Morbid - Episode 250: Bettie Page

Episode Date: July 26, 2021

Bettie Page became known for her direct gaze into the camera and iconic pin-up girl bangs as a model, but there are so many things that people don’t know about her. And boy, is her life a w...hirlwind. Bettie went through a lot in her early years as a child, more when she started modelling and her later life was filled with such violence and trauma. We thought we knew the whole story, but wow these layers. Check out this book: The Real Betty Page As always, thank you to our sponsors: BetterHelp: Special offer for Morbid listeners: get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/[MORBID] Canva: Just go to Canva.me/morbid to get your FREE 45-day extended trial Modern Fertility: Right now, Modern Fertility is offering our listeners $20 off the test when you go to ModernFertility.com/morbid Caliper: You can try Caliper CBD risk-free for 30 days. If you don’t love it they’ll give you a full refund! Go to TRYCALIPER.COM/MORBID or 20% off your first order! DailyHarvest: Go to DAILYHARVEST.com/morbid to get up to forty dollars off your first box! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Starting point is 00:01:28 That's ANGI, or download the app today. Hey, weirdos, I'm Alena, I'm Ash, and this is morbid. It is welcome friends, family, honored guests. Loved ones from afar. I was gonna say, near and far. Near far with us, without us in space. All that. I just watched ever after, so when I said, onored guests, I was like, I was bringing that up.
Starting point is 00:02:14 I like that. Thanks. I appreciate you bringing ever after into this. Yeah, you need some semblance of like levittabinus. I suppose balance. Kind of question mark. Sure. Why not?
Starting point is 00:02:27 What? I guess we can bring something cool that happens this weekend, which is the dating game killer, Rodney Alcala. He died. He died. So he's gone. Do you say that's cool.
Starting point is 00:02:41 In case you didn't, we're going to cover him eventually. He's on our list. He always has been, but now he's gone. That's cool. In case you didn't, we're gonna cover him eventually. He's on our list. He always has been, but like, now he's gone. That's cool. He won the dating game in 1978. And when he won the dating game, by the way, he had already been convicted in 1968 of raping an eight-year-old girl.
Starting point is 00:02:58 Oh my god, this is so fucked up. That had already happened when he was convicted. And the girl that he was supposed to go on the date with, she was like, no. She wouldn't go out with him because she said he was just really creepy. And she was correct. Like definitely creepy, which good for you
Starting point is 00:03:13 for trusting your gut on that one. Imagine being that girl. I would just, my instincts and forever at that point, I'd be like, oh, I know all. Yeah, oh, I know all. I am not patient. I know everything. Always trust your gut. It's gonna tell you the right thing. I'm telling. Yeah. Oh, I know all. I am nomination. I know, I know everything. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:03:26 Always trust your gut. It's going to tell you the right thing. I'm telling you so. He was first sentenced to death in 1979 for the murder of a 12-year-old. Again, we're going to cover this story in like great detail on another episode, but just so you know, he killed the 12-year-old. Yeah, Jesus. And he was also convicted.
Starting point is 00:03:43 I think he had like, he had multiple trials because it was like several, he's a lot. And in 2010, his DNA connected him to four other homicides in Orange County. We love DNA. And he was convicted of five first degree murder charges. They think he's definitely connected to a ton of other ones. After he was convicted, investigators actually released, this is so messed up. A hundred photos that unidentified women and children found in his storage unit. And they're trying to find out who they are
Starting point is 00:04:15 because they think they might be for other victims. Of course, yeah. That's so disturbing. And they found some jewelry from some of the victims in that storage unit. She's talking nasty trophies that he considered so horrifying. That story is really, really messed up. But he's dead now.
Starting point is 00:04:32 Bye. I feel whenever a serial killer dies in prison, you know, something great, like a kiddie mouse or something. Yeah, it's like a good thing to cheers to. Yeah, it's one of those things. Like, all right. Well, it happened naturally. See you later. Yeah. Goodbye. See you. of those things like all right. Well, it happened naturally. See you later. Yeah. Good bye. See you.
Starting point is 00:04:46 So he was on death row. He was on death row. So he was sentenced to death and the sentence was carried out by nature by nature. So thank you nature. Thanks so much. Well, that's fun news. That is. Give you that little like, whoop, whoop. I saw on TikTok that the i5 killer also died, but then when I went to like make sure that was true Yeah, I didn't get any updates about that couldn't find if that actually was true or not But like maybe too died in one day to be determined question mark that be cool But I didn't see anything about that. No, I said maybe we just missed it But I didn't find anything on on TikTok and you know you can't get all your information from TikTok You can't get really you can get a little bit of information from TikTok
Starting point is 00:05:23 But not much. I know, John is. John, like I'll say, like, yeah, I read an article that this happened, and John is like, you mean you saw TikTok? Yeah, he's like, you shut up, John. You shut up, TikTok. Just shut up. There's like actual TikToks about that,
Starting point is 00:05:35 and that John will send us. Yep. But anyways, this one's not about Tick-Tock, which is our last episode was, so. It sure was, for going on. This one's not. We just carried it our last episode was. It sure was, for going on. We just carried it into this episode in the beginning. Yeah. Oh, and if you stay tuned for the end,
Starting point is 00:05:51 we're gonna give some Patreon shout outs. Oh yes, I totally. We are back on our bullshit, guys. We just said to get it all together. Back on our bullshit. But hang out after the story and we'll do some shout outs. We actually have a Patreon haul of fame now, which is just like, look at this.
Starting point is 00:06:05 If you've been a Patreon for a while, we just love ya. We're gonna announce you in the Hall of Fame, so get ready. We should get like a special sound effect for that. Oh, we should. We're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're. You know what, I'll find one. I'll find one for you.
Starting point is 00:06:18 Love that, thanks. So if you clicked on this episode, you know today that we are talking about Betty Page, hell yeah. And you're probably like, why? Why though? Because it's a little different and you know, it's not really like anything we've ever covered before.
Starting point is 00:06:33 Because I've covered a lot of the old Hollywood starlets and the true crimes surrounding their deaths. But you love an old Hollywood moida. I love old Hollywood. A Spencer Henry would say. So much. But this one's a little different than our typical Hollywood starlit death kind of thing that I cover.
Starting point is 00:06:48 I think the reason that I find Betty Paige so interesting is because her entire life is like surrounded with this mysterious vibe. Yeah. We're gonna find out later she literally just disappeared from the public eye for like many years and then returned and she was somehow more famous than she ever was before. That's legendary. It really is. And then history kind of repeated itself a little bit over again when she died. So let's get into the like dichotomy that is Betty Page. Let's get into it. She's wild. Let's open it up. Let's go. She was born on April 22nd, 1923. What does that make her?
Starting point is 00:07:23 Oh fuck you. I'm sorry you just always are like that. Hold on. I think either Leo or... Leo, question mark? I'm probably so. You're always wrong and it's just my favorite. I know, it's kind of fun now just to be wrong. That's why I was hoping you would just say a zodiac sign.
Starting point is 00:07:38 Oh, fuck me, she's a tourist. I was, okay. But when does Leo season it? You're a tourist. Leo season, just coming out you live live coming at you live with this zodiac Conundrum. Yeah, no, I don't know why I thought that it ends on August 22nd But I love I love it. Well, I never want you to know the zodiac I know my zodiac and I know cancer because it's right after me. Yeah, I never want you to know it
Starting point is 00:08:02 I guess I should have known tourist season two because it's right before me. I'm sorry you to know it. I guess I should have known Taurus season two because it's right before me. I'm sorry. Yeah, fuck me, right? I have many books about this and I'm always reading them. No, I'm never memorized. Don't never learn it. Please. I love this.
