The JonBenét Ramsey Netflix doc and how the way we talk about her has changed

Everyone is talking about JonBenét Ramsey. But not the way they used to.

The "Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey?" documentary series dropped Nov. 25 on Netflix, inviting viewers to yet again re-examine the grisly, decades-old murder of a 6-year-old. It doesn’t give us the answer we’ve been searching for in the 28 years since – who actually killed the young pageant girl in Boulder, Colorado? – but it unpacks the most glaring issues with the case. The series highlights how police spent valuable time and resources zeroing in on the child’s parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, to no avail.

What was also wrong? How the media discussed JonBenét's pageant outfits as sexual ad nauseam, and how people were quick to blame her parents for putting her in pageants in the first place. But has society moved forward from this way of thinking? Yes and no.

The '90s-era media featured in the series "may reveal how much has changed, but also shows how little has changed," says Stefania Marghitu, an assistant professor in film and television at the University of Alabama.

What's undeniably different today? We're much more aware of the harms of victim-blaming and how we talk about children.

"Society must move beyond blaming attire choices for the illegal and unprovoked violence far too many girls and women experience globally," says Melvin Williams, associate professor of communication and media studies at Pace University.

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'Some people will find it even easier to blame the parents'

People will always look to place blame, though, and parents are often an easy target.

"It's not so easy to blame a child, but it is easy to blame the parents, to look for ways they might be at fault for what has happened to their family," says Travis Langley, professor of psychology at Henderson State University. "Some people will find it even easier to blame the parents by seeing them as accessories or even the perpetrators (rather) than to empathize with their overwhelming pain or consider them victims, too, as parents who have horribly lost their child."

Perhaps the focus on JonBenét's pageant participation would be just as pronounced today, says Elizabeth Jeglic, a professor of psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Likely many would still harshly judge her participation, Jeglic suspects, "given her young age and her participation in beauty pageants, which are known to increase the sexualization of and dehumanization of women – factors related to the increased risk for sexual violence in a culture."

One moment that will also leave viewers gobsmacked is revisiting a 1997 mock trial conducted by Geraldo Rivera, then host of a syndicated daytime talk show, to gauge whether the Ramseys were liable for their daughter’s death. Rivera has sine spoken out on NewsNation’s "CUOMO" show after the series debuted, addressing John Ramsey: "I just want you to know that I lament contributing to the hurt that you have endured. I don't, I don't think – no one deserves to go through what you went through. That's my bottom line."

In the documentary, footage from that time shows a woman identified as a child abuse expert saying she believes JonBenét had been "sexually stimulated" after viewing a videotaped performance."She picks up a saxophone and for the next minute and a half, she masturbates with it," the woman says, grossly mischaracterizing the footage, which shows JonBenét pretending to play the instrument.

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True crime and vulnerability

This documentary is one of many released in recent years that have called into question past gender roles and discrimination. Think about all we've learned about Britney Spears and child stars of the '90s and early 2000s.

Today, "pop stars like Billie Eilish are taking ownership of their image and refusing to be sexualized," Marghitu says. "But many of the most vulnerable folks, like Ramsey, are still very vulnerable. A series like 'Toddlers and Tiaras,' at the same time, ran from 2009 to 2013."

One must ask, though, when are these documentaries helping and when are they hurting? They're likely in it for the eyeballs − and money.

"We have to remember that such true crime blockbusters are part of a true crime industrial complex and are designed to keep people locked into the attention economy of 'likes' and 'shares' and outrage and binge-watching," says Tanya Horeck, author of "Justice on Demand: True Crime in the Digital Streaming Era."

The documentary certainly renewed interest in the popular case, but as of now, citing the ongoing investigation, police declined further comment on "specific aspects" of the crime. They encourage those with any helpful information to reach out via email, BouldersMostWanted@bouldercolorado.gov, or by phone: (303) 441-1974.

"The killing of JonBenét was an unspeakable crime, and this tragedy has never left our hearts," Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said in a statement provided to USA TODAY. "We are committed to following up on every lead and we are continuing to work with DNA experts and our law enforcement partners around the country until this tragic case is solved."

Contributing: Erin Jensen

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JonBenét Ramsey pageants, Netflix show and today's culture