Month: April 2018

5 Killer Golden State Killer Podcasts

/ Jaimie Olmstead / Leave a comment

This past week, the Golden State Killer, one of the most prolific and elusive criminals in history, was caught. After a push to retest formerly “discarded” DNA samples, it was found to match that of Joseph DeAngelo, a 72 yr old resident of Citrus Heights, California. DeAngelo, a former police officer, was fired from the force after being charged with shoplifting dog repellant and a hammer from a local hardware store. Consequently, this is the exact time the East Area Rapist stepped up his crimes to murder, earning him the nickname of the Golden State Killer. All in all, the East Area Rapist would commit 50 rapes and 12 murders. After DeAngelo’s arrest it was also made clear that he was the criminal responsible for the Visalia breaking and entering cases, earning him the nickname of the “Visalia Ransacker”. While new details are being uncovered daily, if you need a solid place to start to understand this case, take a listen to the following podcasts.

 

Criminology Podcast

5. Criminology – Season Two: The East Area Rapist/Golden State Killer

Criminology didn’t dedicate one episode to the EAR, no, they dedicated an entire season. While the majority of the the season has been underway before the recent arrest, the team promises to continue the season as more information about the case surfaces.

My Favorite Murder Podcast Banner

4. My Favorite Murder – Episode 1: My Firstest Murder

Karen and Georgia’s very first episode of their podcast which defines the new era of true crime obsession, My Favorite Murder, covers both the Jon Benet Ramsey murder as well as the East Area Rapist. Meet Elvis for the first time and listen to these two murderinos talk the OG Night Stalker.

And That's Why We Drink Podcast

3. And That’s Why We Drink – Episode 48: The Island of Misfit Priests and the Easter Egg Rapist

It’s no secret that I wish Christine and Em were my BFF’s IRL. In each of their episodes for …And That’s Why We Drink they blend the paranormal and true crime. A perfect combination. Better yet, brevity isn’t their strong suit so you get 90 minutes packed with great stories and even funnier banter. While this isn’t the most clinical or factual representation of the EAR case, it’s safe to say it’s the most entertaining.

Exposed: The East Area Rapist podcast

2. Exposed – The East Area Rapist

Exposed is an entire podcast dedicated to covering the East Area Rapist from the perspective of people on the ground, during the time of the crimes. A lot of podcasts recap the stories and facts of the case years later but the Fox News media outlet who pieced together this 3 part series takes the approach of following law enforcement of the time and getting first hand accounts of the terror during the 70s and 80s when the EAR was active.

Casefile podcast case 53

1. Casefile – Case 53: The East Area Rapist 1976

Casefile has steadily grown to be one of my favorite true crime podcasts. Casefile’s host, who’s somehow has remained anonymous, and the Casefile team researches cases extensively and brings you the most factual and riveting accounts of true crime. Lucky for you, they did a 5 part series on the East Area Rapist. This is the deepest dive I’ve encountered into this case covering everything from the Visalia Ransacking B&E case to the murder cases.

Victorian Photo Retouching: The Original Instagram Filter

/ Jaimie Olmstead / Leave a comment

How did people live before Instagram filters? The beauty standards of current day seem damningly harsh. Is Photoshop one of the greatest technological tools of the last century? It’s easy to think we’re at the pinnacle of photography and image manipulation, but surprisingly, things weren’t that different from photo editing today.

Photo of a man's head retouched to appear rounder

Photo of a man’s head retouched to appear rounder

During the Edwardian and Victorian era photo retouching was all the craze. Photographers would retouch the actual negatives to eliminate wrinkles, harsh lighting, or even sculpt or shave down features.

Jocelyn Sears has a fantastic piece on this titled, “8 Odd Beauty Standards in Turn-of-the-Century Photographs”, over at Mental Floss. In the article she describes the harsh beauty standards at the time, mostly derived from the pseudo medical practices of phrenology and physiognomy. These studies implied that someone’s character or personal traits could be determined by their physical features.

Photo alteration in which a young woman's teeth which have been hidden

Photo alteration in which a young woman’s teeth which have been hidden

Unsurprisingly, these practices take us down a familiar path we’re all too used to even to this day when it comes to beauty standards; sexism and racism. For example,

“An instructive article on retouching in the magazine The New Photo-Miniature noted that forehead wrinkles are ‘lines and marks of age or thought or worry’ and that ‘In women under fifty they should generally be removed almost completely. In men they are generally merely softened, as often expressing character and individuality.’ Women’s wrinkles, apparently, do not express character or individuality as men’s do.” – 8 Odd Beauty Standards in Turn-of-the-Century Photographs, Jocelyn Sears

It does seem, however, that beauty standards have pretty much done a complete 180. While today contouring and angular faces are pushed in magazines and advertising, prominent cheekbones and sharp features were viewed as masculine and displeasing. A woman was retouched to have soft, full features.

“The Complete Self-Instructing Library warned, ‘A high cheek-bone suggests more of the animal nature in the individual; a lower cheek-bone, which gives by far more beauty to the face, denotes mildness of character and a more congenial nature.’ Sharp, prominent cheekbones imply too much forcefulness of character to be considered attractive on women…” – 8 Odd Beauty Standards in Turn-of-the-Century Photographs, Jocelyn Sears

It seems like this is a battle never to be won but at least in this day and age we’re the one’s with the self agency and power to do the retouching. What features do you play up in your photo editing? Would you be into getting an old photograph of yourself touched up in turn-of-the-century style?