Have TikTok Edits Gone Too Far?

TikTok has become the go-to platform for quick, creative content—from compilation videos to fan-made edits of our favourite actors. Lately, these edits have taken on a life of their own, transforming serious scenes into swoon-worthy montages. One actor who's caught in the middle of this trend is Nicholas Chavez, who plays Lyle Menendez in a new documentary series about the infamous Menendez brothers case. But, instead of focusing on the grim subject, TikTok has been buzzing about Chavez himself—turning him into a new internet heartthrob.

For those who don’t know, the Menendez brothers were convicted of killing their parents in 1989. The documentary dives into the tragic and complicated case, but the TikTok edits featuring Chavez, do not make this evident to viewers. Clips of his portrayal of Lyle Menendez have been set to upbeat music, turning dark courtroom scenes into content that provokes comments including “celeb crush”, “fine”, and “hot”. It’s left some wondering—are we missing the point of these shows?

Adding to this, a recent TikTok from the Newcastle club Tropiloco took things to another level. The video shows students in line for the club being asked how many drinks it would take for them to sleep with the Menendez brothers. Yes, you read that right. The clip has stirred a mix of reactions—some find it darkly humorous, while others feel it crosses a line, trivializing not only the real-life crimes but also the moral boundaries around what’s appropriate to joke about.

Fan edits and viral moments like this aren’t exactly new. For years, people have been turning their favourite on-screen characters into crushes, but there's something particularly jarring when the focus shifts from a sensitive, true-crime story to the latest “celeb crush” Are we too caught up in finding our next internet obsession, or are we just separating the actor from the role? One online contributor commented on one of the edits “I was watching the show and couldn’t get over how fine this man is (the actor not the character he plays)”. So, maybe most people are separating the actors from the controversial characters they play. And is there anything wrong with that? Everyone seems to have a different opinion.

On one side, it’s all in good fun—fans are just showing their appreciation for Chavez’s talent (and, let’s be honest, his good looks). But on the other hand, it’s a little strange to see real-life tragedies transformed into a thirst trap, or in Tropiloco’s case, a drinking game. Does it trivialize the story? Or are we just enjoying the internet the way we always do, by turning everything into something entertaining?

Maybe the real question is: do we even care about what shows are depicting anymore? Either way, Nicholas Chavez probably didn’t expect to go from portraying a convicted murderer to TikTok’s latest “boyfriend,” but here we are.