Starting point is 00:08:14 I love the skillset. It's like my favorite thing. So what did I say she was a Taurus? She was a Taurus. That makes sense. Yeah. So she was born April during Taurus season in 1923, Kingsport, Tennessee. Her parents were Walter Roy and Edna May Page.
Starting point is 00:08:30 Walter and Edna. Yeah, you would think that they would be a cute couple, but don't get so excited. Your face was just, I had to let you know, lit up. Your face was very excited. No, Betty was the oldest of six children. She had three brothers and two sisters. So this family had patterned power. They were like, boy, boy, boy.
Starting point is 00:08:49 They had a girl girl girl. They moved around a lot this family in the early years because Betty's father was always moving in between jobs and looking for work, probably because he sucked and probably got, like, I don't know this to be true at all, but I feel like he got let go a lot. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Yeah. You know. I'm not a work room to do. Yeah. Yeah. Walter went by his middle name. He went by Roy. So Roy and Edna decided to call it quits when Betty was only 10 years old. They had an
Starting point is 00:09:18 incredibly tumultuous relationship. And the divorce was really only the beginning slash middle of this tumultuous relationship. That sucks divorce was really only the beginning slash middle of this tumultuous relationship. That sucks. Yeah. Betty's family was very poor, and she later said that she would have been lucky if there was an orange in her Christmas stocking.
Starting point is 00:09:34 Oh, like that's so sad. That breaks my heart. Now, at one point, I think it was after the divorce. Betty's father actually was arrested for stealing a cop car that he was just going to drive across the country. Oh, he thought what a plan is going to steal a cop car and drive it across the country. I just not cop. I want to be part of that planning session. You don't because that makes you a accessory. What was that brainstorming session he had?
Starting point is 00:10:02 I just want to be like a fly on the wall for it. Like I want to know what was gonna happen. Fly on the wall, hundred percent. I don't want to be like, I'm a accomplice. I just want to be a fly. You're like, I wasn't even gonna help him. I was not gonna help him. I just want to watch. I know, I don't really know what the goal was there,
Starting point is 00:10:16 but he got arrested for that. For that. You will. So don't do that. You will. But when he was let out of prison, Betty's mom allowed him to come back and live with the family while he got on his feet, which was confusing. Because during this time, Betty and her younger sister were sent to an orphanage for a year.
Starting point is 00:10:36 Oh. Yeah. Which seems like an odd choice to send your children away instead of like your criminal ex-husband, but who am I to judge? Wow. Now, so looking into this, it's hard to say what the exact reasoning is, but two things stand out in my mind at least, because Betty later spoke about how her mother never wanted girls. She never wanted to have dogs. She said, Betty said, all I ever wanted was a mother who paid attention to me. She didn't want girls She thought we were trouble when I started menstruating at age 13 I thought I was dying because she never taught me anything about that. Oh my god So she like didn't like she thought she was like bleeding out. Oh, that's the that's horrific
Starting point is 00:11:19 So I think that could definitely be one of the reasons why she sent two of the three girls away But the other reason and this is a trigger warning for abuse That could definitely be one of the reasons why she sent two of the three girls away. But the other reason, and this is a trigger warning for abuse, the other reason is that Betty and to Betty's knowledge, both of her younger sisters were being molested by their father. So Betty was molestined and she believes her younger sisters were too.
Starting point is 00:11:39 What the hell? So I don't know if maybe the mom was like, I need to send them away so this doesn't happen to them while he's here. But then it's like him away. Why did you accept him? And then there would have been one other daughter in the house anyway. Yeah, he should be punished, not anybody else.
Starting point is 00:11:53 So you just send your kids to an orphanage for a year. What if you were trafficked into a cult over shot nine times or fell in love with a vampire or went into a minor surgery and woke up one week later, paralyzed. What would you do? I'm Whit Missildine, the creator of this is actually happening, a podcast from Wondry that brings you extraordinary true stories of life-changing events, told by the people who lived them.
Starting point is 00:12:22 From a young man that dooms his entire future with one choice, to a woman who survived a notorious serial killer, you'll hear their first person account of how they overcame remarkable circumstances. Each episode is an exploration of the human spirit and personal discovery. These haunting accounts sound like Hollywood movies, but I assure you this is actually happening. Followed this is actually happening Wherever you get your podcasts, you can listen to ad free on the Amazon Music or Wonder app Say that wow fuck all these people fuck everyone. involved. Fuck you guys. Yeah. Like damn. Now, so with all that chaos going on in the early years of her life, you would think high school would have been a fucking nightmare for Betty, but not at all.
Starting point is 00:13:13 She went to high school in Nashville and she was known by her teachers as an amazing student. Good for her. With great ambitions, a lot of people described her as competitive. Get it. She was on the debate team. Hell yeah, she was. She was the mascot for the ROTC. You betcha.
Starting point is 00:13:28 She won homecoming queen. Oh, I voted for her. She was voted most likely to succeed. I wrote her in. I thought her in. And her GPA was just a few points away from earning her a valedictorian spot and a scholarship to Vanderbilt. Fuck those points.
Starting point is 00:13:44 We don't need them. Fuck those points. She did, though, make salutatorian when she graduated in 1941, and that spot earned her a scholarship to the Peabody College for Teachers. Wow. Or potentially Peabody, but I don't say it like that. Wow.
Starting point is 00:13:58 Because we're from Massachusetts. The Peabody. Exactly. Wow, get it, Betty. So with all of that going on, like sent to an orphanage, going through insanely traumatic time with your father, being very poor to the point where you only are getting fruit
Starting point is 00:14:11 in your Christmas stocking, to do all of those things and succeed in that way. Wow. What an icon. An actual icon. Like that is like really persevering. It is. It is. You can possibly imagine. Quite literally. Now, she didn't like teaching very much. Like is. It is. You can possibly imagine. Quite literally.
Starting point is 00:14:25 Now, she didn't like teaching very much. Like I said, so she went to the college and she like figured it out. She was like, okay, I'll be a teacher. But she was like, I actually fucking hate this because she couldn't get her class under control. And it was mostly because the boys were always like fawning over her or just like really saying gross things
Starting point is 00:14:42 to her because she was beautiful, you know? And Betty's like, no, not really. She's like, this is too far too much for me. Not for me, not dog. It's a no for me. So she tried her hand at secretarial work, but she also was like, yeah, this fucking sucks. And you know, all the while she had these dreams
Starting point is 00:14:59 of moving out to California, because this was like that day, you know, like that time period where we if it was like you go to California, you get discovered your whole life's gonna be Oh, yeah, you're gonna be a star baby a star is born just cut those bangs You're gonna be a star I know and I actually have a fun tidbit about those things that I never knew So but before we got there she and her husband actually she believed she married her high school sweetheart His name was Billy Neal, so they got married.
Starting point is 00:15:25 And in the early 40s together, they moved to Southern California. So when they were sent or when they moved out there, Billy was sent to fight in World War II. And while he was away, Betty entered herself in some beauty competitions and took acting in speech glasses because she was like, that's the way I'm going to get discovered. Hell yeah. Let's get it. She quickly realized though that if she wanted any part on screen, she was going to have to lose her thick accent. She had a like wildly thick southern accent that people referred to as cornpone thick. What? Have you ever heard that? No. It's a way to describe
Starting point is 00:16:02 a southern accent, I guess. Really? Cornpwn thick. Wow. Yeah. I've never heard that. And if you listen to interviews with her, it's still there. Like you can hear it, but she got past it, but it took a long time. I always feel bad when people are forced to lose an accent.
