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Kesha’s Jeffrey Dahmer Cannibal Lyrics Cause Outrage After Netflix Series Becomes Popular

Kesha fans have vowed to delete her 2010 song 'Cannibal' over its offensive lyrics about notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
Credit: Alamy

Kesha fans have vowed to delete her 2010 song ‘Cannibal’ over its offensive lyrics about notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.

The ‘Die Young’ singer penned the track alongside songwriters Pebe Sebert, Joshua Coleman and Mathieu Jomphe and it was the title track to her first EP.

Since the release of Netflix’s Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story in September, the track has sparked outrage with listeners who believe the song is ‘insensitive’ to his victims.

Watch the official trailer for Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story in the clip below…

In the song, Kesha sings: “Your little heart goes pitter-patter, I want your liver on a platter.

“Be too sweet and you’ll be a goner, yeah, I’ll pull a Jeffrey Dahmer.

“I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch, then when I’m thirsty, I drink their blood.

“Carnivore, animal, I am a cannibal. I eat boys up, you better run.”

Fans took to social media to share their feelings about the lyrics.

Related Article: Netflix’s Jeffrey Dahmer Series Branded Horrifying By Viewers

One person wrote on TikTok: “Has anyone looked up the lyrics to this song? So insensitive to Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims.”

Another said: “I used to vibe to this song but then I heard Jeffery Dahmer and I was shocked because I’m watching the show right now.”

A third added: “I used to sing this song like I related when I was 12. I really had NO business to sing it.”

“I never noticed, but using his name like some token in a song is insensitive to the victims and their families,” remarked a fourth.

Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer
Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer pictured in court. Credit: Alamy

On Twitter, one person posted: “Just learned who Jeffrey Dahmer is and I knew his name was familiar because Kesha put his name in her lyrics for her song ‘Cannibal’.

“I need to delete that song now. Why the heck do we give fandom to these sickos?!”

While another wrote: “Never paid attention to this #cannibal #dahmer. I’m skipping this song from now.”

Related Article: Evan Peters Fans Urged Not To ‘Romanticise’ Jeffrey Dahmer After Watching Netflix Show

“Fun fact: when I first listened to the song cannibal by Kesha, I asked my mum who Jeffery Dahmer was and she banned me from listening to that song!” said a third.

Kesha isn’t the only musical artist under fire over referencing Dahmer, with Katy Perry being called out for her 2013 song ‘Dark Horse’ over its lyrics about the killer, who is portrayed by Evan Peters on the Netflix show.

The specific lyric in that song, sung by featured artist Juicy J, says: “She eats your heart out like Jeffrey Dahmer (whoa!).”

Discussing the song on Twitter, one user said: “It still upsets me when I hear the line in the song ‘Dark Horse’: ‘She eats your heart out like Jeffrey Dahmer’, I always make my daughter turn the station.

“It’s so disrespectful to the victims’ families. I hope people remember them while watching Netflix. Sorry for their losses.”

A second said: “Knowing the depths of what Jeffrey Dahmer did… Juicy J [is] wrong for what he said in that Katy Perry song.”

“Since Jeffrey Dahmer is trending right now, can we talk about how weird Juicy J’s line in Katy Perry’s ‘Dark Horse’ is…” wrote another.

Jeffrey Dahmer’s horrific crimes have brought back to media attention following Netflix’s drama series, which stars American Horror Story’s Evan Peters.

It follows the infamous killer who was convicted of murdering 17 men and boys throughout a killing spree that took place between 1978 and 1991.

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Written by Cal Gaunt

Cal is a former content editor at IGV who specialised in writing trending and entertainment news. He previously worked as a news reporter at the Lancashire Telegraph and earned an NCTJ in Sports Journalism.