The Lost Girls

Well, a certain notorious killer has passed away. While some in the media write obituaries about him, The Lost Girls ask the question - what changed? Do we have more concern for victims of violent crime, and in particular women and sex workers, today than we did in the 1970s? Do we still make the distinction between 'normal' and 'innocent' women as the police did at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper killings? Or do we have more respect for all people in such a vulnerable situation? 

Jack - Spring-Heeled, the Ripper - the 'tradename' Jack, a criminal in the business of victimising women - a brand of 19th Century offender. In this episode Kristin and Gaby consider the significant shift in the 19th century of women's mobility and access to work and public spaces that then witnessed a spike in crimes against them. And how they are - inevitably - categorised as being complicit in their own victimhood. We also celebrate the work of Halle Rubenhold and Professor David Wilson in addressing that categorisation and re-focusing attention onto the personal history of the victims. 

Gaby and Kris walk the streets and courtyards of 18th century London with the characters of Harlots (the Hulu and BBC series). We look into what it meant to be 'Kind Woman' in the 'trade' and 'turned out' from childhood. How times have changed - or not. There is some explicit content - we make that clear - as we try and tackle some of the facts and myths of women's lifestyles in past centuries. 

Got your attention? Well, this episode sees Gaby and Kris celebrating the achievement of film-makers in creating Blade (1998) and offering an inclusive look at the career of 'porn star turned legit actress' Traci Lords (sorry Traci!). John Waters, Divine, Traci Lords, and Wesley Snipes - what more could you ask for?? 

Welcome to The Lost Girls podcast. Gaby Malcolm and Kris Edwards discuss their shared passion and interest in the psychology, pathology, romance, and history of Vampires. We look at Austrian psychiatric pioneer Richard Von Krafft-Ebing and how he might have influenced Bram Stoker's depictions of sexy vampires in Dracula. Then it's all the fun of the 'fear' as we go down to the boardwalk to visit 'The Lost Boys' from the classic 1980s Joel Schumacher movie.