Question about criminals that look like monsters

[Oz67]

Why criminals that look like monsters go to mental institution? When I was not mentally stable, I watched creepy and scary videos of deranged criminals that look like monsters, but get sent to mental institution after they are cought.

 

[tree]

Ugliness is a traditional way of making a picture of
evil or crime. It's easier to understand that a creepy
scary monster is doing bad than, for instance, a
cute little bunny or pretty child.

If you're asking why do the fictional villains get sent
to a mental institution instead of prison, there are
many reasons why that particular plot element may
be used.

One reason may be to show mercy, on the villain.
As in *he can't help himself, his mind is diseased, but
he must be stopped.*

 

[Judge]

I always thought personalities like John Hinckley Jr. and Mark David Chapman looked rather average. Both could be described as "deranged criminals", though only one was institutionalized for a very long amount of time before being released. The other continues to remain in prison, with parole being denied every time. Of course it all may amount to their crimes committed. Hinckley tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan and failed. Chapman successfully murdered John Lennon.

In essence, not every criminal looks like serial killer John Wayne Gacy as a malevolent clown or serial killer Aileen Wornos. Then again, personally I thought the BTK killer (Dennis Rader) also looked average, enough to pass for working in his community's church. And serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer appeared rather ordinary as well. And perhaps the oldest known serial killer in the US, Dr. Henry Howard Holmes. Most of all, let's not forget America's "Deliberate Stranger"- Ted Bundy. An attractive and personable fellow who IMO only looked weird in his last moments with his head shaved as he was put to death in Florida's electric chair.

If anything, I think the issue being addressed amounts to media hype and little else. Promote interest in such programming by insinuating such people look strange. But it's still just a form of manipulation. Much like what goes on with the broadcasting of Cable News. Find a target audience and then "massage" them accordingly.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

One only needs to ponder Hannah Arendt's description of Eichmann as the "banality of evil." Others have described Eichmann as; "a radically evil Third Reich operative living inside the deceptively normal shell of a bland bureaucrat."

 

[SusanLR]

It isn't always criminals that look like monsters.
I always thought it was psychological on their behalf as to how they wanted to appear.

The smooth, manipulative psychopath will want to blend in and look and act
normal to avoid people from thinking anything about them.

The criminal that looks like what we may picture as the bad guy, such as portrayed
in movies and sometimes real life, IMO want to create the tough man look.
They get tattoos, wear sadistic jewelry, clothes that look rough, build their bodies
up muscular and end up with some scars, etc.
Inside their head they are the ones who are proud to look mean.
It gives them a feeling of being able to appear frightful just by looking at them and that's what they want. Makes them feel large and in charge.

Then there are those who really suffer from mental derangement that may not
even think about their looks due to the disease. They don't care how they look
and take no efforts for personal hygiene.

 

[Oz67]

That makes sense.

 

[Au Naturel]

as not mentally stable, I watched creepy and scary videos of deranged criminals that look like monsters, but get sent to me

Uh... don't watch those videos? They are probably designed to scare people and not reflect reality. Not as scary if you have ten ordinary and/or good-looking people going to a mental institution, so they just show you the creepy ones.

I don't know about elsewhere but the definition of "criminally insane" here is pretty tight. Being crazy is not enough - but it does help to be rich and crazy. Poor and crazy just go to prison.