Serial Killers & Misogyny

What is it with our culture’s fascination with serial killers? Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Peter Sutclifffe, Jack the Ripper….these violent people are as well known as our national treasures, but we only know them for their horrific crimes.

What role does misogyny play in how these serial killers are portrayed on our screens and in our newspapers? And how does it affect court cases? 

Today Kate is joined by historian Hallie Rubenhold, who wrote the bestselling book The Five, which looked into the lives of Jack the Ripper’s victims, and highlighted the sexism in our society’s obsession with the case.

The new series of Hallie's podcast, Bad Women, investigates the lives of the victims of the Blackout Ripper, a serial killer who hunted down women during the Blitz of World War Two.

*WARNING there are naughty words and adult themes in this episode*

Senior Producer: Charlotte Long. Producer: Sophie Gee. Edited and mixed by Anisha Deva.

For more History Hit content, subscribe to our newsletters here.

If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts, and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code BETWIXTTHESHEETS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android or Apple store.

For your chance to win 5 Historical Non-Fiction Books (including a signed copy of Dan Snow's On This Day in History), please fill out this short survey.