Starting point is 00:16:18 It's literally hard. Who you are. I think it's who you are. Do you remember Daniel from that set? From America's Next Top Model. And they wanted her to get rid of her accent. I was like, I love her because I love the sound of her voice. When you watch that now, by the way, I know we're taking a quick detour, but it's bothering me
Starting point is 00:16:33 because I've been watching old seasons that night when the girls are asleep. I love that. That whole thing with her, the amount of times Tyra Banks was so horrifically, like, I mean, offensive to her about her accent. Oh, yeah. The way she put a bucket back to her
Starting point is 00:16:51 and she was like, you can't talk, let, and she'd like, do it back. And I was like, oh, she would make it like worse than what it was. I was like, no, that's not how she sounds. Well, she would make her sound like dumb. Right. And she didn't sound dumb. It's her accent, like, that's how she speaks. I was so angry watching it. Like, I was like like dumb. And she didn't sound dumb. Right, and she didn't sound dumb. It's her accent, like, fuck down. That's how she speaks.
Starting point is 00:17:05 I was so angry watching it. Like, I was like, Danielle. Right. You're beautiful. Danielle's hilarious. Like, Danielle, if you're listening, I hope you are. Because you're awesome. I would die.
Starting point is 00:17:15 She was my favorite. I thought she was amazing. I loved her so much. I wanted to hang out with her so bad, and they made her close her gap. I know, as fuck, duh. They did you wrong. But didn't she, she didn't have them close it all the way though. They couldn't close it all the way.
Starting point is 00:17:27 Oh, but I think she was happy because she was at this stuff. Oh yeah, she was at this stuff, I am. But yeah, losing an accent, like that's fucked up. I understand when it's like, maybe hard to understand and you're doing like speaking things and stuff. Sure. And you have to like refine it a little bit
Starting point is 00:17:39 so that it's like a little easier around the edge. Changing your accent, that's just changing like the way you use your accent. Exactly. Don't lose your accent, don't ever lose. Don't ever lose who you are. Don't. But they wanted Betty to.
Starting point is 00:17:50 But you can't. They wanted Betty to and Betty was down to do it. And she was like, I want to make it big. But she just couldn't do it. All the classes she took, it just went in her way. Tad. Tad. It's taken for us, it's tad.
Starting point is 00:18:03 Fuckin' had. Now there was one movie that she auditioned for and she really thought she had a chance at getting. Probably because it was a Western movie. There you go. Makes sense. But the director wanted to sleep with her and she was like, fuck that. Which was like, that was the day. Oh, that was the day.
Starting point is 00:18:20 That was the time. That was the minute mark. Yep, it was. It was ridiculous. Which is horrible. And Betty was like, fuck all that noise. mark. I love it. It was ridiculous. It was horrible. And Betty was like, fuck all that noise, no. And she later told one of her boyfriend, I don't mind sleeping with someone to get ahead,
Starting point is 00:18:31 but I'm not sleeping with everyone. Which I was like, that bitch alert. She's like, I'm gonna be discerning, okay? Of course I am. So toward the end of the 40s, Betty realized that she wasn't gonna make it in Hollywood because she was like, I'm not gonna fucking sleep my way to the top, it's not what I'm gonna do. And she wasn't in love with
Starting point is 00:18:47 Billy Neal anymore either. So she was at a turning point in her life. In 1949, they divorced and Betty made the decision to head out to New York thinking that maybe acting on stage was what she was actually meant for. Not a movie. She was like, I can still act. Again, a trigger warning because right when Betty moved to New York, she experienced something terrible, trigger warning, trigger warning. She was gang raped, when she moved to New York.
Starting point is 00:19:14 Are you kidding me? She was literally gang raped. I had no idea this happened there. Neither did I. All of the things that happened in Betty's life, I had no fucking idea. Yeah. I was like, excuse me, what? Wow.
Starting point is 00:19:25 Really sad. And you know, this had happened to her when she was a child, do you? She was molested by your father. Yeah. It was something that you didn't talk about back then. Oh my God. And you were looked at differently as a woman, if that happened to you. So she just pushed it down.
Starting point is 00:19:40 There wasn't really, I mean, there was therapy back then, but it was not what it is today. Definitely not the same. So she just kept moving forward, and I think that trauma definitely led to some things later on in her life. I would assume. Because we'll see, you know, Betty made a lot of terrible decisions later on in life, and I just want it to be clear
Starting point is 00:19:58 that I'm recognizing that those things are terrible that she did, but I also think that there is a lot of undiagnosed mental health issues going on here. Yeah, there's some things that I could have been stemming from. There's some diagnosed mental health problems that she had, but I don't think she ever received the right help for them because I just don't think the right help was there. Yes, I mean, she probably never processed anything.
Starting point is 00:20:19 No, anything. The childhood stuff or when she moved in, right. So we'll get into all of that, but it's just shocking when you break down everything that happened to her. It really is. Now the summer after she moved to New York, she was just hanging out at Coney Island Beach and this man approached her. And you hear this situation, you're like, that's a very weird situation. Yes.
Starting point is 00:20:41 Like, this is not okay. But this guy was fun. He was like, you need to be a be a model like your body is just like beautiful Your face is beautiful like it was a lot, you know, I I would have missed him It has that happens to you now just like run the other way because it's not okay and it wasn't really okay back then But you know, he was just doing sheeding her beauty and it was a different time definitely a different time It's a different time different place But he told and it was a different time. Definitely a different time. A different time. A different place. But he told her he was like, I'd love to photograph you.
Starting point is 00:21:10 He's telling her all about these things called Shutterbug classes. Oh my God. Which I love. Shutterbug classes. In photography classes, he's a part of them. Now this man was Jerry Tibz, and he was a part-time photographer and a New York City policeman.
Starting point is 00:21:24 And just pointing out, we did just talk about the dating game killer who just died. He also was a photographer who would just come up to people and say, you're beautiful, let me photograph you. Yeah. Just keep that in mind. Yeah, you know, not the same, but not the same,
Starting point is 00:21:40 but just don't be wooed. That's one of those easy things that a lot of like famous killers use. Oh yeah. And it was usually in that time period where that wouldn't be so strange for somebody to come up to you and be like, you're beautiful. Let me photograph you. And because modeling was so different back then, like, it was like people were getting discovered. Exactly. And that beauty pouches. So back then, when somebody came up to you and said, I'm a professional photographer. You believe it, you're like, hell yeah, what could
Starting point is 00:22:04 happen? Like cool, let's get it. picture. You're like, hell yeah, what could happen? Like cool, let's get it. And it was only after we find all these things out that you're like, oh, that's not a good thing. Yeah, that's okay now. That's like they use flattery to like get a T-S. Now there's like modeling agencies. If that's something that you're looking to do,
Starting point is 00:22:16 find an agent to do it the right way. Yeah, you know. But you know, Jerry Tib's was a good guy. Well that's good. And he was actually the one to suggest that a Betty cut those iconic bangs. Jerry. It was Jerry good guy. And he was actually the one to suggest that Betty cut those iconic bangs. Jerry. It was Jerry tip. Look at you just walking up, saying I like your bod. And then you're she gets the one who makes the iconic Betty page bang literally. So she was photographed
Starting point is 00:22:35 without those bangs. You can find pictures. I've heard it. He told her he was like, you have a high forehead. I think it might look better if you cut some bangs. And to be honest, she did have a high forehead and those bangs are fucking awesome. They look amazing on her. And imagine if he hadn't been so honest with her, we never would have been bestowed that gift of belly page bangs. No, we would never get the belly page bangs. Like I wish my style was belly page bangs, I would just look ridiculous. But like I love those bangs. I love them too. And I can't even tell you how many times a woman will sit in your chair after she's broken up with her significant other and say, can I have Betty Pagebangs saying no sweetie sleep on it.
