What a Creep Season 27, Episode 3: Harry Powers – The Inspiration for “The Night of the Hunter”

What a Creep
Harry Powers: The Inspiration for “The Night of the Hunter”
Season 27, Episode 3

Harry Powers, often called the “Lonely Hearts Killer,” was a notorious American serial killer active in the early 1930s. Born Herman Drenth in the Netherlands in 1892, he emigrated to the United States and eventually settled in West Virginia. Powers used personal ads in newspapers to target his victims, posing as a lonely, wealthy bachelor seeking companionship. He lured women, often widows or divorcées, with promises of marriage and financial security. In 1931, Powers was arrested and charged with the murders of Asta Eicher, a widow from Illinois, her three children, and another woman named Dorothy Lemke from Massachusetts.

His murders were shockingly brutal; he confined his victims in a hidden room in his garage before killing them. After murdering his victims, Powers took their money and belongings. Powers’ trial received extensive media coverage due to the horrific details and his manipulative use of “lonely hearts” ads. He was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death, being hanged on March 18, 1932, in Moundsville, West Virginia. His crimes have inspired books and films, solidifying his infamy as a symbol of betrayal in love and trust. Harry Powers was also a significant inspiration for the novel and subsequent film The Night of the Hunter. The novel was written by Davis Grubb in 1953 and adapted into a film in 1955. (We covered this on one of my other shows, Book Vs. Movie!)

Trigger warning: Murder 

Sources for this episode:

·         West Virginia Archives & History:

·         The Hur Herald

·         Wikipedia

·         West Virginia University Libraries:

·         Murderpedia:

·         Serial Killer: The Quiet Dell Killer

·         West Virginia’s Lonely Hearts Killer by Angela Fielder

·         Newspapers.com: The History of Lonely-Hearts Ads

·         YouTube “Well, I Never”

·         YouTube “Appalachian Monsters…”

·         YouTube “Scary Facts”

What a Creep Season 27, Episode 1: The Salem Witch Trials

What a Creep
The Salem Witch Trials
Season 27, Episode 1

The Salem Witch Trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions that took place in colonial Massachusetts from February 1692 to May 1693. These trials resulted in the execution of 20 individuals, most of whom were women, who were accused of practicing witchcraft. The hysteria began in the Puritan village of Salem, which is now present-day Danvers, but the panic quickly spread to other communities in the region. In this episode, we explore what life was like in Salem Village and examine the factors that led nearly 20% of its population to believe that they or their neighbors were involved in witchcraft.
Trigger warnings: Description of executions and religious abuse.
Sources for this episode:

(Replay) What a Creep: Charlie Chaplin

What a Creep
Charlie Chaplin (Replay from season 8)

Sonia & Margo replay their season nine Charlie Chaplin episode as he was one of the movie’s most influential and recognizable faces. The image of the Little Tramp is a part of cultural history. It’s shorthand for classic film.Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most of his movies. Six of Chaplin’s films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress: “The Immigrant,” “The Kid,” “The Gold Rush,” “City Lights,” “Modern Times,” and “The Great Dictator.”

Chaplin was also a womanizing control freak who had sex with underage girls.

Sources for this episode include:

If you want to learn more about silent movie history and Chaplin’s influence, check out the documentary, “Moguls & Movies Stars: A History of Hollywood”

Trigger warning: Adultery and statutory rape.

(Replay) What a Creep Season 26, Episode 12: Roy Cohn

What a Creep: Roy Cohn
Season 26, Episode 12
(Updated Intro & replay from Season 4)

Roy Cohn (1927–1986) was a prominent American lawyer known for his involvement in controversial cases. He gained national attention as chief counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy during the McCarthy hearings in the 1950s. After working with McCarthy, Cohn became a private attorney, representing clients like Donald Trump and mafia bosses. Cohn’s manipulative strategies served as a foundation for Trump’s later tactics in his political career. Allegations of unethical behavior marked Cohn’s career, and he was disbarred in 1986 for professional misconduct. He died of AIDS-related complications shortly after.

The Apprentice (2024), directed by Ali Abbasi, is a controversial film that delves into Trump’s (played by Sebastian Stan) early life, focusing on his rise in the 1970s and 1980s. The movie centers around Trump’s relationship with his mentor, Cohn, played by Jeremy Strong.

Sources for this episode:

What a Creep Season 26, Episode 10: “The Know-Nothing Party,” Nativism, and Springfield, Ohio Today

What a Creep
Season 26, Episode 10
“The Know-Nothing Party,” Nativism, and Springfield, Ohio Today

If you have been keeping up with the news, you may have heard about the city of Springfield, Ohio, where there have been over 33 bomb threats (as of this posting) targeting its Haitian residents. How did this situation come about? Today, we will delve into the origins of the Know Nothing Party, also known as the American Party, a nativist political movement in the United States during the 1840s and 1850s. Understanding the history and policies of this party provides valuable insight into the current immigration debates in the U.S.

Trigger warning: Racism, bigotry, and general awfulness

Sources for this episode

What a Creep Season 26, Episode 9: Cool girls and pick-me girls

What a Creep
Season 26, Episode 9
Cool girls and pick-me girls 

She’s one of the guys. She says she prefers to hang out with guys because girls cause “too much drama.” “I’m not a feminist because I don’t hate men.”I’m not like other girls.”
If this sounds familiar to you, maybe you know someone who’s a pick-me or cool girl. Let’s talk about it.


Sources for this episode
Margo’s picks for social media following:

What a Creep Season 26, Episode 8: Neil Gaiman

What a Creep
Season 26, Episode 8
Neil Gaiman

Beloved author Neil Gaiman has recently been involved in a controversy following multiple allegations of sexual assault. Several women have come forward with accusations, some dating back decades. For example, a former employee at Gaiman’s property accused him of coercive sexual behavior during her stay from 2014 to 2021. Other women have made similar claims, including Julia Hobsbawm, who described an unwanted sexual advance in the 1980s.According to a recent article in Business Insider: Tortoise Media’s podcast, “Master: The allegations against Neil Gaiman,” which was released on July 3, shares the stories of four women who alleged he sexually assaulted them in 1986 and 2022, respectively. Another woman appeared on a separate podcast with an allegation relating to 2012.

Gaiman has denied all non-consensual aspects of the allegations. As we learn more about one of the most popular writers in the business, many of his current projects are on hold or outright canceled.

Trigger warning: Sexual assault, coercive control, and celebrity assholery. 

Sources for this episode

What a Creep Season 26, Episode 7: Ronald Reagan, trickledown economics & welfare queens

What a Creep
Season 26, Episode 7
Ronald Reagan, trickledown economics & welfare queens

It’s time to talk about President Ronald Reagan’s “trickle-down economics” tax policy, which has been described as the most enduring failed policy idea in American politics. And that leads into Reagan’s narrative of “the welfare queen,” the undeserving women who are freeloading off of the American taxpayers, AND THAT feeds into the bigger story of people living in poverty who don’t want to work. What a creep.
Sources for this episode
What a Creep episodes on Reagan
  • Part one: Reagan and his mental health policies
  • Part two: Reagan and the AIDS crisis