We have a complicated relationship with Ted Bundy as a society. Whether it’s that he’s seen as the “hot” serial killer or the glorification of how he got away with his crimes for so long, there is an air about the Bundy conversation that understandably rubs people the wrong way. But, we sure do love to talk about Ted Bundy.
So now, with the release of Netflix’s The Ted Bundy Tapes, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile is offering a different kind of Bundy tale. Zac Efron is bringing the famed killer to life, and many are understandably angry that the movie makes Bundy into some kind of rockstar, rather than the monster we know him to be.
But now that all of this information is coming out, Kathy Kleiner Rubin, who was one of Bundy’s victims, is talking about how an idealized version of himself is exactly what Bundy wanted people to see, because that’s how he saw himself.
It’s an important message to think about. Part of why Bundy had the ability to do all these things was because of his charm, intellect, and looks. He wanted you to believe he was the kind of man who could never hurt a woman, which is what Rubin points: that romanticizing Zac Efron as Bundy is a reminder of how the real monster got away with his crimes for so long.
Rubin goes on to say that she hopes that all this new information on Bundy will make women more aware, and that’s the more important message to take out of all this. The most terrifying aspect of Bundy is that he could be someone you know, who you would never suspect. For years, he maintained relationships, had friends and family, and was an integral part of his community, and no one suspected that he was doing these killings. And even when Liz Kloepfer, who was Bundy’s girlfriend at the time, told them she suspected him, the police called him in and let him go.
For years, he got away with literal murder because he could seem like a trustworthy man, and that’s a truth that we, as women, have to deal with. These men who are our friends and family could be the predator we fear most. That’s not to say that we have to sit and fear every man surrounding us, but it does bring up the idea that we’re more than likely to be hurt by someone we know.
There are men like Bundy everywhere. They might not be murderers, but they view women as objects rather than human beings, and hopefully, that’s what Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile tells its audiences.
(image: Voltage Pictures/screengrab)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