Starting point is 00:23:09 No, you don't want that. Sleep on it. Only so many people can handle this. But then if she sleeps on it and she asks for them again, you got to give it to her. Give it the petty beige bangs. No, it's the petty beige bangs. Petty beige bangs. No, Jerry Tib's also put Betty into contact with one cast car.
Starting point is 00:23:25 I don't know if you've heard of it. Oh yes. Now he would shoot Betty Topless in 1952 and get Betty himself and 23 photographers and a handful of models arrested for doing a photo shoot. I believe they were like on a farm and they were doing a Topless photo shoot and they got arrested for indecent exposure.
Starting point is 00:23:46 Oh my god, I love this. But so they had to appear in court and Betty allegedly told the judge. I couldn't see this confirmed in like any transcripts or anything, but allegedly she said to the judge, there is nothing indecent about my body. Oh my god. And the charges were dropped in all of the participants, only got $5. That's phenomenal. Isn't that amazing? It's phenomenal. So Jerry Tibs and Cass Carmer really the catalyst into getting Betty into the modeling world. Cass would organize these like shutter bug classes for the YMCA and Betty would model for the
Starting point is 00:24:19 amateur photographers. Now Irving Claw was the first really well-known photographer to be credited with discovering buddy page Which like technically he didn't I was just gonna say technically he did in like the way where he was doing these like bondage photographs Yeah, so he and his sister Paula actually worked together on shoots that would later lead to Irving being known as the pink pinup king I think he also bestowed that title upon himself, which I love it. I can't get it, you know. He was like a really nice guy, so it's fine. So Irving took your... I'll allow it. I'll allow it.
Starting point is 00:24:51 Irving gets passed. Irving took your average day today, shoots of, or excuse me, shots of buddy, but he was also running this like underground operation where he would sell photos of women in bondage to inquiring customers. It was like a whole black market. Oh yeah.
Starting point is 00:25:08 These underground things. Because back way back when they would have those detective magazines where these women were always featured bound up and rope and stuff. There was a lot again. There's a lot of cases where that was a thing. Oh yeah. And again, I'm not like equating these people
Starting point is 00:25:25 with like serial murders. But like, killers would have like those magazines or they'd be obsessed with those magazines and those images would make them wanna do it. And yeah, it's the whole thing. The, I'm gonna sound like an idiot right now. The high heel killer, the shoe killer. Jerry Brutus.
Starting point is 00:25:41 I think he, that it didn't he- He was into those things. I thought he was. And that's how he got people in the beginning, right? He said he was gonna take their photograph. I think he, that it didn't he- He was into those things. I thought he was. And that's how he got people in the beginning, right? He said he was going to take their photograph. I think so, yeah. Well, he, yeah, and he would also just like,
Starting point is 00:25:51 a brute force take people. Yeah, but he definitely started. He was into those things too. Right, and I think like he definitely had those magazines. Which obviously can be into that stuff and not go that far. And not be rude or really. Yeah, it's interesting. Hey there, fellow podcast listener.
Starting point is 00:26:06 It's Elena. And Ash. And we're taking you back to the days before streaming services. Whoa. You know when you would come home from high school and it was only a few hours until that TV show, everyone was watching was about to come on. Well in 1999, that show was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In our podcast with Wondery, the re-watcher Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
Starting point is 00:26:28 we take it back to 1999. So get out your knee-high boots and paste that poster of Angel on the wall. It's time to enter the Buffyverse. Some of you avid morbid listeners already know what we've gotten store. Join us. Join us as we sway our way through Buffy's drama, action, and romance. Episode by episode.
Starting point is 00:26:50 Slacy. Follow the rewatcher, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and add free on the Amazon music or Wondery app. Darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn,arn, darn, darn, darn,arn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn, darn,arn,arn, darn, darn,arn, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, aside from one where she had been just tied up for too long and like she was literally physically uncle actually couldn't breathe. Paula said Betty never objected to anything that she was asked to do but I don't think they were necessarily things she would have done if she hadn't needed the money. Yeah. And Betty made really good money for like money standards back then especially. She made $10 an hour for five hours at a time, and then on top of that, she would usually get a tip
Starting point is 00:27:46 that would amount to about $50. So she worked every Saturday, so she was making that money consistently, and she was sending money back home to her family. Which I'm like, I love that. Like, I think she was really trying to take care of her. And she was quoted as saying, I could make more money posing in two hours
Starting point is 00:28:03 than I could make all week as a secretary. Yeah, which is true. It's crazy. Now Betty also starred in some peekaboo films, like Betty and Heels and Tisorama. Tisorama. Which I had to include that one because I was like, that's literally my favorite title ever.
Starting point is 00:28:20 Tisorama. I think you can still watch it. It's on her. I am DB. Go watch Tisorama. Do it, you won't. No, when she wasn't posing for Irving or Paula, Betty was working with, I don't know if you've heard of her either. This photographer called like Bunny Yeager. I don't know if you've heard. Yeah, actually, I have heard of her. I was like being like fastiecious. She's like incredibly famous. I was gonna say, I mean, I don't know a lot of photographers.
Starting point is 00:28:46 I don't really either, but I know that name. She's like amazing. Yeah. Now, Bunny took actually the most iconic photos of Betty, specifically the ones of Betty on the beach in Miami. You probably see this one. Yeah, I love those ones. I love those ones.
Starting point is 00:28:59 Posing with two live cheetahs. It's amazing. And there's one where she's posing with an ostrich. It's phenomenal. And those were the photos that Hugh Hefner actually saw when he decided to make Betty a centerfold. Ah. She became playmate of the month, aka Miss January 1955.
Starting point is 00:29:13 And it was the photo of her wearing only a Santa hat that was featured. That's very sassy. That's very sassy. No, she was only the second playmate and the only one before her was one Marilyn Monroe. I was just gonna say another name you might know. I don't know if you know her. Just throw it out there. And by the way, in those pictures she's wearing like this Cheetah print
Starting point is 00:29:33 bathing suit. She made that bathing suit herself. What? And later on she would talk to people and like talk to like designers and stuff and like show them the pictures. And designers actually used her ideas and never credited her. So she never got paid for her designs. That's messed up. That's so fucked up. I'm literally looking at the pictures right now. That's bad ass. She like, she cut it to make it like her own.
Starting point is 00:29:59 Oh God. Yeah. And that's amazing. People would literally steal her ideas and like never credit her for it. Wow. It's crazy. Also she literally steal her ideas and never credit her for it. Wow, it's crazy. Also, she's stunning. Just stunning.
Starting point is 00:30:08 She's so ethereal. She is, she's like other world. She is. She really is. It's crazy. So in 1955, unfortunately, Irving Claus business came crumbling down around him. Because this was when Senator Caffava, I think is how you say it, of Tennessee, and
Starting point is 00:30:25 which is weird, that's Betty's hometown. And the Senator, like basically, ruined her. He decided to run for president. He was the chairman of the United States Special Committee to investigate crime and interstate commerce, which I feel like they could have like shortened that a little bit. They definitely could. But his campaign centered heavily on obscenity and how TV, music, pornographic materials, and all of that were really damaging to young people's minds.
