00:00:00
This is exactly right. Isn't some far off concept? It's already here. Next starts now.
00:00:33
Hyundai, an official partner of FIFA. Goodbye. When a charming neurosurgeon rode into Frontier Town
00:00:39
selling a persona of confidence and care, patients trusted him. He wore cowboy boots in the operating room
00:00:45
and became sought after by patients. He promised to heal them. Instead, he left a trail of broken bodies.
00:00:51
This is a story of greed, betrayal, and a fight for justice. Listen to Dr. Death the Cowboy wherever you get your podcasts
00:00:58
or binge the entire series right now only with Audible. Goodbye. Pandora Jewelry brings the sparkle to summer, now with even better prices.
00:01:07
Shop now for up to 50% off select jewelry featuring personalized pieces to must-have
00:01:12
summer favorites. Timeless jewelry made to move with you through every moment. Shop in-store or online now through July 5th.
00:01:18
Terms and conditions apply. See Pandora.net for more details. Goodbye. My favorite world
00:01:32
Hello! Hello! And welcome to My Favorite Murder! That's Georgia Hartster. Thanks, that's Karen Kilgariff.
00:01:47
You're welcome, as always. You know what, week after week. Truly, you're welcome.
00:01:55
Yes. Thank you. Still. How's it going? I found Ted Lasso. So what do you think of Ted Lasso?
00:02:07
Vince, I realized that we had accidentally started it on like episode six. So we were like, this is dumb.
00:02:13
And then, you know. Yeah. Because basically deep down, you're like, I'm so confused.
00:02:19
I don't get it. Well, you know, it was the feel good hit of quarantine. Right. Like it served that purpose so perfectly.
00:02:27
Yeah. And the idea of it of like unrelenting, unflagging optimism and positive behavior is really, it is kind of innovative.
00:02:37
Yeah. It's that Midwestern niceness that sometimes we just need in our lives. Yep.
00:02:43
So what's up with you? This was very exciting. Six months ago, I bought tickets to go see this unbelievable classical pianist, Igor Levitt, who was playing at Disney Hall.
00:02:56
and because I was like I never do anything and I want to do something I'd actually be excited to do
00:03:02
yeah instead of going to concerts with people and and trying to be excited when I'm actually
00:03:07
very rarely excited yeah so I got these tickets and then I just kept thinking they were going to
00:03:13
get canceled because of the COVID wave and the COVID surge and Omicron and everything and it
00:03:20
then it came up to the date of the show and it hadn't been canceled yeah so i grab the great
00:03:27
bridger weiniger and we go to disney hall and we went to essentially we went to the symphony it was
00:03:34
the most like hilariously fancy yeah thing we were totally we felt like fish out of water and
00:03:42
then we realized that it's not what you think it is right it's everyone's putting on their best
00:03:48
outfit. So it's not like they always dress like that. I know I didn't see that. I think it's much
00:03:55
more casual than than people assume. It's not like a night at the opera style. Yeah, with the
00:04:02
Lorne yet in the first. Yeah, none of that was like gowns and long gloves up to there and like
00:04:09
your jewels come out of your safe or whatever. It was I saw almost no jewels. But the presentation
00:04:18
that we did see was absolutely one of the most magical things I've ever witnessed in my life.
00:04:24
It was like jaw-droppingly amazing. He's the best pianist I've ever, not that I've seen that many
00:04:32
classical pianists, but I was just like, how is someone doing that? It was thrilling. And he got
00:04:37
like three, he got a consistent standing ovation. He had to come back out three times. People were
00:04:43
literally yelling bravo like a movie of something happening at the symphony it was amazing it was
00:04:51
amazing the thing i'm most impressed about and that whole thing is impressive is that you decided
00:04:55
six months before that you knew what you wanted and you'd still be interested in doing it in six
00:05:01
months i know i'm such a like we'll think about it closer to like vince is a planner he'll he'll get
00:05:06
like up in the morning when there's like you know the pre-sale and you have to be at 6am or it's
00:05:10
going to he he takes care of that and i'm just like yeah i want to go to that concert because
00:05:15
knowing that it a week before is when i really know if i'm going to want to go or not right yes
00:05:20
the night before well and i think that's kind of always the attitude i have about it where it's like
00:05:25
it's kind of a social thing it's kind of a where everyone else is going but for this because my dad
00:05:31
and i saw this guy on 60 minutes like he got well known because he was supposed to go on tour in
00:05:38
2019 and all all of his big you know it was supposed to be like his debut fancy you know his album
00:05:46
debut kind of like here he is and it all got canceled because of the pandemic so he started
00:05:52
giving concerts from his apartment that would that were like on par so all these people who normally would never be watching classical music or anything on along those lines suddenly started watching because it was like
00:06:07
yeah as we're saying like that's as we all know how it was in in quarantine where you're just
00:06:13
suddenly like yes i am interested in that yeah and i cannot keep watching the same things i'm watching
00:06:19
that are bad news constantly. I need some kind of soul-lifting fucking experience.
00:06:25
And I think everyone learned in quarantine how the arts save us. They really just do.
00:06:32
And that the people that really are amazing who have dedicated their lives to it,
00:06:36
it's a wonder. It's a human wonder to see it. But I was raised listening to classical music
00:06:43
because my dad is a total Beethoven head. Home gym? Home Jim is Mr. Beethoven. We have like paintings of Beethoven in our house.
00:06:54
So, damn, Jim. Right? So, I knew. I was like, I bet you all know these songs if I go.
00:07:01
I'll know the hits. You're singing along. So, yeah, I was like, Charlie, I was fake conducting.
00:07:06
It was just a really, it made me realize it's like after so long of being trapped inside and especially in my head,
00:07:16
it felt so healthy to do something, not only to do something in public, everyone was masked up,
00:07:23
there's all kinds of checks and stuff, checks and balances. But then the actual experience of it
00:07:29
is like, that's why people are upset is because that, that experience being taken away and some
00:07:34
people, you know, really need it and really, like, really rely on it. And so to be back in that room,
00:07:42
or I shouldn't say I'm not back. I've never been there before. Yeah, it was. And it was funny because then you texted me right as I was sitting there.
00:07:51
And I know you're like, you're never in my life. Do I expect to text someone? How are you?
00:07:55
And get a photo of the symphony back. Like never, ever. And at the moment, I'm like, oh, cool.
00:08:02
I went to the symphony. Oh, that's cool. Like I am at look at this photo. I am at the symphony, which, by the way, I don't think you're allowed to take photos
00:08:07
at Disney Hall. So I love I appreciate you. well you beforehand people were doing it so i got one in and it was while they were kind of like
00:08:15
warming up and yeah i got shit for doing that the only time i've been there to see grizzly bear
00:08:21
was it during their performance though uh no it was beforehand and i was so taken aback by
00:08:27
the beauty of the room yeah and usher came up and was like put your mother fucker
00:08:33
i was like oh shame well that was my favorite part is that i get a text from georgia that's
00:08:38
like hey hey how are you and i go i'm at the motherfucking symphony and then just it's a
00:08:43
picture of the inside of disney hall which is the craziest thing you've ever seen yeah and then the
00:08:49
second one is bridger next to smiling at the camera which of course is just like a joyous
00:08:54
photo just as joyous as the symphony to see right smiling face who better asked smiling face mask
00:09:00
smiling face but also who better like because i was thinking i don't know anyone that would want
00:09:05
to go with me. This is very much my, this is something I've cooked up. And then I was like,
00:09:11
yes, I do know someone. Yes, you do. Pritcher. Pritcher. It was great. We had a really good time.
00:09:17
And also, it went by so fast. Really? I thought it was going to feel really long or like
00:09:25
stuffy or something. And it was thrilling. It felt like 20 minutes. It was amazing. What's his name again?
