Last Podcast On The Left
Last Podcast On The Left
"The lips of a strange woman drop honey and her mouth is smoother than oil but her latter end is bitter as wormwood sharp as a two-edge sword now therefore my sons harken unto me and depart not from the words of my mouth remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the door of her house for why shouldest thou my son be ravished with a strange woman and embrace the bosom of a stranger" — Augusta Geen (recited by speaker)
The episode begins by establishing the bleak, isolated setting of Plainfield, Wisconsin, and introduces the complex and troubled family dynamic of Ed Gein. His father, George Gein, was an insignificant drunk prone to anger, while his mother, Augusta, was a stern, self-righteous, and domineering evangelical Christian who believed the world outside their home was rife with sin. The narrative emphasizes Augusta's extreme judgmental nature and her belief that sex was solely for procreation and not to be enjoyed, a philosophy she imparted to her sons, Henry and Ed.
The discussion details Ed Gein's childhood, highlighting his sensitivity, isolation, and peculiar behaviors, such as his social incompetence and inappropriate laughter. His mother's influence is presented as particularly detrimental, reinforcing a distorted view of morality and women, with the exception of herself, whom she presented as pure. The episode touches upon his first encounters with death and violence, including witnessing animal slaughter at his mother's grocery store, and his father's eventual death in a hunting accident.
The latter part of the episode focuses on the period after George Gein's death, when Ed and his mother were left alone. It details Augusta's declining health and eventual death from a stroke, which Ed tended to. The episode concludes by exploring the speculation surrounding the death of Ed's brother, Henry, and the profound impact of his mother's death on Ed, leaving him with no immediate family and setting the stage for his later criminal activities.