Starting point is 00:30:50 I think he also probably didn't want to dance or laugh or only go to church every single day. I think he might have been a Puritan. He might have been a foot loose in it. I think he literally was. Yeah. I'm like, what do you do for fun? What exactly?
Starting point is 00:31:04 And he's like, what brings you to watch paint dry for fun? Yeah. It really gets the mind to go in. Try it sometime. I'm like, yikes. Now, he had let an investigation into organized crime that turned out to be like crazy successful. So now this was his chance to get pretty ladies
Starting point is 00:31:20 and porn out of American homes everywhere because it can be just so damaging. Get those pretty ladies and porn out of there. Get them out of there. Which, okay, and by the way, I'm totally here to say, yeah, that can be damaging to some young minds. Oh, for sure. It's on the parents or the guardians
Starting point is 00:31:35 to make sure that porn isn't readily available to children whose minds are not fully developed. Yeah, you got a monitor when your child is in taking. Right, that's really all there is to it. Yeah, you got a monitor. Yeah. What your child is intaking. Right. That's really all there is to it. Right. Yep. OK.
Starting point is 00:31:48 So Irving Klau was personally asked by Kaffa to appear in court on May 19, 1955. And Betty, because she was in so many of Irving's pictures, was called as a witness. Hmm. Now, I guess she never actually had to testify. But this is very sad. There was a man named Clarence Grimm
Starting point is 00:32:06 who testified against Irving and said that his son, Kenneth, had died accidentally while trying to recreate the bondage that Betty had modeled in one of Irving's photographs. He said it was Betty specifically. Wow. Yes. Now, the son was found tied up to a tree
Starting point is 00:32:23 in nearly the exact same position that body had been modeling, and he died of auto-erotic expociation. Ooh. But they didn't call it that back then because they didn't understand the whole thing. And so they were blaming it on pornographic materials, which technically, it just doesn't seem fair to me. Yeah, it's a slippery thing. It's very slippery.
Starting point is 00:32:42 But after the case, it was outlawed to send or receive even non-sexual bondage materials. You could not send them through the post. Now Irving Claw was actually charged in 1963 for violating that statue. And he appealed to the conviction, but he had to destroy every single thing he had. That was like bondage-related,
Starting point is 00:33:03 including all of his negatives. Wow. So he was totally ruined. And three years later, he died. Oh, damn. But Paula actually ran the family business until 1996. She, so I thought that was really cool. That is cool.
Starting point is 00:33:19 But the whole court case was enough to shake up Betty to the point where she was like, I want to walk away from this all. I think it was like, I want to walk away from this all. I think it was like she couldn't handle knowing that somebody had died and like, she felt somewhat responsible. Of course you're going to, I mean, I would even, it doesn't need to be rational, you know, what I mean? Like you're connected to it in some way, you feel like it's your fault.
Starting point is 00:33:37 Exactly. And I don't blame her for being like, I got a lot of ways for doing this. No, I don't blame her either. I think it would definitely be right with you. So she did walk away for a while. It was around 1958 that she made the decision to leave New York and actually had back to Los Angeles of all places. She met a man there who she really hit it off with.
Starting point is 00:33:55 His name was Armand Walterson. He was a little bit younger than Betty. They got along well enough to decide that they should get married, but it was too late when Betty realized that his true passions were quote eating hamburgers and watching television. I mean same to which I say cheers, bruh. Those are also my two passions, but those were not what Betty was like finding attractive. No. So she was like, great, awesome. Moving on.
Starting point is 00:34:20 And they definitely fought a lot. And on New Year's Eve, 1959, they got into it with each other and just like got into like this fight and Betty ended up leaving the house she was crying. She just like wanted to get away clear her head for a second go for a walk or something. And while she was walking outside, she saw this neon sign in the distance that turned out to be a church. And she said that she walked into the church, she sat down in the backpues, and at that point in her life, she decided that she needed to find God and dedicate her life to God. Wow.
Starting point is 00:34:50 So she ended up getting divorced from Armingde around 1957, and at that point, she just immersed herself in religion. She actually even worked for Billy Graham at one point. He was like really famous in the Christian community at the time. She went into the Bible classes, and she even tried to go on an African missionary, but they wouldn't let her because she had been divorced twice. And at that point in time, it was not accepted in the particular church that
Starting point is 00:35:16 buddy was attending. Wow. So she, it's like, if you want to go on a missionary and help people, that's, you should be allowed to. That's what I'm saying. It's like, how many people in the world actually want to help other people? Like a lot of people do them. Just let them do it. Yeah, like cherish that. Who cares if they ended a crappy marriage? And that's the thing. Like you
Starting point is 00:35:35 said, like a crappy marriage. People get divorced for all different kinds of reasons. You have no idea the reason that she ended her marriage. Not necessarily her fault that it ended. You know, and then she's like stamped for the rest of her life and can't do what she fucking wants to do. And she's like, hi, I would like to selflessly help people. And they're like, sorry, yeah. Should have stayed with that asshole. Yeah, jokes on you.
Starting point is 00:35:55 So she actually got back into contact with Billy Meal, who was her first husband, thinking that if like, maybe they could get back together, then the church would look at her and say, oh, you know, like she figured it out. She got back together with him. So they got remarried. Wow.
Starting point is 00:36:11 So she was like clearly very dedicated to this. Yeah. She was hoping that she would have a shot at joining another missionary, but again, she was denied. Jeez. And that's when her mental health really started to deteriorate and things really started quickly going downhill. So she divorced Billy when she realized that being married to him wasn't gonna like do anything for her.
Starting point is 00:36:31 And in 1967 she married a man named Henry Lear. So in 1972, Betty was attending a Bible retreat and somebody called the cops and reported that a woman was waving around a gun and screaming to people about the retribution of God. Now when police arrived on scene, they found Betty holding a 22 caliber gun and she was detained, but they let her go once her husband showed up. Whoa. Now just a few months after that, the police were called into Henry's home when he reported that Betty was holding he and his children at knife point
Starting point is 00:37:06 and threatening to quote, kill them if they took their eyes off the portrait of Jesus that she was holding in the other hand. Whoa. Now she told them all that if they looked away from the picture that she would rip their guts out. I literally knew nothing about this. Dude, me, even that's crazy.
Starting point is 00:37:25 And actually, blowing my mouth. I have to credit Bailey Sarri, and I found out about all of this through one of her videos. And she was saying she was like, it's so hard to find any information about this. There's like two articles. And she's so right, you have to dig so deep.
Starting point is 00:37:40 And I found a book that I'll credit later, I haven't written down one of the points in this. But you really have to dig to find any of this information out to the point where it kind of makes me wonder if maybe people were like, what was covered up? And what was? Things were definitely cherry-picked about plants. Wow, that's wild.
Starting point is 00:37:57 It really is. And it's sad because this is all just untreated mental health. Yeah, absolutely. She was really failed by this incident. And severe trauma. And it absolutely, Yeah, absolutely. She was really failed by this system. And severe trauma. And absolutely severe trauma. And she was really failed. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:38:09 So yes, she told them that if they looked away from the picture, she would rip their guts out. So she was definitely taken into police custody. And it was decided that she would be admitted to the state hospital. Well, now while she was there, she underwent treatment. And eventually, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Starting point is 00:38:26 Now she was treated at that hospital for four months and then was allowed to move back in with Henry. So at the end of 1972, the police were again called to the residents due to a domestic disturbance involving Betty. And when they got there, she was inside just like ripping all the pictures off the wall, throwing glasses around the room and smashing just anything in her path. Now she was detained and put into the back of a cop car while the police spoke with Henry. And when they got back to where they had left Betty in the back of the cop car,
Starting point is 00:38:56 she was indecent and she was using a wire hanger to masturbate in the back of the police car. So they were like, clearly something is going on here. She wasn't treated properly at this. No. But, excuse me, they're not, they're saying something's going on here, but they're not saying she wasn't treated properly. That's very clear.