00:09:31
The conductor? Igor Leavitt. Igor Leavitt, the pianist. yes i think you say pianist i think so too but i don't care rad oh so i'm not watching game of
00:09:44
real quick game of thrones update oh i'm not i'm not bailing i just like needed a minute because
00:09:49
it was just like so clangy with the fucking swords and also i'm not that into um skeleton
00:09:54
sword fighting i think it's wait a second i think you're watching jason and the argonauts i think
00:10:01
something happened you turn the channel no no the white walkers are like skeleton oh right
00:10:07
and it just reminds me of like um pirates of the caribbean movies which i fucking can't stand
00:10:11
and like skeleton sword fighting it's just like a look so stupid and surreal to me
00:10:17
because i have a hard time with that so i'm just like kind of watching like increments sure but and then i found out hold on are you looking up a name i am yeah if you're
00:10:28
waiting for the 20 year anniversary to watch Game of Thrones this will be a spoiler
00:10:32
this is a spoiler okay so when Jon Snow's one true love Ygritte died I was of course heartbroken
00:10:40
and then someone commented that they're married in real motherfucking life and I almost
00:10:48
lost my mind I looked up photos and was just like so overjoyed to see them on red carpets all looking
00:10:54
clean that's why that love affair was so compelling on screen is because it was actually happening in real life.
00:11:02
Oh, I love those. I love those. Love it. Love that she calls him Jon Snow, first name, last name. I've always been a big fan of that.
00:11:09
Jon Snow. That's good. So good. That's a highlight for me. I'll get back into it.
00:11:18
It's dragging in the middle. What's the last season that everyone hates? Is it seven or nine? I have no idea.
00:11:25
Well, we'll get there. Wait, have you seen the part where Jon Snow, where there is he goes into battle and he's the first one on the battlefield and they they come toward him?
00:11:35
Have you got you would know it if you've seen it. Sword fighting skeletons? No. Oh, no.
00:11:43
Like underlings or whatever. I don't. Where he's like he's protecting the wall to take over.
00:11:51
You just watch him. It almost like first person you are going into battle Oh no I guess not OK you have something coming up That is one of the most no joke like profound experiences I ever had watching television based the way they shoot this
00:12:07
thing. And how it happens is I can't believe how they did it. It's so brilliant. Okay, I'll get
00:12:13
there. Yeah. Yeah. I'll let you know. But it's if it's too clangy right now. Like I, the other
00:12:19
night was in such a spot that the only thing I could figure out to watch was all creatures great
00:12:25
and small I would just I went back in because I was like that's perfect I need it to be quiet I
00:12:30
need it to be green yeah I need some British accents and then yeah maybe someone may like
00:12:37
the late that housekeeper that makes them dinner all the time it's just like yeah all that this is
00:12:42
what I need absolutely oh I found another thing wait oh the show that I love be foreigners on HBO
00:12:48
Max. Yes. And I told you about it. So there's like a it's it's a guy who's from normal from now times.
00:12:56
He's a detective. And then people start showing up in the bay. Right. And they're from three
00:13:03
different time periods. Yeah. And what summer Vikings summer cavemen and summer from like the
00:13:07
1800s. Yes. There's now a season two. And I just found out like a couple days ago. Nice. And I'm
00:13:15
so excited because they always do that like European television where they do six episodes
00:13:20
and you never see it again. Right. Like Afterlife was like that. Yes. Yeah. That sounds like Encino
00:13:26
Man. Honestly, it's almost like Detective Encino Man, but not there's less cavemen characters. And
00:13:35
it's basically a guy detective and then a Viking warrior detective. Okay. It's a female Viking
00:13:42
warrior detective oh cool so it's pretty great that's what i was gonna say too is that ted lasso
00:13:47
is just this the plot of major league made into british a british thing am i wrong i am not wrong
00:13:55
you are not wrong you're so right you're so right major league was one of my favorite movies as a
00:14:03
kid so i'll go i'll take it but what about um hottie the hottest person on the planet
00:14:10
god damn it lee shit i mean it's so crazy the appeal of that person name like i know it too
00:14:22
and i just can't it's like blank blank everybody calls you know everyone calls him as brett
00:14:28
goldstein the character name his name is roy kent roy kent fucking roy kent is it wait is he
00:14:37
Is he Jewish? Goldstein? If he's Jewish, I'm going to lose my mind because we get to claim him, which is always fun.
00:14:44
I think you do get to claim him. Also, a British Jew. How exciting. Very fun. No, he's amazing. And just him and his niece. It's so great.
00:14:55
Oh, my God. And he's such a meanie. It's so fun to watch him be soft when he's mean and mad.
00:15:02
Yes, it's great. But then like there's that one scene where he tells his niece to fuck off, but he's saying it conversationally.
00:15:12
It's so hilarious. I love it. I love that character. My sister forced me. I have to say I resisted Ted Lasso for a long time because I didn't want to be common.
00:15:25
I didn't want to be a person that needed Ted Lasso. Yeah. it's like needing a you know prime time like sitcom that's like i don't need big bang theory
00:15:35
like i i watch heady fucking british shit and then you're watching like i could see the appeal
00:15:40
of this somewhere entirely well and my sister my sister does a thing where like there's some
00:15:46
things where she'll be like you'll really like it but she'll let it go but she would not let this go
00:15:51
and i was like laura and she's like it's christmas you know you're stressed out blah blah blah you
00:15:55
need to watch this and she forced me to do it and then of course then i was watching episodes
00:16:01
without her right she was getting we were getting into fights because i wasn't waiting for her
00:16:05
oh your relationship that's so funny that's like a boyfriend girlfriend relationship but sisterly
00:16:12
yeah um well sisters at holidays oh it's just like yeah she she had been waiting for me because
00:16:18
she had stopped at some halfway through and then i just plowed past was like oh i didn't realize
00:16:23
pretending I didn't know that she was waiting for me. You just made me realize I have a different relationship with my
00:16:29
family than you because I don't I live in the same city as I'm so I don't have to
00:16:33
spend more than four hours with them at a time even at the holidays. Like being stuck in a
00:16:41
house together. Being having to be stuck in a house which the wording tells you everything.
00:16:47
Do you mean staying in a house? Enjoy being together and enjoying one's company.
00:16:52
any like i haven't yeah it doesn't happen i bet it's different it is well it definitely is different
00:16:59
i mean i'll say this my sister and i are we live very differently so like by the time i leave her
00:17:07
house she's so glad i'm leaving yeah because she's the kind of person that doesn't just clean her
00:17:12
kitchen every single night but she wipes it down and then like clorox wipes it down like she's like
00:17:18
a weird it's like she maybe from working in restaurants or something she's real clean or
00:17:24
having a she's like probably yes yeah then she's just a neat nick yeah so by the time you know
00:17:30
week two she's like i thought you said you were going to dad's i'm cleaning up after another
00:17:35
teenager named my sister basically where i'm like i picked up those hershey kisses wrappers what do
00:17:41
want. What else? Okay, this will be my last TV recommendation. This is on BritBox. I stumbled
00:17:53
upon this the other night or last night I compared this to it was like watching sister wendy except for for ancient civilization i don know what that would be called sister wendy tell us yes tell our child
00:18:09
listeners oh yes what sister wendy was to us sister wendy is this ass-kicking british nun
00:18:18
she's an art i think she i don't know she's an art professor but she's an art historian yeah
00:18:23
This isn't a sitcom, by the way. This is like a real person. This is a real person who walks you through the Louvre, like all the great museums of the world, pointing at and showing you and teaching you about what's amazing about classical paintings.
00:18:42
Yeah. And she's like your British grandma. And it's like, you know, you just when you're younger, you get stoned and you watch it or it's just like nice to put on in the background.
00:18:53
But she doesn't. I have to say this. You think a Catholic nun is going to talk a certain way about, say, like, you know, a nude or whatever. And she's like, as a way, the light touches the body like she is about it. And she doesn't shy away from like the sex and paintings or the sex and art or any all the stuff that I expected where the first episode I watched, I was like, go, Sister Wendy, you're doing it for all of us.
00:19:22
Yes. Yeah. That's a good one to put on if you need like, I think nowadays, I'm sure you can find it on YouTube, that. And we also started watching Two Fat Ladies, which you could only find on YouTube.
