Ed Gein "The Mad Butcher"

Childhood

Mommy's Boy

Ed and Henry Gein had an alcoholic father and a strictly religious mother. Ed was bullied in school due to "a slight growth over one eye and an effeminate demeanor". After the father died, Henry started to lean away from his mother's obsessive teachings and bizarre opinions. Ed, however, grew closer to his mother.

Comparisons

asphyxiation?

Henry frequently spoke of wanting to leave the house to start his own life. He spoke ill of their mother in front of Ed. One day the brothers had a brush fire on their property. Ed got the police because he could not find Henry. He then proceeded to lead the police directly to the body of his brother. There was evidence of head trauma, but the doctor determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation.

Ed's mother read from the bible every day to her children. She told her sons that women (other than herself) were wretched and whores. After the death of her husband and her son, Henry, she became more erratic. Switching back and forth between anger and love, Augusta commonly insulted Ed, but would later let him share her bed. When Augusta died in 1940, Ed was left alone as a confused, grief stricken man.

Ed Gein has greatly impacted our media culture. His story is reflected in movies such as Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs. Similarly, Knoxville Girl is an old song that has been remade so many times that it has became a part of the media culture. It has been recorded over 15 times by different artists. The song dates back the the 19th century, but has remained

popular enough to still be known today.

The video about Gein's crimes was similar to the music video for Sufjan Stevens' "John Wayne Gacy Jr." Both showed scenes of the crimes as well as clips about the backgrounds of the killers. There was also extra scenes that were not related to the killings.

Our lyrics end with Ed Gein getting caught and taken in. This is similar to Little Sadie. The song ended with what his punishment was. Gein got sent to a mental health institution, whereas the killer of Sadie got sentenced 41 years.

The Crime

The background music for the Ed Gein song was "Lonely Boy", which is an upbeat tune. The Dixie Chick's "Goodbye Earl" likewise had a cheerful melody and playful tone. The topics of both were dark and disturbing, but made entertaining through the use of the music.

The lyrics were told in first person like Adele's "If It Hadn't Been For Love". This makes the song more intimate. The listener hears the songs in the point of view of the killer, causing the listener to understand the crime differently than just hearing a report of it.

The disappearance of Bernice Worden, a hardware store clerk, was linked to Ed Gein. He had been in the store the last day Worden had been seen. The police searched his property and found the woman's body in his shed. The corpse had been decapitated and strung up like one would with a dead dear.

Grizzly Details

Upon searching Ed Gein's house the police discovered:

• a belt of human nipples
• socks made of flesh
• lampshades and upholstery of human skin
• a vest made from a woman's torso
• a human heart
• the head of another woman
• shrunken heads

Conclusion

The Motive

Gein wanted to be a woman. This in combination with a desire to be closer to his mother, led him to create items like the shrunken heads. Digging up the graves of recently deceased women that he thought resembled his mother, Gein made the shrunken head masks and other clothing items to allow himself to feel like a woman.

Gein was found incapable of standing trial due mental incompetency. He was then sent to a State Hospital where he was declared sane. Then able to go to trial, he was found not guilty on terms of insanity. Gein died in a mental institution in 1984.

Bibliography

"Ed Gein." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Nov 06 2013, 05:40 http://www.biography.com/people/ed-gein-11291338.

"Ed Gein." Biography and Crime Scene Photos. Mental Shed Studios, 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.

Ed Gein "The Mad Butcher"

Ross Suitor, Alli Chertack, Mark Dunleady, Nick Schreiber, Torey Patenaude