The Menendez Brothers have become popular again.
Recently, a new piece of evidence surfaced to reopen their case potentially. However, there's no denying that the hit Netflix adaptation 'Monsters' and the millions of views on TikTok posts have also played a massive role in renewing the public's interest.
Professor Farhana Nusrat PhD, who teaches social media marketing at the University of San Diego, said a new generation wants to give the Menendez brothers a re-sentencing.
"In the past, the justice system was very black and white," Nusrat said. "But in today's generation, we try to think a lot about how trauma and ethical punishment could be part of it. We cannot just look at the crime, but we also look at the context and what made them do something like this, the years of abuse that led up to this."
Nusrat said Netflix's series also humanized the Menendez brothers more.
The Menendez brothers have always centered their defense around allegations that their parents abused them.
Nusrat said in today's day and age, where mental health is so prevalent, the brother's case could potentially have a new outcome in 2024 compared to what happened back in 1996.
"We are becoming more conscious about mental health and any kind of illness," Nusrat said. "There wasn't a platform like social media back then in the nineties to collaborate and have a collective discussion, think about what's happening, and do some advocacy for them."
Nusrat also discussed the Menendez brothers 'celebrity status,' plus their openness about their alleged abuse, which may be more reasons why they have gained an extra following today.
"Regular people also feel a lot more comfortable when we know that there are other people out there who have similar backgrounds and similar abuses," Nusrat said.
Nusrat also agrees that social media has become a huge agent for change.
"It could also set a legal precedent for future cases when trauma and abuse are involved," Nusrat said.