00:19:33
Yes. Can you hear that? Some of those British shows, I can't find Sister Wendy on streaming. Like, I don't, if somebody knows where she's hiding, I think you probably have to buy it in some way.
00:19:42
Right. But so this show that I found, it's called Civilization, spelled with an S because it's British, with Kenneth Clark. And it's a dude in a very Sister Wendy-esque way, basically explaining to you how we learn about ancient civilizations through art.
00:19:59
but he's talking as much about what was going on in the world so that like it's basically kind of
00:20:06
like art architecture history i can't even explain it because i i'm not smart enough to but i felt
00:20:13
like i was becoming smarter because i watched civilization with kenneth clark definitely on
00:20:19
brit box like like what that art meant to that civilization and why it was profound or why
00:20:25
whatever right exactly like it was you know um the the like the things that are chiseled
00:20:32
over the doorway in a cathedral have meaning to the culture who built that cathedral
00:20:40
and he's telling you what the meaning is and what it's based on and it's fascinating i mean it's
00:20:47
unbelievable it's just like you know good for those of us who have gigantic gaps in our education
00:20:53
Yeah. And then another bonus of that is that when like someone you're dating comes over and looks at like your watch history, they'll be like, whoa, this person is smart. Right. Look at how smart she is. Right. And then they're just like, it's only British television all the way across, all the way across.
00:21:10
should we do the exactly right corner yeah corner corner corner remember that corner corner corner corner corner that was so long ago the amount of fucking
00:21:23
quotes that have lived and died on this podcast i mean it's crazy it is what it's all about
00:21:32
let's see oh well great news and i'm very excited about this our podcast our movie
00:21:40
podcast, I Saw What You Did, has been on hiatus. And they are back now. Millie and Danielle are
00:21:46
coming back to talk about movies, the genres, the artists, and everything topics related to Black
00:21:53
History Month. So they're coming back in this month of February. And their shows are going to
00:21:59
be centered around Black History Month, which is super cool. Welcome back, you guys. We're so happy
00:22:04
that you're back. Very much. And also, this podcast will kill you is continuing their coverage of
00:22:09
hepatitis. And then this time, they're focusing on how discrimination impacts those experiencing
00:22:14
the disease. So another fascinating lesson. Oh, also, don't forget, they're in the fan cult,
00:22:21
their MFM mini, mini sodes. So you can get two extra hometown stories that are just for the fan
00:22:28
cult members. If you want to join the fan cult, there's, it's called exclusive content. We know
00:22:33
all about it. And we provide it. That's right. And then also, like, they don't come down. So you
00:22:37
There's many of them up right now, so you could listen to many, many's fucking ad infinitum.
00:22:45
All day long. Well, I think we've been doing it for like, what, a year and a half?
00:22:48
Yeah. A year and a half's worth. So, infinitum. What's that word? Infinium. Are you talking about infinity?
00:22:57
Infinium. Isn't that a word? Infinitum? Is that it? Ad infinitum? Like, you can watch them ad or listen to them ad infinitum?
00:23:06
Yeah, is that how you say it? Yes, you need that. It's a Latin phrase. So I think you need the ad part at the beginning.
00:23:13
Well, that's cool. I took typing instead of Latin in high school. I'm a real fast typer, like 120 words a minute.
00:23:21
That's and also that's your big reader. So you get you get you make up your pronunciation.
00:23:27
That's so true. There's merch, too. There's some new patches for your jeans or your backpack.
00:23:34
There's a fuck the patriarchy one. There's a lock your fucking door patch. So check that out if you want.
00:23:40
Yeah, that's there's the corner for you. Corner, corner, corner. Boom. Boom. All right.
00:23:46
So you're going first tonight. First. Today on this one. Today and tonight. At infinium.
00:23:56
Infinium sounds like something from like a. sci-fi show. It does. Or someone mining for infinium on this planet.
00:24:05
Summer is all about saying yes, going out and bringing the mess home in your car.
00:24:12
Sand, grass and melting snacks will inevitably hitch a ride. But with WeatherTech, you can live
00:24:17
life to the fullest. WeatherTech floor liners, cargo liner and seat protectors allow you to
00:24:22
keep up with your summer adventures without the worry. WeatherTech is built for all of those
00:24:26
summer things, allowing you the freedom to go all in. WeatherTech is an American-made premium
00:24:30
product built to last and easy to clean. If you're going all out this summer, you need WeatherTech.
00:24:35
Visit weathertech.com today. Goodbye. Summer is fun, but it can also completely destroy your routine.
00:24:42
Between days at the beach, recovering from days at the beach, and then remembering you don't even
00:24:47
like the beach, it can really mess up your day. That's why it's helpful to have something like
00:24:51
cachava that makes it easy to stick to one healthy habit. Cachava is an all-in-one nutrition shake, and now it comes in new travel packs.
00:24:58
Every packet gives you a simple shake with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, greens, probiotics, omegas, electrolytes, and more.
00:25:06
They're easy to toss into a bag, easy to take on the road, and a simple way to stick with your normal wellness habits even when your schedule changes.
00:25:13
Cachava is a clean, simple option for staying fueled when life gets busy. I am so excited about this because Vince is the crazy person who packs all his vitamins
00:25:21
whenever we go somewhere. And I'm like, I don't have room for that. And I also will just ignore them the entire trip.
00:25:27
So this is like how I'm going to get it all in. And then you have a satisfying shake.
00:25:32
So you have a breakfast or an emergency lunch. Like they're making it so convenient.
00:25:36
Oh my God. I'm so excited. Take your daily ritual with you. Go to cachava.com and use code MFM for 15% off your first order.
00:25:43
That's Kachava, K-A-C-H-A-V-A dot com, code M-F-M. Goodbye. Building better financial habits usually starts with a few small steps.
00:25:54
Start that journey with Acorns and give your money a chance to grow. Acorns is easy to use.
00:25:58
You can sign up in minutes and start automatically investing, even if it's your spare change.
00:26:03
The Acorns Potential screen shows you the power of compounding and how your money could grow over time.
00:26:07
You can quickly adjust how much you're investing every day, week, or month to make sure that you're always building towards your goals.
00:26:14
Sign up now and Acorns will boost your new account with a $5 bonus investment. Join the over 14 million all-time customers who have already saved and invested over $27 billion with Acorns.
00:26:25
Head to acorns.com slash MFM or download the Acorns app to get started. Paid non-client endorsement, compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns.
00:26:34
Tier 2 compensation provided potential subject to various factors such as customers' accounts, age, and investment settings.
00:26:40
Does not include Acorns fees. Results do not predict or represent the performance of any Acorns portfolio. Investment results will vary. Investing involves risk.
00:26:49
Acorns Advisors, LLC, and SEC Registered Investment Advisor. View important disclosures at acorns.com slash MFM.
00:26:56
Goodbye. all right well today i am doing one of these stories that you know how sometimes like places
00:27:08
will post like 10 photos that have crazy backgrounds or whatever like crazy meanings
00:27:14
yeah i saw this one and it does have a crazy background which i'm going to tell you about
00:27:18
it's the kidnapping of jody plochet trigger warning there's um sexual abuse of a child
00:27:24
to hit this story. The sources used in today's episodes are a Washington Post article by Art
00:27:30
Harris, two AP staff articles, a Sun article written by Henry Holloway, Jodi Plaché's website,
00:27:37
and two All That's Interesting articles, one by Tim Brinkoff and one by Kayleen Fraga,
00:27:44
and an advocate article written by George Morris. So, here we go. We're in the early 80s. The Plaché
00:27:52
family is living a pretty normal life in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The family consists of the
00:27:58
father, Gary. He's a heavy equipment salesman and a Little League baseball coach. His wife,
00:28:05
June, had once been an aspiring nightclub singer, but had given that up to raise the
00:28:12
couple's three sons and one daughter. In early 1983, the Ploshes enrolled their sons in this
00:28:19
Korean style karate school run by a man named Jeff Dosett. He's a 24 year old ex Marine and
00:28:26
immediately the boys love karate. They love him. They feel like Jeff is their best friend and he's
00:28:32
known around town as the fun loving karate teacher, coach. In August of 1983, Gary and June separate
00:28:41
partly because June has felt stifled for their whole marriage because she had to give up this
00:28:45
huge career that was starting to grow. And Gary moves out of the family home. And then the karate
00:28:51
instructor Jeff, he starts spending more time at the Pluchet house. June is thankful for this extra
00:28:57
attention that Jeff gives the family. She says, quote, the kids like being with Jeff. He's kind
00:29:03
and considerate. He's a good friend who provides emotional support. It's rumored and I read in some
00:29:09
articles that June and Jeff started a romantic relationship. It's never confirmed for sure. But
00:29:14
it is said that she kind of leaned on him emotionally during this really difficult divorce.
