Last Podcast On The Left
Last Podcast On The Left
"This is Unsolved Mysteries. We are going to fucking skip the intro, the one, because they do a little callback. They do a shadowy callback to Robert Stack, where he just appears through his cancer smoke, and it's so nice to see his grizzled face." — Ben Kissel
"I think your conclusions are very sound." — Joe Sr. (quoted)
"The reason why this is ironic is because this is exactly what Eagaz Moniz theorized the brain would do back when he originated the lobotomy, except an adult brain is not capable of regeneration." — Marcus Parks
The episode begins with a discussion about the Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries and the hosts' strong opinions on the "skip intro" button, humorously contrasting it with the show's often somber tone. The conversation then pivots to the previous episode's topic of lobotomies and the personal impact it had on listeners. The hosts introduce the focus on Rosemary Kennedy, JFK's sister, and the history of the Kennedy family, touching upon the "Kennedy curse" and a series of tragic events affecting the family. The narrative explores Rosemary's birth complications, attributed to medical incompetence during the Spanish Flu pandemic, and the prevailing eugenics movement of the era.
The podcast details how Rosemary's developmental disabilities, exacerbated by the birth complications, led her family, particularly her father Joe Kennedy Sr., to seek a lobotomy as a solution, driven by societal pressures and political aspirations. The hosts recount the horrific procedure performed by Dr. Walter Freeman, highlighting the lack of consent and the devastating cognitive decline Rosemary suffered afterward. The discussion extends to other cases of lobotomy, including that of Howard Dooley, a young boy subjected to the transorbital lobotomy by Walter Freeman, emphasizing the ethical void and the dangerous pursuit of notoriety by some medical professionals.
The episode concludes by reflecting on the long-term consequences of these procedures and the broader implications for understanding mental health and disability. The hosts acknowledge the eventual societal shift away from lobotomies, the development of new treatments, and the importance of advocacy for individuals with intellectual disabilities, citing Eunice Kennedy Shriver's founding of the Special Olympics. They also touch upon modern issues in healthcare, such as the challenges of accessing necessary medications and insurance coverage, drawing parallels to the historical struggles for adequate care.