Starting point is 00:39:15 But it's very clear, but they're like, she needs more help. So they send her back, well, excuse me, she wasn't charged for anything because she checked herself back into the state hospital. But I think it was one of those things where it was like, you either do this or you're going to go to jail.
Starting point is 00:39:29 So it was like the choices. She decided to get some clear. She spent another five months there. So at this point, she spent nine months in the hospital. And it's not consecutively. But it's like, just like on and off. And more things are going to happen. So it's just like I keep saying this, but it's so clear that like nothing was going on
Starting point is 00:39:50 in that hospital. No. And we'll get into it. Yeah, she's definitely being failed that way. Absolutely. So during that time, Henry and Betty got divorced. And when she left the hospital, she headed back to LA to live in a trailer that was owned by an elderly couple who lived next door.
Starting point is 00:40:04 In 1979, she was arrested again after the elderly neighbor called police to report that she out of nowhere pulled a knife on him and began making religious threats towards him. Now, Betty wasn't looking at one point and he was actually able to knock her out using a wrench because he was so scared for his life, he just whacked her on the head with it, and she went down, but she was arrested and actually tried this time for assault with a deadly weapon. Wow. Now, she pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and she was sentenced to another seven months in the state hospital.
Starting point is 00:40:40 But I'm like, why aren't you guys realizing she's already spent nine months there? And like clearly it's not doing like something needs to be checked in here. Right. Now I think it just says so, it says so much about the time period that they kept sending her back there, but like weren't treating her. And every single time she's able to leave and this happens again. Wow. It's just sad. It's just sad. It's it's it's it's like a repetitive failure. It is. It's absolutely it.
Starting point is 00:41:07 You're doing the same thing over and over again, respect and expecting a different response. Right. No, something needs to change. Right. We need to try something else. And it's like that's the definition of insanity on the your heart. Yeah, exactly. You're insane. If you don't think that. Yeah, it's just ridiculous.
Starting point is 00:41:21 So by 1982, she was out of the hospital again, but like I said, she was out of the hospital again, but like I said, she didn't have a home or anyone to lean on for support. She got kicked out of one of the group homes that she was in for assaulting a land lady, and that would not be the last attack on a land lady. Because in the mid 80s, Betty was renting
Starting point is 00:41:39 from a woman named Leone, had had had had, I believe, is how you say it. And this woman lived in the same building as her. So she was renting from her, but they lived in the same building. Now Betty awoke in the middle of the night around 2 a.m. on one night and started having what they called religious delusions. Now she went into Leone's, Leone's room, holding a knife and climbed on top of the sleeping woman.
Starting point is 00:42:03 She then woke her up and allegedly stated, God has inspired me to kill you and just started stabbing at her. This woman was stabbed 20 times, multiple times in the chest, multiple times in the hand. She was given a Glasgow smile. Like she literally cut the corners of her mouth into a smile and also severed one of her fingers.
Starting point is 00:42:33 How do we not know this? This is so wild. I didn't know this until like maybe like last year when Bailey put her video out. I was like, what? I'm like speechless. It's wild. It's like, what? I'm like speechless. It's wild. It's like, how did none of us know this?
Starting point is 00:42:48 So in the middle of the attack, this woman was able to pick up the phone on her bedside table and smack Betty with it to get her off of her. Wow. And when she smacked her, the knife fell to the ground. And Betty just kind of seemed to come out of of a trance almost and the woman was screaming. And she said that when she let out the scream, it seemed like Betty started to wake up from like a trance.
Starting point is 00:43:13 Like I said, now Betty slowly backed out of the room at this point and when she was gone, the woman was finally able to run out the door and actually flag down in neighbor. After being stabbed 20 times, having a finger severed and having a Glasgow smile. I literally... The fact that this is like I can't even connect this with the Betty page. That image, we know, has been... Wow. That's like shoved down our throat. Whoa, it's crazy. And the fact that this woman, all of that happened to her and then she was able to run out the front door. I was gonna say the fact that she could move,
Starting point is 00:43:52 never mind run out the front door and have the where I go. And like, don't help. And the like, the presence of mind to go find someone to get help. How is she even talking? How is she even like, I have any idea?
Starting point is 00:44:06 No idea. Wow. I have no idea. It's wild. Wow. So she lost consciousness, like I feel like that goes without saying, on the way to the hospital,
Starting point is 00:44:16 but she woke up the next day and she was able to tell the police everything. Now, when the police showed up at the residence looking for Betty, they actually found her standing in the shower, trying to like, wash off her bloody clothing. Oh my God. And it was said that she had them waiting for an hour while she dried off,
Starting point is 00:44:30 but like, I feel like that's an exaggeration. Yeah. Now, luckily, Lannie survived the attack, and she says it was most likely because Betty attacked her with a bread knife instead of a butcher's knife. So like, I like to think of like a serrated bread knife. Like you would cut like a bagel or something with. Oh my God.
Starting point is 00:44:49 To be stabbed with a bread knife, now have your finger severed with a bread knife. And have your face severed like your mouth cut open. Your face cut open. Oh, that's, I can't. I just, oh. Now buddy was arrested again, obviously. And this time she was charged with attempted murder
Starting point is 00:45:06 and assault with a deadly weapon. Now, she was first ruled competent to stand trial, but she pleaded not guilty, and she pleaded not guilty. But later, during the trial, multiple doctors testified, and Betty's plea was changed to not guilty by reason of insanity. Yeah, it should be. Now, this is the book.
Starting point is 00:45:24 Most of the information I got about the attack was from the real Betty page, the truth about the Queen of Penups, and it's by Richard Foster. I'll link it in the show notes. He got so much information about this attack and just like Betty's life in general, it's crazy. She was not a fan of Richard Foster.
Starting point is 00:45:42 No. No. Now, according to that book, the judge sentenced Betty to 10 years in patent state hospital. She was able to knock off 50 days for good behavior. And at the point, like, when she went through the trial, she had already served a little over a year. So she, like, she got some time taken off.
Starting point is 00:46:00 But that was actually the same hospital that Betty had been in on multiple occasions and they just kept releasing her over and over again. So Leon, Leon, actually filed a lawsuit against California and Westside Independent Services for the elderly who had placed Betty in her home. She had voiced concerns to Betty's caseworker about Betty's behavior. Like, she was like, I know that something is like a rob, okay. Something is largely wrong here.
Starting point is 00:46:26 And she told them she said, Betty would go into the bathroom and talk to herself and she would catch her doing this all the time. She was like, I know that something's wrong with her and you guys aren't listening to me. That happens so much though. Oh, absolutely. And she was like, it becomes a whole like,
Starting point is 00:46:40 group of a day's hours around someone. It's so true because, and especially at this point in time, there's just no understanding of like, it's a franian, like, everything. So everyone's like, shut up, you don't know what you're talking about. And they're like, she's being like, I literally wanna help this person.
Starting point is 00:46:51 And God only knows what they were doing to treat her in that hospital. Yeah, I know, because I do. Back in that day, like, the stories? What they did, it probably made her worse. Yeah, I mean, I clearly, and when you see the escalation of like what she was doing versus like what she ended up doing, Oh, it's a steady, steady climb.