00:29:20
But soon June starts to think that Jeff is spending too much time specifically with her
00:29:25
11 year old son, Jody. He quit playing football and basketball. So he just focused all his time
00:29:32
on karate, which is his favorite and spending all his time with what he says is his best friend, Jeff.
00:29:38
meanwhile gary the dad hears disturbing news from the father of another karate student
00:29:47
that jeff had been acting inappropriately with his kid the student and the father had to remove him
00:29:54
from the karate school and then gary finds out that this isn the only student who been removed There are at least six other parents with similar stories That not that a pattern Yeah
00:30:06
Gary starts telling Jeff to stay away from his family, but Jeff ignores him. And then on the morning of February 19th, 1984, Jeff asks June if he can take Jody to the school.
00:30:18
He wants to show them the his excuses. He wants to show them the new carpet that he's laying down
00:30:23
at the school. And June, totally trusting this friend of hers, says, of course, they say they'll
00:30:29
be back in 15 minutes and they leave. But hours later, Jody, little Jody and Jeff haven't returned
00:30:35
and June starts to worry. She calls Jeff's relatives, who she knows she's like met them
00:30:41
before because they're very close friends at this point. They're in Port Arthur, which is four hours
00:30:45
away. And she finds out that Jeff and Jody had been there that day. And so June calls her brother,
00:30:51
who's a deputy sheriff. And then she drives the four hours to Port Arthur. But by the time she
00:30:56
arrives, Jeff and Jody are gone, and she has no idea where they went. So June spends the next four
00:31:01
days thinking that Jody and Jeff will return and just hoping for Jody's safe return. But they don't
00:31:08
show up. And so she finally tells Gary what happened. And they call the authorities who
00:31:12
get ahold of the FBI. A week later, Jeff calls June and asked her not to tell anyone he had called.
00:31:20
Jeff has no idea that, of course, the authorities are there waiting by the phone with her.
00:31:25
And they tell her to play along. And so Jeff tells June that she has to bring the other kids to L.A. and meet him there,
00:31:33
bring their school transcripts, almost like they're running away, you know, and starting
00:31:36
a new life. And she wants him to come with him. And then on advice of authorities, June replies that her ex-husband, Gary, might use this,
00:31:47
you know, craziness to get custody of all the children if you don't bring her son back.
00:31:53
Right. He says, quote, if the court gives Gary the kids, I'll get them from him.
00:31:57
I'm tired of people saying I'm insane. And if you say I am, you'll never hear from me again.
00:32:03
So over the next few days, June continues to play along with Jeff anytime he calls.
00:32:08
And then on February 29th, Jeff allows little Jodi to call his mom to talk to her for a little bit.
00:32:15
And so authorities are finally able to trace the call and they trace it to the Samoa Motel in Anaheim, just a few blocks from Disneyland.
00:32:24
So they went from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and took a bus to Anaheim. Oh, my God. I know.
00:32:30
FBI agents raid the hotel room and arrest Jeff without incident. Jody is returned home to his parents and Jeff is indicted for aggravated kidnapping.
00:32:38
So investigators speak with Jody in hopes of kind of figuring out exactly what happened to him.
00:32:44
And as Jody talks to them, investigators quickly realized Jody had been groomed by Jeff for some time. Jody told them that once he was comfortable around Jeff, that's when the inappropriate behavior began. Jeff started, quote, testing the boundaries. He told Jody that they needed to stretch that way. If he touched Jody's genitals, then it'd be he could say it's just an accident.
00:33:10
If they were in the car, then maybe Jeff would try to put his hand on Jodi's lap and then say, oh, I didn't mean to do that.
00:33:16
Kind of like testing the boundaries. Eventually, Jeff starts molesting Jodi, who didn't tell anyone because he thought if his parents found out, they'd be really upset.
00:33:27
And he didn't want to get his. But he still thought of his best friend in trouble.
00:33:33
You know, that's because he was because the pedophile made him believe that they were best friends.
00:33:38
That's right. He is groomed to believe that and protect this monster. Yeah. The abuse continued escalating until that day in February 19th, when Jeff took Jodi, you know, allegedly to see this new carpet.
00:33:51
Jeff asked Jodi if he wanted to go to California. And Jodi said yes. And Jeff said, OK, let's you know, he says, let's let's go.
00:33:58
And that evening, they take a bus to Los Angeles. And along the way, Jeff shaves off his own beard and dyes Jody's blonde hair black so he could pass Jody off as his son.
00:34:10
And once they're in L.A., they check into the motel. Investigators are dreading telling June and Gary about what Jeff did to their son.
00:34:18
Of course, it's every parent's worst nightmare. When Gary finds out, he's horrified and says, I'll kill that son of a bitch.
00:34:25
Investigators also speak to Jeff, who openly tells them what he did to Jody. He explains that he himself was molested for years as a child. That's what led him to become an abuser himself. When investigators are done talking to Jeff, he continues sitting in jail awaiting extradition, which is scheduled for March 16th.
00:34:45
On that evening of March 16th, Gary goes to his local bar. He's been in a deep depression ever since this ordeal and has been hanging out at this bar the past few nights.
00:34:56
That night, three seats away from him at the bar, is this executive of a local news station where Gary had once worked as a cameraman.
00:35:05
So they were buddies. Gary and the bartender and this executive start talking about Jeff's extradition.
00:35:11
they find out that he's due back that evening and the executive calls the station to find out his
00:35:19
exact time that jeff's supposed to arrive at the airport which is 908 that night gary hears the
00:35:25
time and he takes off to the airport he knows some of the news station employees who are at
00:35:31
the airport waiting to film this pedophile you know coming back and the police officers waiting
00:35:37
at the airport might also recognize him because you know, they're all local. So he puts on a
00:35:42
baseball cap and dark sunglasses. And he still has to wait a little while for Jeff's plane to land. So
00:35:47
he gets a cup of coffee, then it goes to the bar and has a beer and then paces the lobby
00:35:53
while the camera crew is set up to live broadcast Jeff arrival When Gary realizes Jeff is about to get off the plane he goes to like a bank of pay phones calls a friend of his
00:36:06
so his back is to the camera while the group of escorting officers are bringing Jeff in.
00:36:11
And just as Jeff and the police start to walk by Gary, Gary says into the phone to his friend,
00:36:16
I'm pulling the gun out of my boot. You're going to hear a shot. Oh my God. Gary doesn't even hang up the phone
00:36:23
before he turns, points the gun at Jeff's head and pulls the trigger. And this is the photo that I saw online of it's just like, I don't think you'd really know what
00:36:36
was going on. It's like, you know, the 80s. So it's kind of grainy. And then when you know what's
00:36:39
happening in this photo, it's horrifying. Jeff falls to the ground and Gary slams down the phone.
00:36:46
As soon as Major Mike Barnett sees who shot the gun, he says to Gary, his friend,
00:36:52
quote, son of a bitch. Why, Gary? Why'd you do it? And then Gary begins to get handcuffed and he replies,
00:37:00
if somebody did it to your kid, you'd do it too. And camera crews have broadcast the entire incident
00:37:06
live. Oh my god. Can you fucking imagine? That's just horrible. Jeff's rushed to the hospital and
00:37:16
he dies the next day. Gary's charged with second degree murder. He tells his attorney,
00:37:21
I just didn't want him to do it to other kids. The next day, Gary's out on a $100,000 bond, and his attorney has him committed to a psychiatric hospital.
