Analisis Resepsi Penonton Terhadap LGBT dalam Serial Netflix "Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

I DEWA AYU CAHYANINGRUM, Dr. Novi Kurnia, M.Si., M.A.

2025 | Skripsi | Ilmu Komunikasi

Terjadinya ketidaksamaan persepsi dari kreator dan penonton terutama komunitas LGBT dalam serial ini menjadikan alasan peneliti untuk mengetahui resepsi penonton terhadap LGBT dalam serial Netflix Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Peneliti menggunakan metode kualitatif analisis resepsi oleh Stuart Hall untuk mengetahui persepsi penonton yang memiliki latar belakang pemahaman dan lingkungan yang berbeda – beda. Pemahaman dari informan dibagi menjadi kedalam tiga kategori, yaitu dominant-hegemonic reading, negotiated reading, dan oppositional reading. Ditemukan penerimaan informan terhadap representasi LGBT dalam serial ini yang masuk kedalam dominant-hegemonic reading dan juga temuan penerimaan informan kedalam negotiated reading. Sebagian dari informan menerima keberadaan LGBT dan penggambaran dalam series tersebut namun sebagian merasa penggambaran dalam series tidak merepresentasikan bagaimana LGBT dalam lingkungan mereka. Dari pemahaman pribadi informan berdasarkan agama, LGBT tidak sejalan dengan ajaran agama mereka, meskipun informan menerima keberadaan LGBT disekitarnya. Selain itu, terdapat informan memaknai bahwa lingkungan keluarga memengaruhi kepribadian Jeffrey Dahmer sehingga dapat melakukan kekerasan hingga pembunuhan. Temuan lainnya adanya bentuk diskriminasi terhadap ras dan identitas bagi beberapa informan. Hasil dari penelitian menunjukkaan adanya perbedaan pemaknaan dari audiens yang dipengaruhi oleh bedanya lingkungan sekitar dari informan.

The differences in perception between the creators and the audience, particularly the LGBT community, in this series prompted the researcher to investigate audience reception of LGBT representation in the Netflix series Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The researcher used qualitative methods and Stuart Hall's reception analysis to understand the perceptions of viewers with different backgrounds and environments. The informant’s understanding was categorized into three types: dominant-hegemonic reading, negotiated reading, and oppositional reading. The findings showed that some informants accepted the representation of LGBT in the series within the dominant-hegemonic reading framework, while others had a negotiated reading. Some informants accepted the presence of LGBT individuals and their portrayal in the series, while others felt that the depiction did not accurately represent how LGBT individuals are portrayed in their own communities. Based on their personal, especially their religious views, LGBT is prohibited on their religion, even though they accepted the presence of LGBT people around them. Additionally, some informants believed that Jeffrey Dahmer’s personality was influenced by his family environment, which may have contributed to his violent actions and murders. Another finding was the existence of discrimination based on race and identity on series by some informants. The results of the study showed that the interpretation of the audience varied, influenced by the differing environments of the informants.

Kata Kunci : Representasi, LGBT, lingkungan, resepsi audiens, Jeffrey Dahmer