Starting point is 00:47:08 It really is. But like she just kept getting the same story that nothing was wrong with Betty, and they told her she just left her husband and she needed somewhere to stay. Like, because she didn't have a husband, she has to stay here. That's it. So the lawsuit actually settled out of court and she was given $70,000, which was like nothing though because she had to use all that money to pay her lawyers. Oh yeah.
Starting point is 00:47:31 She had tons of medical bills. Yeah. And then she needed to go psychiatric treatment after the attack because she would like have nightmares and just like PTSD. So it's like why even go through all that? No, exactly. And she was later quoted as saying it wasn't a good settlement. It's not worth it to give me $70,000
Starting point is 00:47:46 for what I've been through. Yes, seriously, like putting that price tag on what she went through. Right. Exactly. That's insulting, to be honest. It really is. Now, Patent State Hospital actually
Starting point is 00:47:55 faced a lot of backlash. Their executive director was fired by the State Mental Health Department in 1982 right before this happened. It was stated that the firing came as part of a message to the hospital that they needed to, quote, have more sensitivity to the community. That's a K.A. Get your shit together.
Starting point is 00:48:15 Oh, get your shit together because it also came after multiple escapes from the hospital between 1981 and 1982. I believe it. Like, tons of people just escaped. Yeah. I would. I mean, I would say, but it's like, how do you not have security? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:48:32 What are you guys doing? Nothing. Now while she was serving her sentence in the hospital, Betty did write an apology letter to Lene, but she was less than pleased. And she was like, don't let her contact me. Yeah. And I guess in the letter, she basically was just like pleased, and she was like, don't let her contact me. Yeah, I, yeah. And I guess in the letter,
Starting point is 00:48:46 she basically was just like, I'm sorry for what I did, but like, I didn't mean to. And she was like, yeah, I've gone through enough. Like, I'm upset. I don't blame her at all. You don't need to, yeah. Because she was like, please don't allow her to contact me anymore.
Starting point is 00:48:58 Don't blame her. Now, while Betty was, we can only hope being treated for schizophrenia in the hospital. Dave Stevens, who had seen a photograph of Betty when he was a kid and been like totally enthralled with her ever since, he was working on his comic, The Rocketeer, which I'm sure you know, because it turned into a movie.
Starting point is 00:49:15 Now, the female heroine in the comic is named Betty and is like more than inspired by Betty Page. Like she is Betty Page. Now, Dave is actually credited for bringing the public's attention back to Betty Page. Like she is Betty Page. Now, Dave is actually credited for bringing the public's attention back to Betty Page. When she was released from the hospital in 1992, she was like overwhelmed to realize that she was famous.
Starting point is 00:49:35 How weird. I can't imagine me. So when she disappeared the first time, she became famous because people are seeing these pictures of her. And then it kind of like stopped. And then when she was admitted into the hospital and all this stuff is going on, like not a lot of people know that it's Betty Paige.
Starting point is 00:49:49 No. And then he writes this comic and she comes out of the hospital and she's famous again. Wow. And this, this was like on like an astronomical level. That would blow your mind. Now, it did blew her mind. It did blew her mind. It did blew her mind. It blew her mind. It blew her mind so much that it blew my mind. It did blew her mind. It blew her mind.
Starting point is 00:50:05 It blew her mind so much that it blew my mind. And it blew your mind. And it blew everybody's mind and I can't talk. But so she had no idea. And she also wasn't making any money off the photos that she had posed for. So that's why she didn't know she was famous. She wasn't getting any money.
Starting point is 00:50:21 She's like, that's fun that everybody knows who I am. Right. And everybody everybody is obsessed with me and wants me to sign these pictures. These pictures that I have no nothing from. That I have nothing from. And then she's seeing these designs that she fucking created in all these magazines. And she's like, I'm not getting a penny for those.
Starting point is 00:50:39 That's the part that would really get to me. Now, it wasn't until she sat, and this is a very controversial human, but he actually did really help her. She sat down with Hugh Hefner for lunch one day in 1993. It was the first time they ever met. She posed for playboy and literally, like they never even met.
Starting point is 00:50:55 But he made arrangements for her to get an agent. And then after that, she started to get paid royalties. But it wasn't until Hugh Hefner helped her out that she got that. That's wild. It's really crazy. You know what's also wild that I was just thinking about her? Because I was gonna ask you earlier. paid royalties, but it wasn't until you Huffner helped her out that she got that. That's wild. It's really crazy. You know, it's also wild that I was just thinking about her because I was going to ask
Starting point is 00:51:08 you earlier. I was like, Oh, is Betty Page like a stage name? Did she make that up? And that's, that's like such a perfect name. Yeah, no, like that's like literally her name. Like Betty may page. That's me may page. How are you born with that name and not because like it just really is crazy.
Starting point is 00:51:23 You think about it names back then back then were so fucking cool. They were. And actually, I feel like lately I'm seeing so many people having babies and stuff. And names are making a comeback. Oh, they are. And I love that. They have been for a while. I'm here for you.
Starting point is 00:51:36 I'm into it. I love it. So Betty was like crazy famous at this point. Now she's finally getting paid royalties for all of her projects. Thank goodness. But she just wanted to live a quiet life. She wasn't used to this. She's still trying to get treatment at this point. Now she's finally getting paid royalties for all of her projects. Thank goodness. But she just wanted to live a quiet life. Like she wasn't used to this. She's still trying to get treatment at this point in 1992. She's been through.
Starting point is 00:51:50 Treatment's a little bit better. So I'm hoping that she was, you know, receiving some kind of treatment. Yeah. She's like, you know what? I'm just, I've been through it. I've been through it. I need a second. I need a lot of seconds. I wouldn't want it this long time ago. But now I just need to calm down a little bit. But she would go to premieres if they had to do with her. And she actually showed up to this huge movie
Starting point is 00:52:10 that it was about her life. It was called The Notorious Betty Page. And she was being played by Gretchen Mall. No, she was pissed about the way that the movie portrayed her. She was like, no, that's no. Which I don't know how true it is, I haven't seen it. But she left the theater screaming that it was all lies. Like she literally left the theater screaming.
Starting point is 00:52:32 Wow. Yeah. That's not how you want that to go. That's not all I want to do. That's not how you want it to go. But there was other films about her life that we'll get into that she did like. In 2003, she actually posed for the 50th anniversary
Starting point is 00:52:45 of Playboy, and that was pretty much the only time she ever posed again, because she just, she didn't wanna be seen anymore. Like, yeah, she was like, I'm famous for being like that beautiful, like tiny girl with like the Betty Page bangs, and she's like, that's not me anymore. And I just don't wanna, yeah, I'm just like.
Starting point is 00:53:03 I mean, just wasn't for her anymore. Now, she also narrated a film about her life, Betty Page reveals all, but she refused to be on camera. She said, I don't want to be photographed in my old age. I feel the same way with old movie stars. It makes me sad. We want to remember them when they were young. That makes me sad.
Starting point is 00:53:20 I know. I know. I know. I know that attitude makes me sad. It does. I think she had like a lot of, in her older age, like body dysmorphia kind of problems or stuff like that. She thought that she had gained weight. She thought that she wasn't pretty anymore.
Starting point is 00:53:33 Oh, that makes me sad. And I think she was kind of like projecting that onto other people. Well, and she was entering a phase, like a decade. Yeah. And a new, new, because beauty standards changed. Absolutely. She went from like, when it was like really,
Starting point is 00:53:49 it considered so beautiful to be like a curvy model with like curves. And then this was like heroin chic at this point. Yeah, exactly. So it was like the, the Kate Moss kind of like really, really, really, really skinny, kind of thing. And so I can imagine coming from that and then seeing what is considered beautiful now.