00:37:32
The attorney tells the media that Gary was pushed into a, quote, psychotic state after learning exactly what Jeff did to his son.
00:37:39
And this, he says, left Gary unable to tell right from wrong. So Baton Rouge residents and so many of the public don't think Gary should be charged at all.
00:37:49
local bartender linda boyd tells the washington post quote i'd have shot him too if he'd done
00:37:55
what they said he'd done to my boys only i'd have gut shot him three or four times and he'd
00:38:01
suffered before he died like everyone is on gary's side you know yeah yeah well because
00:38:11
i mean obviously and that kind of like that vengeance mentality not only is of course natural
00:38:21
especially for a parent but that's the media eats it up right so they're not going to go and find
00:38:27
somebody that says although this is horrible and i would you know i don't know what i would do if
00:38:32
this happened to me it's also wrong to take a life right they're they're actually stirring it up
00:38:38
Because, you know, especially back then, there's I remember a couple of these stories happening where it was like courthouse murders.
00:38:47
Yes. Of convicted pedophiles. There was there was one in California, like in Northern California.
00:38:53
Right. It was like a dad. Yeah. So here's, you know, someone who's discussing these things, these hard facts that we're discussing.
00:39:01
Assistant prosecutor tells The Washington Post that they have a dilemma. he says quote if we say what he did isn't wrong do we open the door for the husband of a rape
00:39:11
victim or the mother of a murdered child to do the same thing do we declare open season on child
00:39:17
molesters then rapists then burglars if the grand jury says gary what you did is forgivable
00:39:23
what do we do about the next victim's revenge where do you draw the line so obviously a slippery
00:39:29
slope right there yeah yeah meanwhile jody's dealing with the fact that his father shot and
00:39:34
killed his abuser. Jody later tells the son how he felt about his dad killing Jeff. He said,
00:39:41
quote, at first I was upset with what my father did because at age 11, I just wanted Jeff to stop
00:39:46
abusing me. I not necessarily die. Jody says the murder put a wedge between him and his dad
00:39:52
because he's still grappling with what exactly happened to him and what it means. He's 11.
00:39:59
and up until recently this had been his best friend and like mentor drama upon trauma that's
00:40:05
the other piece of it where it's revenge that is being enacted of course because of the love a
00:40:11
father has for a son right but he's actually not thinking about about the real effect that right
00:40:16
it would have on his child exactly jody says the murder put a wedge between him and his dad and
00:40:21
but finally after a few months jody forgives his father and things seemingly go back to normal
00:40:27
But Jody has and never will condone Gary's behavior. So on May 16, 1985, 39-year-old Gary
00:40:35
pleads no contest to manslaughter. Three months later, he's sentenced to five years probation
00:40:41
and 300 hours of community service. So the only jail time he spends is when he was first arrested
00:40:47
that weekend before he got out on bond. The judge says sending Gary to prison won't help anyone
00:40:53
because he isn't at risk to commit another crime. Even before he's finished serving his probation, Gary's life is back to normal.
00:41:01
He and June actually stay together after this, and he spends his time fishing and cooking,
00:41:06
and he never regrets what he did to Jeff and says he'd do it again if he had to.
00:41:12
So Jody becomes an activist, and he turns his story into something he could use to help others.
00:41:18
He graduates from Louisiana State University with minors in psychology, speech communications, and philosophy, and starts working in violence prevention. For years, he worked at a victim services center, serving as a sexual assault counselor and prevention educator.
00:41:35
He provided crisis intervention to sexual assault victims, facilitated sexual violence risk reduction programs from pre-K to college, and trained police officers, hospital staff, school administration, and parents on how to handle situations like his.
00:41:53
He said to the advocate quote I wanted to give victims hope I wanted to give parents knowledge And I wanted outsiders to get a general understanding about sexual violence and sexual abuse Jodi urges
00:42:06
parents to be involved with their children and be wary of an adult, including a family member or
00:42:11
close friend who pays an unusual amount of attention to the child. He says, and I think
00:42:16
this is a great quote, if someone wants to spend more time with your kids than you do, that's a red
00:42:21
flag. Yeah, no best friends between adults and 11 year olds. It's just nope doesn't you just
00:42:29
that's not necessary. No. On October 21, 2014, 68 year old Gary Plachey passes away due to
00:42:37
complications from a stroke caused by diabetes. Following his father's death, Jody decides that
00:42:43
he's ready to finish writing a book about his experiences from over 35 years before. He wants
00:42:50
to help other parents by writing it. In 2019, he publishes the book, which is titled Why Gary Why,
00:42:56
which is what the police officer said to Gary when he shot Jeff. Today, he continues to present
00:43:02
professional and college training throughout the country. About his father's actions, Jody said,
00:43:08
quote, I cannot and will not condone his behavior. I understand why he did what he did. But it is
00:43:14
more important for a parent to be there to help support their child and put themselves in a place
00:43:19
to be prosecuted. And that is the harrowing story of the kidnapping of Jodi Plachey.
00:43:27
Wow, that's such a good point, too. It's like that kid needed his father to be around,
00:43:32
not to be then in the system and in a way. Yeah, he could have potentially been sent away for
00:43:39
decades. And then Jodi has to deal with that trauma as well. What I mean, it's a really good story to tell, even though that's such a difficult,
00:43:48
like topic to talk about and and i think such a flashpoint because it is such it is such a a
00:43:56
difficult and horrible thing that people go through yeah yeah totally totally and like this
00:44:03
this kind of like you know would i do the same thing as gary in that situation like i bet every
00:44:10
fucking parent who's been through that wants to of course you know it's so hard to admonish gary
00:44:17
for doing that, but at the same time, yeah, we can't take justice into our own hands or
00:44:22
the whole fucking already fucked up system collapses. Right. Agreed. Agreed. Summer is all about saying yes, going out and bringing the mess home in your car.
00:44:34
Sand, grass and melting snacks will inevitably hit your ride. But with WeatherTech, you can live life to the fullest.
00:44:40
WeatherTech floor liners, cargo liner and seat protectors allow you to keep up with your
00:44:44
summer adventures without the worry. WeatherTech is built for all of those summer things, allowing you the freedom to go all in.
00:44:50
WeatherTech is an American-made premium product built to last and easy to clean.
00:44:55
If you're going all out this summer, you need WeatherTech. Visit WeatherTech.com today.
00:45:00
Goodbye. Allergy season does not slow down when you're on the move. That's why Kleenex Ultra Soft tissues are ready whenever sneezes strike.
00:45:07
Kleenex Ultra Soft tissues are allergist-approved and silky soft. We're up to 100% irritation-free skin.
00:45:13
And now with the new Kleenex Snap and Go, you get that same gentle care made for life on the go.
00:45:18
Get the Kleenex Ultra Soft Tissues you love in a new compact, durable package. New Kleenex Snap and Go. Snap shut for a clean tissue anytime, anywhere.
00:45:26
For whatever happens next, grab Kleenex Snap and Go. Goodbye. If you spend all day waiting to take your bra off, it might be time for Third Love.
00:45:34
If you're looking for breathable, lightweight comfort this summer, you're gonna love Third Love.
00:45:38
Third Love is built around getting the fit right instead of expecting you to put up with something that doesn't work.
00:45:43
And Third Love offers a full range of sizes from AA to H, including their exclusive half cup sizes, so you can find a fit that feels just right instead of close enough.
00:45:53
Stop settling for bad bras. Whether you're looking for more lift, back smoothing, or straps that stay put, Third Love can find your fit fast.
00:46:00
Their virtual fitting room gets you in the right size and matches you with the best styles for your shape.
00:46:05
If you've ever been fitted for the right size bra, you are in for a treat. It actually changes the whole game with bras.
00:46:11
I thought I was like a something, something A cup. I'm a something, something B cup.
00:46:16
And it's just changed my bra game. I thought I just hated bras, but I was wearing the wrong size.
00:46:21
And with Third Love, like they're so comfortable that it doesn't even feel like I'm wearing a bra.
