"Skewering The Ripperologists" Bad Women Podcast- Hallie Rubenhold

[Chris Phillips]

Just to add two other things about that podcast.

(1) Rubenhold announced that a publisher of school textbooks in the UK had tweeted that they would be revising the description of all the Ripper victims as prostitutes in the light of her "groundbreaking" work.

(2) Towards the end, she actually seemed to be expressing enthusiasm for collaborative Internet-based research into True Crime. That was with reference to non-Ripper-related research. But I suppose it's not surprising, given the use she has made of research posted here and on Casebook in her book.

Talking of which, after listening to the last episode, I wrote to the website hosting these podcasts, Pushkin, about Pat's and my recent research into Elizabeth Weston Davies, in relation to the discussion of the exhumation proposal in that episode. But no response so far.

[Gary Barnett]

If Levy is discussed, HR will have finally abandoned her pretence of not being a Ripperologist - unless, of course, she can dress it up as yet another woke crusade.

[Gary Barnett]

There was nothing more about the previously proposed exhumation of Mary Kelly in this episode, apart from an passing reference by Cornwell to the possibility of identifying the remains through DNA testing.

Evidently Jacob Levy is going to be discussed in the next (and final) episode.

Why would it have come as a surprise to her? What was she expecting? With the exception of the stubbornly elusive Mary Kelly, the source material available for the victims is far greater than exists for most East End women. I’m including contemporary press reports and police reports here. Did she unearth a wealth of primary source material in connection with her ‘Covent Garden Ladies’? I think not. The statement is not to be taken at face value, it’s her way of repeating her mantra that there is no evidence that the 5 were prostitutes.

All three of my grandkids covered the WM as part of their GCSE history curriculum and from what I saw, there was more about the social conditions of the period than there was the police investigation. Again it’s HR twisting the facts.

[Chris Phillips]

There was nothing more about the previously proposed exhumation of Mary Kelly in this episode, apart from an passing reference by Cornwell to the possibility of identifying the remains through DNA testing.

Evidently Jacob Levy is going to be discussed in the next (and final) episode.

[Chris Phillips]

Hallie Rubenhold talks to students and teachers, and hears from crime novelist and Ripper investigator Patricia Cornwell about finding a way to discuss the Whitechapel murders without glamorizing the killer.

https://www.pushkin.fm/episode/e14-t...ster-among-us/

I must admit I was absolutely flabbergasted by this (at 14m). "The body of material - primary sources - is negligible. That actually came as a surprise to me when I started doing my research on this."

That statement is immediately preceded by an explanation that in the UK school curriculum, the Whitechapel Murders are taught as part of "the investigative policing content in the Whitechapel Historic Environment". Unless the editing of the podcast is incredibly misleading, the police investigation of the murders really is what she is talking about. Considering Messrs Evans and Skinner presented her with transcripts of more than 700 pages of primary source material on that specific subject in a single volume, one can only marvel at that assertion.

[Howard Brown]

Hallie Rubenhold talks to students and teachers, and hears from crime novelist and Ripper investigator Patricia Cornwell about finding a way to discuss the Whitechapel murders without glamorizing the killer.

https://www.pushkin.fm/episode/e14-t...ster-among-us/

[D.J.Adams]

Sh! Don't mention Berner Street.

[Gary Barnett]

Just as the Victorian establishment and press stigmatised poor homeless women, they painted Jewish immigrants in a negative light. And modern day Ripperologists glady received both those batons.

That’s how you indulge your Ripper obsession and keep your woke readership on side. The gender and the ethnic background of Ripperologists is best not delved into.

[Gary Barnett]

Of course, this may just be a ploy so she can add anti-semitism to the list of Ripperological traits.

I doubt it, buddy, Rube is Jewish and I believe Tracy is partly Jewish herself.

All the more reason why she might want to paint Ripperologists in that light. The fact that many of the most prominent Ripperologists are women hasn’t stopped her from playing the misogyny card.

[Howard Brown]

Of course, this may just be a ploy so she can add anti-semitism to the list of Ripperological traits.

I doubt it, buddy, Rube is Jewish and I believe Tracy is partly Jewish herself.

[Gary Barnett]

I’m just watching ‘In Charles Dickens Footsteps With Gyles Brandreth’ on Channel 5. When it got to the bit where it was explained that as a boy Dickens worked in a blacking factory, I was reminded of HR telling her readers that Dickens had been a shoe-black. I’m not sure what’s more risible, that or her apparent ignorance of the effect of the Great Fire of London as demonstrated by her description of Dawes Court.

[Gary Barnett]

Odd, as well, to choose a suspect just featured in a book co-written by a female Ripperologist.

That’s true. But perhaps feels the need to neutralise the contribution made by female Ripperologists and can’t do that on the basis of misogyny, so questioning their competence and throwing in a claim of anti-semitism might work for her.

I’ve no idea how she intends to handle the Levy issue, but I know her methods …

[Chris Phillips]

Of course, the stalking horse she has created, that of a drooling misogynistic male devotee of the Ripper doesn’t really exist. At least not on here or Casebook - as far as I’m aware.

By expressing an interest in Levy’s candidacy she has outed herself as a proper Ripperologist. I hope she follows it up and joins the ‘communuity’.

Odd, as well, to choose a suspect just featured in a book co-written by a female Ripperologist.

[Gary Barnett]

Of course, the stalking horse she has created, that of a drooling misogynistic male devotee of the Ripper doesn’t really exist. At least not on here or Casebook - as far as I’m aware.

By expressing an interest in Levy’s candidacy she has outed herself as a proper Ripperologist. I hope she follows it up and joins the ‘communuity’.

Of course, this may just be a ploy so she can add anti-semitism to the list of Ripperological traits.

[Howard Brown]

Not only that, but - as you're implying - arguing against the plausibility of suspects has always been a favourite activity of Ripperologists and one that they have often done very well, and on the basis of meticulous research.
-CGP-

Good one, Chris....

Reminds me of that song in Tod Browning's "Freaks"

"Gooba, gabba, gooba gabba...we accept her, we accept her...one of us, one of us !"