Watching Jeff and Lyle and Eric recommit their crimes for what can only be our entertainment seems to play to our basest instincts.  Are we tuning in to get to the bottom of human nature; how it can be twisted and go awry?  Or are we tuning in to see what a shotgun can do to a human face or how a drill bit can be used to hollow out a skull?  Gnarly!  
I'm not going to go into a big thing here aboute exploitation, ethics, morality, greed--any of that.  And full disclosure, I loved FEUD: Bette and Joan.

And I also loved FEUD: Capote vs. The Swans:

But I could have lived without seeing Truman violently punched in the face every fifteen minutes by his abusive boyfriend.  This story element was even highlighted in the opening credits.  Why?  I mean we get it.  His boyfriend was a violent louse who hit him.  Seeing it once would've been enough.  Not a half dozen times in close-up.  This is the very definition of GRATUITOUS and therein lies the problem.  Not for you so much Molly; but more for your new boss.  All this wallowing in nasty horror, both imagined and REAL is starting to make Mr. Murphy seem ghoulish.  They used to call this sort of thing an unhealthy interest.  If a child showed an unhealthy interest back in the day, they were usually taken to a child psychologist.  Now we're getting Aaron Hernandez and his sexy, secret gay murderous streak.  Is American Sports Story going to be about only murderous professional athletes?  Or are they going to have to expand to International Sports Story in order to do the Oscar Pistorius story?  It seems that playing field might be rather limited.  I mean, come on Ryan, how about having a little queer fun once in a while?  How about a show about the making of Pillow Talk?  No one kills!  No one is murdered!  No one has a bizarre, gross out-outer space pregnancy.  Nobody dies of AIDS.  Well, somebody did; but this isn't about that.

This is about feeling good.  And I can't say I feel all that good after watching your product.  Not even Glee.  I tried.  I thought those kids were a bunch of conniving, nasty, back-stabbing psychos.  But that's just me.
But this is a memo to Molly.
Molly, you recently mentioned, I think it was on Seth Meyers "talker," that you want to further expand your acting endeavours by playing a "psycho bitch."  I'm pretty sure those were your words.  And I understand the impulse.  And now you are working with someone who clearly can make that wish come true.  And here is my unsolicited advice.  Do with it what you will.  In light of the "buzz" that the next installment of "Monsters" is going to be the Ed Gein story, I ask you this:  Please do not sign on to play Ed Gein's mother.

Or any other woman involved in this story.  You will merely become part of the set.  Literally.
That is all.
Carry on.
As you were.
Ciao for now.
MWAH!
S.W.A.K.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
Chris


​CFR   9/26/24