00:46:25
Use code MFM15 for $15 off your first purchase at thirdlove.com. Goodbye. All right.
00:46:35
Well, it's Black History Month. It is February, the shortest month of the year. and Black History Month.
00:46:43
When's that going to change? That comes up every year. Yeah. But until it does, it is now Black History Month.
00:46:53
And so a long time ago, I did the story of Eugene Bullard, who was the first black pilot.
00:47:00
And it's his whole insane life story of going over to France and becoming a pilot and fighting in not only World War I,
00:47:09
but World War II and all the other stuff that that guy did. So in the same thread, and I saved
00:47:16
it when I saw it in the same thread where people were talking about Eugene Bullard and like how no
00:47:22
one knew who he was. Another name came up in that thread of an of a basically kind of an unknown
00:47:27
black hero. And so I am today going to tell you the story of the life of Bessie Coleman,
00:47:35
America's first black and native female pilot. Whoa. And her picture is so her like first pilot's license picture is the best.
00:47:48
It is. She's wearing a, you know, a pilot's kind of like helmet from back in the day because it's the 20s.
00:47:56
It's really good. Oh, my God. So let's see sources on this. There's a New York Times.
00:48:01
Basically, they were doing a series in the New York Times called Overlooked No More,
00:48:06
where they basically gave obituaries for people that were not given proper obituaries the first time around, which is super cool.
00:48:16
So Daniel L. Slotnick was the writer for the New York Times for Bessie Coleman's Overlooked No More.
00:48:23
There's also the book Queen Bess Daredevil Aviator by Doris L. Rich. There's an LA Times article by Maria Lynn Toth, a Wikipedia page on her.
00:48:34
The National Women's History Museum has an article by Carrie Lee Alexander. And the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has an article about Bessie Coleman.
00:48:45
Okay, so it starts in 1919. 27-year-old Bessie Coleman is a manicurist at the White Sox Barbershop on the south side of Chicago.
00:48:54
So her brother John shows up to the barbershop. He's a little drunk and he's reminiscing about being stationed in France during World War
00:49:04
One and being in the army. And he starts teasing Bessie, giving her shit for being a manicurist and saying that women
00:49:13
in France had way more opportunities than women in the United States, especially black
00:49:18
women. And they start talking about aviation. And John tells Bessie, black women ain't never going to fly.
00:49:25
not like those women I saw in France. But Bessie just smiles. She basically looks at him and says,
00:49:33
that's it. You called it for me. She accepts her brother's challenge and she starts saving her money for flight lessons.
00:49:40
No one can fucking needle you like a sibling. An older brother who's a little buzzed
00:49:46
and acting like he's the big man because he already served for the army in World War I.
00:49:51
Yeah. So not surprising that finding someone to teach her to fly proves harder than she first thought. She applies to program after program in the United States, but no flight school here would accept her, just like her brother John had told her.
00:50:09
There's not a flight program in the United States that will admit black people or women of any color. But Bessie has friends in high places. One of them is a man named Robert S. Abbott, who is the founder of the most widely circulated black owned newspaper in the country at the time, the Chicago Defender.
00:50:28
And Abbott knows a thing or two about making your way in the world when you're a quote unquote outsider.
00:50:33
So he encourages Bessie to apply to aviation schools in France where she will be allowed to learn.
00:50:39
And then once she gets her pilot's license there, she can bring her expertise back home.
00:50:44
So he doesn't just give her this advice. He offers to help pay for her travel and for her school.
00:50:50
Wow. He even puts an ad about Bessie's plan to learn to fly in the Defender, calling for more donors for her cause.
00:50:59
And a successful black Chicago banker named Jesse Binga comes forward and he just immediately pays for the remainder of everything.
00:51:06
Oh, my God. I love it. So she's immediately on her way. So she has the money she needs. There's still one problem.
00:51:13
she has to apply to french flight school applications which means her applications
00:51:19
need to be written in french and she doesn't speak french so she quits her job as a manicurist
00:51:25
and she takes a higher paying job as the manager of a chili restaurant and she basically starts
00:51:30
saving money and when she finally has enough she enrolls herself in night classes in french
00:51:37
at chicago's berlitz language schools what the fuck like yeah talk about chutzpah like that is
00:51:43
that's next level she knows what she wants to do yeah which is to basically make her brother john
00:51:52
eat crow and she studies french for a year basically becomes fluent and then she fills
00:51:58
out all her applications and she's finally accepted to the codron brothers school of aviation
00:52:04
in le cratois france so on november 20th 1920 bessie gets on a boat and she makes her way to
00:52:12
the northern coastal town of Le Croteuil, where she begins a seven-month aviation course
00:52:18
that will change her life forever. I'll give you a little bit of Bessie's background.
00:52:22
She was born Elizabeth Bessie Coleman on January 26, 1892. She is the 10th of 13 children.
00:52:31
Her family lives in Waxahachie, Texas, and her family is a mix of African-American and
00:52:39
Cherokee heritage. and they work as sharecroppers in Texas. Bessie stands out as one of the brightest students in her class at school.
00:52:47
She's an avid reader and she excels at math. Her and her brothers and sisters have to walk four miles each way to school.
00:52:56
So when she comes home from school, before she even sits down to do her homework,
00:53:01
she has to help the family with the chores and all the farming responsibilities.
00:53:05
So in 1901, her father, George, tells her mother that he wants to move the family to what's now Oklahoma, but back then was called Indian Territory.
00:53:16
George is tired of the racism that he and his family have to deal with in Texas.
00:53:20
And since he's part Cherokee, he believes they can find a better quality of life up north.
00:53:26
But Susan, his wife, doesn't want to leave Texas. So George ends up leaving on his own, leaving 12 year old Bessie and all her siblings behind.
00:53:35
Still, Bessie excels in school and she earns a scholarship to the Missionary Baptist Church School.
00:53:42
And after graduating there, she gets into college at the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University in Langston, Oklahoma, which still exists.
00:53:51
It's now just called Langston University. But because she didn get a college scholarship she goes away to school but soon runs out of money And she ends up having to withdraw after one term Because I think she probably tried to work and go to school at the same time and couldn do both
00:54:09
Okay, so now it's 1915. And Bessie's brothers decide that they're going to move from Texas up to Chicago to find more opportunity for themselves.
00:54:18
And Bessie also wants opportunities. So she follows them up there. But then soon after this, World War One breaks out and her brothers enlisted in the army. So Bessie's ends up getting left behind in Chicago to make her own way. So she enrolls at Chicago's Burnham School of Beauty Culture. She gets her manicurist certification and she lands her job at the White Sox barbershop.
00:54:41
It's the strength and perseverance that enables her to overcome any obstacle that comes up in her life.
00:54:47
She's basically like, here I am. I've got to make this work. What do I got to do to make it work?
00:54:53
And then she does it. She executes. And she's clearly really, really smart. Yeah.
00:54:58
She can strategize and plan ahead. Okay. So now we're back in 27. Here's what I love to.
00:55:05
Bessie went away to France to go to aviation school when she was 27. Wow. Wow. That's bananas.
00:55:12
Yeah. Yeah. Especially back then. Yeah. Where 1915, you're 27, you're supposed to have five kids and like, you know, be married or whatever.
00:55:21
So she's like really living her life. Okay. So she gets her start flying what's called the Newport Type 82 biplane.
00:55:30
It's 27 feet long. It has a wingspan of 40 feet. And it evolved from a military reconnaissance plane from World War I.
00:55:40
And basically, it's flown by a steering system that consists of a vertical stick, which is basically the thickness of a baseball bat in front of the pilot and a rudder bar under the pilot's feet.
00:55:54
So basically, this means there's no steering wheel and there's no brakes. No. So when you want to stop the plane, you have to land it and then engage what's called a metal skid piece that's connected to the tail that like drags along the ground and slows the plane down.