Starting point is 00:54:09 And she's like, well, fun fun. Like where? I know where near that. Right. So I must be ugly. And so many people felt that way. Of course, absolutely. It just makes me think of like when Marilyn Monroe said though
Starting point is 00:54:18 that like she was like, I'm just gonna, like, I'm gonna age with this, like, I'm gonna take this face into, and let it age. Yeah. And you know what, I wish she had been able to, because I just gonna take this face into, and let it age. Yeah, and I, and you know, I wish she had been able to, because I just wanted to, I would love to see how she was. So she would have still been able to leave it.
Starting point is 00:54:31 You know? And Felma Todd said the same thing. She was like, I'm gonna, I'm just gonna live my fucking life and fuck your potato, boss. Get it. No. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:54:41 Now unfortunately Betty passed away in 2005. She was 85 years old. Wow. And before she died, it was said that David Stevens, the one who did the comic book, The Rocketeer, he would take her grocery shopping and take her to her different appointments, I guess. I saw that in one source. So I don't know if it's like totally true, but I did see it in this source. That's crazy. And because I love to finish with a good quote, I actually found two that just kind of go to show the many ways that Betty's life was portrayed. Yeah, there's just such a difference.
Starting point is 00:55:12 Harlan Ellison said, she is simply pure fantasy. She is lusting an ice cream cone to scoops. Thusiasm in the whisper of nylon, post-pubescent or embuggenousness in the backseat of a studa-baker commander. I love that. I had to share that quote because even just saying,
Starting point is 00:55:30 it feels like art. What a quote. So he says that about her. And then the guardian says of Betty, as with Monroe and Mansfield, the sadness of her life was found in the space between. Oh, which I was like, that's another beautiful quote. All of this is so like,
Starting point is 00:55:45 deeply, deeply beautiful and sad. Right, like the first quote is like, I feel like it's like referring to like the image that the world had of Betty Peagot. Like in her picture, she's an ice cream cone with two scoops, like she's this fun in the back of the car. And then it's like, her, the real truth of her story is found in the space between.
Starting point is 00:56:05 Exactly. Wow, that's really deep. And I just thought those two quotes were like perfect to just show. Yeah. Wow, Betty was a fucking dichotomy. Oh my, yes. So crazy. So that is the unknown story. I guess you could say of Betty Page. That's crazy.
Starting point is 00:56:22 I literally did not know even one of these things. I know it really is so nuts. I listened to like a lot of podcasts about her, like during the research process, I found that book and one of the podcasts that I found I'm looking up to make sure that I have the name correct. Called Stuff Your Stuff Mom Never Told You. Oh, I've heard of this one. They have a really great episode about Betty Page and their whole podcast is basically It says continuing the conversation of what it is to identify as female through research based discussion around feminism and how it impacts every day life Oh, I love that. So there take on her like whole story I thought was really fucking interesting and they have a lot of great information to go listen about so go listen to them
Starting point is 00:57:03 Go watch Bailey ser's video on this, and definitely go read that book that I will link in the show notes. Damn. And fucking find all the information you can about that page because while. Well down that rabbit hole. It is such a rabbit hole it really is.
Starting point is 00:57:17 That's wild. I had like, I don't want to say fun because it was so sad, but I really enjoyed researching her. Yeah, it's very interesting. It was really cool. Just because it's stuff you never would have known if you didn't dive into it. You have no idea.
Starting point is 00:57:28 Wow. That's crazy. It really is. And now you know what's even crazier? It's time to shout out some Patrona-side baby. Oh, man. What's got it? I gotta pull up the thing. Let's all get petty page banks.
Starting point is 00:57:40 Oh, let's all get petty page banks. I think the first person to get petty page banks should be Holly McEnulty. Yeah, Holly McEnulty, you need to get Betty Page bangs. I think you'd look great with them. I also think that Jessica Narell would look really good with them. Jessica Narell, get it.
Starting point is 00:57:57 Let's get it. Katie McClend. Katie McClend, you could go either way. You can have bangs or no bangs. Also, I really like your last name. It's fun to say Mc, McLelland. McLelland. Hopefully I'm saying it right.
Starting point is 00:58:07 Raymond Farmer. You should also get Betty Page bangs. Get some Betty Page bangs. I think they'll make you feel good. I think you'll love it. Melissa Mimi, I bet you're nice. I bet you're a nicey. I think you're very nice.
Starting point is 00:58:18 And I think you could use some too. I think so. I think Audrey Pradell. Audrey Pradell for sure. Get some. Get some, Audrey. Then we have Samantha Flaggett. Samantha Flaggett. You know what?
Starting point is 00:58:34 Get bangs or don't because you're great. Because either way you're fucking awesome. We also have Susan Clevanshire. Susan Clevanshire, that's just a great name. That's very true. I don't have a lot more to say. That's a really good name. That that's just a great name. That's very true. I don't have a lot more to say. That's a really good name. That's all there is to say.
Starting point is 00:58:47 That's really all there is to say. Say no more fam. Then we have Madison Dillinger. Madison Dillinger, thank you so much. Thank you. Yours, you know, John Dillinger. Exactly. Ever heard of them?
Starting point is 00:58:58 I think I have, yeah. And then I'm gonna name five patronus-ci in the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame here is the cool, inserted music thing for the Hall of Fame! The Hall of Fame. Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba- Yes. Vapiatus. Vapiatus. Alissa. Alissa Vapiatus. Hall of Fame. You're an all-star. You're a winner, baby. You're a winner.
Starting point is 00:59:29 From the bottoms of our hearts. Yes. We then have Melissa Allio. Melissa Allio. I appreciate you so much. I can't even begin to explain it. Thank you so much. And then we have Caitlin Danzinger.
Starting point is 00:59:43 Caitlin Danzinger. I want to dance with you because you're that great. Danzinger. I messed up. What is it Caitlin Danziger. Caitlin Danziger, I wanna dance with you, because you're that great. I messed up. What is it? Danziger. Danziger. I still wanna dance with you.
Starting point is 00:59:51 Oh my gosh, and then I guess we'll just finish it on this person because they're just so iconic. Alyssa. Alyssa. Alyssa, you know who you are. And you know what? You're so hot right now. And forever.
Starting point is 01:00:03 You're the hottest right now. Hot right now, forever. Next season, the season, a future season that doesn't even exist. All the seasons for decades to come. Guys, thank you so much. Thank you all so much for joining and contributing to the Patreon.
Starting point is 01:00:17 We stupid love you. We stupid love you. We would be lost without you. We truly would. Now we gotta get going because it's time to record are you afraid of the snark? Are you afraid of the snark? Are you? Patronis is no, they do and if you're not a patronis, you should know. But we love you guys. Thank you guys so much for listening.
Starting point is 01:00:36 We hope you keep listening. And we hope you keep it. We're not so weird that I don't, maybe, well, don't keep it as weird as Betty didn't her later life. Yeah, definitely don't. At all, like, at all. At all? No. Keep it so weird that you get iconic bangs.
Starting point is 01:00:53 Yeah, get the iconic bangs. That's weird in a great way. Keep it so weird that you are a proponent for mental health. Yeah, because that's not weird. Keep it that weird. That's not weird at all. For sure. Yeah, weirded up all over that.
Starting point is 01:01:05 Bye guys. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.
Starting point is 01:01:13 Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.
Starting point is 01:01:21 Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Hey, Prime Members! You can listen to Morvid, Early, and Add Free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today, or you can listen Add Free with Wondery Plus and Apple podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at Wondery.com Slash Survey.

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