00:56:10
an anchor yeah but but just like slowly yeah slowly dragging him the bravery it takes to fly
00:56:18
these planes is above and beyond anything that i mean today it would be scary enough but these
00:56:24
things were like the wright brothers had just like wiped the sweat off their brow and bessie
00:56:29
was like get me in there they're made out of like toothpicks and and like tissue paper and hopes and
00:56:35
Okay. So this plane is incredibly fragile. So Bessie has to inspect it carefully before each flight during her seven month training. Failure to pay attention to the smallest detail could easily result in Bessie's death. But she's learning more than just flying. She's also learning stunts like bank turns, tail spins and loop de loops.
00:57:00
these maneuvers the Bessie and her fellow aviation students being taught are obviously
00:57:07
really dangerous yeah I also want to say she's learning all of this in a language she
00:57:12
learned part-time for a year yes like in your native language this is probably next to impossible and incredibly scary yeah you'd be like are you sure you're so sorry I
00:57:26
hit this button right here and then you say yes or no just now because I don't know this language
00:57:30
that sivu play but she i think it's also it actually is kind of a testament to the burlitz
00:57:35
school of languages because yeah you learn that fast on it and and mostly to her brain like she
00:57:42
wants to do it and she's like well then i'm just doing then i have to just learn french real quick
00:57:46
so i can go learn how to fly a plane real quick yeah okay you know people like that where they're
00:57:51
like well i'll get there and then i'll just be immersed and then i'll learn it that way where i
00:57:56
would be like i need to list the problems yeah and then stay here and watch tv so at one point
00:58:02
in this course that she's taking bessie witnesses another student who's killed mid-flight in a in
00:58:08
a terrible accident so it truly is dangerous like not just conceptually but she actually witnessed
00:58:15
that and she would later recount it this crash saying it was a terrible shock to my nerves
00:58:21
but I never lost them. In fact, she becomes known for her nerves of steel and she earns the nickname
00:58:27
Brave Bessie. She completes the course on June 15th, 1921, and she earns her pilot's license.
00:58:34
And she's the first woman of color to accomplish this. So because the commercial flight is not
00:58:39
available yet, Bessie knows that the only way that she can earn a living now that she's a pilot
00:58:44
back in america is with her stunt flying skills right so she actually she sticks around france
00:58:53
for another couple months after she gets her license and she continues her training
00:58:57
with an ace pilot in paris so she's fucking living the coolest life yeah of all time essentially
00:59:06
like why why would you want to go back absolutely absolutely be a female pilot in paris and then go
00:59:14
to the Moulin Rouge. Right. Like, hell yes. When Bessie returns to the US in September of 1921,
00:59:20
she arrives to a media frenzy. And the reporters are welcoming her as a quote, a full fledged
00:59:26
aviatrix said to be the first of her race. That was an AP via the New York Times. So people were
00:59:33
going crazy. Like people knew about this and heard about it. So Bessie uses the publicity to get
00:59:39
herself work as a barnstormer, which is like a daredevil pilot travels the country performing
00:59:45
stunts for crowds and often lodging in farmers' barns while they're on the road.
00:59:50
Wow. Yeah But she comes to find out that the barnstorming business is highly competitive and the stunts her fellow pilots are performing here at home are way more advanced than besties used to in addition to the normal loop and tail spins
01:00:06
these pilots include parachuters and wing walkers which are basically pilots who get out on the wing
01:00:13
of their plane mid-flight we've seen those photos that is i cannot and i will not and i will not and
01:00:21
You cannot make me. I won't even go bungee jumping. Like, truly. The level of risk.
01:00:28
It's like when you're sitting in the plane, there's a very high level of risk. And then it's like, I'm going to go out there.
01:00:33
Hey, but get out there. You know, because it's the weekend and these people are at an air show.
01:00:37
So why not? Even getting up from a commercial flight to pee is a little harrowing.
01:00:42
It's really frightening. So Bessie learns that if she wants to compete with these aviators, she needs more lessons.
01:00:49
But again, still, even with the welcome home and everything else, no one will admit her into U.S. flight programs, any U.S. flight programs.
01:01:00
She's proven. She's done it. The U.S. says no. So in February of 1922, Bessie goes back to France.
01:01:08
She takes a two-month advanced training course there. And then she makes her way to the Netherlands, where she meets with renowned aircraft designer Anthony Fokker.
01:01:18
So Fokker is primarily known for creating. We have to pause and acknowledge and just and then take a breath.
01:01:27
And then she went and she met the Fokkers. Yeah, that's right. Why not? We're adults.
01:01:34
Kind of. So this Anthony Fokker is known for creating the Eindexter, which was a single seat fighter monoplane that the Germans used in World War I.
01:01:43
so after Bessie meets him he sends her to Germany where she trains with the top pilot
01:01:50
at the Fokker Corporation so she again it's like that thing where she's so smart
01:01:56
because she's like I want to do this so who do I have to know and who do I have to meet
01:02:00
and who do I have to be friends with and then she makes it happen so Bessie returns to the US again in the summer
01:02:06
of 1922 and on September 3rd she gets her first job flying in an air show on Long Island
01:02:12
to honor the New York Army National Guard's 369th Infantry Regiment of World War I.
01:02:19
So the 369th was an all-black regiment nicknamed the Harlem Hellfighters. So this event is sponsored by, you remember, Robert S. Abbott,
01:02:30
Bessie's friend and the owner of the Chicago Defender. And Abbott puts an ad for the event in the Defender singling out Bessie
01:02:37
out of the nine pilots who are participating in the event in this quote unquote flying circus.
01:02:43
And he calls her, quote, the world's greatest woman flyer. Now, do you think she brought a copy of this to her brother and kind of just crammed it in his face?
01:02:55
I want to see that. She said, hold still, John. Hold still, John. Here, here. Slowly shoved it literally into his face.
01:03:02
How about you choke on it? Like, yeah, the feeling. the sibling rivalry satisfaction that she must have had truly yeah it's the greatest okay so
01:03:15
so her stunning work at this air show lands her another job six weeks later in chicago
01:03:21
and this air show is honoring the 370th infantry regiment of world war one given the press that she
01:03:28
received from her show in new york the hometown girl yeah the quote-unquote hometown girl draws
01:03:33
a big crowd and the audience watches in amazement as Bessie pulls off daring loop-de-loops and
01:03:39
figure eights and more, all with her particularly flamboyant style. She quickly gets more airshow work and builds up her reputation and she earns herself a
01:03:50
new nickname, Queen Bess. Yes. Way better than the other one. I love it. While she dazzles crowds across the country, it's no surprise that there are many reporters
01:04:01
who are critical of her, writing articles about her being cocky and opportunistic.
01:04:07
Also, if you can do a loop-de-loop in like a plane, in a plane that was made in 1922,
01:04:14
you get to be cocky. Yes. Hey, heads up. Yeah. Shut the fuck up. Okay. This trash talk doesn't bother Bessie.
01:04:24
She knows the only way to be successful in this business is to stand out and she knows she's got the guts
01:04:29
and the brains to do it. As she gets more successful, Bessie saves her money. And in 1923, she finally has enough to buy her own plane.
01:04:39
So she gets a military surplus Curtis JN4, which is also known as the Jenny biplane.
01:04:46
The seller's in Santa Monica. So when Bessie goes to pick up the plane, she schedules a show in L.A. for the same month.
01:04:54
But just as Bessie is taking off to fly to the fairgrounds to participate in the air show,
01:04:59
The plane's motor stalls at 300 feet up. It nosedives and it sends Bessie crashing to the ground below.
01:05:08
She survives this crash, but her leg is broken. She has fractured some ribs and her new Jenny is completely destroyed.
01:05:15
Oh, my God. The first flight. Yeah. Yeah, I know. It sucks. Yeah. When the medics arrive, Bessie pretends like she's fine.
01:05:26
And she tells him just to, quote, patch her up so she can get to the show. Oh, my God.
01:05:32
They don't listen to her. Of course, they take her straight to the hospital. She stays positive despite this setback and issues a public statement saying, as soon as I can walk, I'm going to fly.
01:05:43
But it takes her two years to fully recover from this crash. But just as promised the moment the doctor clears her she gets back into that plane again flying in an air show in Texas on June 19th 1925 So Bessie continues her barnstorming career over the next few years but as she becomes more and more popular she also gets into public speaking
01:06:07
She's booked all over the United States, speaking at schools, churches, and theaters to encourage
01:06:13
other Black people to take up flying. She firmly believes that aviation is a vital growing field
01:06:19
that can open doors for black people, declaring, quote, we must have aviators if we are going to keep pace with the times.
01:06:28
Bessie refuses to fly or speak at any event where the audience is segregated. Nice.
01:06:33
So badass. Back then, imagine that. Yeah, that limits you very, very much. Yeah.
01:06:40
At one occasion, Bessie's set to perform at an air show in Texas, but when she finds out that the entrances to the venue will be segregated,
01:06:47
she pulls out of the show. She speaks with event coordinators and demands that everyone be allowed to enter the venue through the same gate or she won't perform and they give in.
01:06:59
And then Bessie goes on to like wow everybody and put on an amazing show. So because of Bessie's status as a rising star, she's offered the lead role in a feature film about her life called Shadow and Sunshine.
01:07:14
Oh, my God. So an opportunity like this is, of course, would be a huge help in promoting her career as a stunt flyer, but it will also earn her the money that she needs to live her dream of starting her own flight school.
01:07:27
So she gladly accepts the role. But when she finds out in the first scene of the movie, she's supposed to be it's like supposed to be about her upbringing.
01:07:37
She's supposed to wear, quote, tattered clothes, carry a walking stick and a pack on her back.
01:07:42
She pulls out. What the fuck? yeah doris rich the author of queen bess later writes opportunist though she was about her career
01:07:53
she was never an opportunist about race she had no intention of perpetuating the derogatory image
01:08:00
most whites had of most blacks end quote in an interview with billboard magazine bessie was
01:08:06
quoted as saying no uncle tom stuff for me so she just was like bye i love it so by april of
01:08:14
1926, Bessie earns enough money to buy herself a new plane. She gets another surplus Jenny by plane
01:08:21
in Dallas, Texas. And with the help of her publicist mechanic co pilot, 24 year old William
01:08:27
D. Wills, she gets to go back to flying. Her next air show scheduled on May 1st is in Jacksonville,
01:08:33
Florida, and she and William fly there together. But the plane has a mechanical issue and the duo
01:08:40
have to make three forced landings so that they can do maintenance on the plane during the trip.
01:08:46
They finally make it to Jacksonville on April 30th, 1926 and Bessie and William take to the sky
01:08:53
in Bessie's new plane to look for a good parachuting area for the show. So they basically have to scout out
01:08:58
the airfield and find where she's going to parachute out of the plane. So William is taken over in the main
01:09:04
cockpit and Bessie is sitting in second position, unbuckled and peering over the side of the plane looking for a good landing spot.
01:09:12
But 10 minutes into the flight, at 3,000 feet in the air, the plane's engine seizes and
01:09:18
nosedives, throwing the pair into a devastating tailspin. Bessie, who's still unbuckled, flies out of the plane at 2,000 feet and crashes to the
01:09:28
ground to her death. Oh, my God. William is buckled in, but he never manages to regain control of the plane.
01:09:34
The plane crashes and bursts into flames, killing William as well. Oh, my God. Bessie Coleman is dead at just 34 years old.
01:09:42
Oh, my God. So because William Wills is a white man, the mainstream media mostly focuses on his death rather than Bessie's.
01:09:51
But black newspapers commemorate Bessie and most make her death front page news.
01:09:58
Memorial services are held in both Florida, where Bessie died, and in Chicago, where she primarily lived.
01:10:04
And journalist Ida B. Wells leads both ceremonies. and about 10,000 mourners come to pay their respects for the fallen hero.
01:10:13
I covered Ida B. Wells, remember? Yes, you did. Oh, my God. Weird. Ida B. Wells was there, like, repping Bessie Coleman
01:10:21
and basically speaking at her funeral to talk about what a hero she was. After her services, Bessie is buried in Chicago's Lincoln Cemetery
01:10:31
with a headstone commemorating her as, quote, one of the first American women to enter the field of aviation.
01:10:39
Before her tragic death, Bessie dreamed of one day opening her own flight school in the U.S.
01:10:44
with her primary mission being to empower Black people, especially Black women, through flying.
01:10:50
She never got the chance to realize that dream, but to honor her achievements and to encourage more Black people to fly,
01:10:57
Chicago automobile businessman William J. Powell establishes an aviation club called the Bessie Coleman Arrow Club in the early 1930s.
01:11:06
In his 1934 book, Black Wings, Powell credits Bessie with something much bigger than just giving black people the opportunity to fly,
01:11:15
saying, quote, because of Bessie Coleman, we have overcome that which was worse than racial barriers.
01:11:21
We have overcome the barriers within ourselves and dared to dream. There was a postage stamp in 1995
01:11:29
that was released with Bessie Coleman's image on it. Wow. A small scale reproduction of her yellow biplane.
01:11:36
The Queen Bess is on display at Atlanta, Texas's Regional History Museum. Bessie Coleman was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2001,
01:11:46
the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2006, and the International Air and Space Hall of Fame at San Diego Air and Space Museum in 2014.
01:11:56
And in 2021, when Juneteenth became a federal holiday, A flyover was held in Colorado to honor both her and the new holiday.
01:12:05
But one of the most notable honors took place in 1992 when astronaut Mae Jameson became the first black woman to travel to space.
01:12:16
This gets me. On that mission, Jameson carried a photo of Bessie Coleman with her to honor Bessie's groundbreaking legacy as America's first black and first Native American female pilot.
01:12:31
All hail Queen Bess. And that's the amazing, inspiring story of Bessie Coleman. Oh, my God.
01:12:38
I've never heard of that. That's incredible. How about that badass? How about Queen Bess as the badass?
01:12:45
Yes. Imagine how many little girls at her air shows like were inspired and became something bigger than they would have ever imagined because of her.
01:12:56
I bet there's so many. Imagine seeing that if it's like the 20s and you're just some kid that lives on a farm and you look up there and see somebody doing that, like that unbelievable achievement.
01:13:12
Yeah. Yeah. It's amazing. incredible so good no great job yeah right a little something you know a little something
01:13:19
upbeat yeah to kick the month off with sure great job yes for sure thank you um well awesome
01:13:27
thank you for being here with us this week and um thank you for your continued support
01:13:34
we appreciate it and we appreciate you thank you guys so much and stay sexy and don't get murdered
01:13:40
Goodbye Elvis do you want a cookie This has been an exactly right production Our producer is Hannah Kyle Crichton Associate producer Alejandra Keck Engineer and mixer Stephen
01:13:55
Ray Morris. Researchers, Jay Elias and Haley Gray. Send us your hometowns and your fucking hoorays at myfavoritemurder at gmail.com.
01:14:03
And follow the show on Instagram and Facebook at myfavoritemurder and Twitter at myfavemurder.
01:14:09
And for more information about this podcast, our live shows, merch, or to join the fan cult,
01:14:13
Go to MyFavoriteMurder.com. Rate, review, and subscribe. fun, easy way to discover your next great audiobook. Check out Earsay on the iHeartRadio app,
01:14:49
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Goodbye. Vacation planning should feel like a breeze, not a deep dive into countless travel sites
01:14:57
searching for the best deal. With Cheap Caribbean's Budget Beach Finder, you can search every
01:15:01
destination and every date all in one search. You'll save time and money with the Budget Beach
01:15:06
Finder. Say goodbye to endless scrolling and tab hopping and hello to Budget Beach Bliss at your
01:15:11
fingertips. Go to cheapcaribbean.com to try out the budget beach finder and see just how stress-free
01:15:16
vacation planning should be. Goodbye. Pandora jewelry brings the sparkle to summer now with
01:15:22
even better prices. Shop now for up to 50% off select jewelry featuring personalized pieces to
01:15:27
must-have summer favorites. Timeless jewelry made to move with you through every moment. Shop in
01:15:32
store or online now through July 5th. Terms and conditions apply. See pandora.net for more details.
01:15:38
Goodbye. Goodbye.