<p id=”par-1_68″>Fans of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s <em>Monster </em>anthology series eagerly anticipate the third season of the hit <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/netflix/?swcfpc=1″>Netflix</a> show. First, Evan Peters’ Jeffrey Dahmer got viewers talking, then the Menendez Brothers re-entered headlines via season two. Now, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/charlie-hunnam/”>Charlie Hunnam</a> will portray real-life murderer and body snatcher Ed Gein. <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/charlie-hunnam-said-what-10-times-sons-of-anarchy-star-really-let-fans-know-how-feels.html/”>Best known for <em>Sons of Anarchy</em></a>, the English actor will transform into the killer who stalked rural Wisconsinites. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-separating-the-chilling-myths-from-the-truth-in-netflix-s-monster-the-ed-gein-story”>Separating the chilling myths from the truth in Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’</h2>
<p id=”par-2_49″>Many myths and misconceptions about Gein have taken on a life of their own, especially because horror movies and shows blur fact and fiction. As true crime fans and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/monster-the-jeffrey-dahmer-story-ryan-murphy-explains-its-about-making-sure-these-people-are-not-erased-by-history.html/”>Netflix subscribers prepare</a> for <em>Monster: The Ed Gein Story</em>, let’s unpack the things people get wrong about the infamous murderer.</p>
<h3 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-ed-gein-wasn-t-a-serial-killer-in-the-classic-sense”>Ed Gein wasn’t a ‘serial killer’ in the classic sense.</h3>
<p id=”par-3_48″>Many people believe Gein killed dozens or even hundreds because of his gruesome reputation. However, he was only convicted of murdering two women: Bernice Worden and Mary Hogan, reports <a href=”https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ed-Gein” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Britannica</a>. In actuality, most of the body parts in his house came from graves he robbed, not murder victims.</p>
<h3 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-he-didn-t-wear-a-skin-mask-or-suit-all-of-the-time”>He didn’t wear a ‘skin mask’ or ‘suit’ all of the time</h3>
<p id=”par-4_46″>Police did find a “woman suit” stitched from human skin. Popular lore suggests he constantly wore it and danced around in it, like <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/the-texas-chain-saw-massacre-leatherface-actor-made-only-800-original-film.html/”>Leatherface in <em>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</em></a>. Gein did experiment with wearing pieces in private, but there’s no evidence he lived full-time in them.</p>
<h3 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-ed-gein-wasn-t-a-cannibal”>Ed Gein wasn’t a cannibal.</h3>
<p id=”par-5_27″>Because of the skin lampshades and bowls made of skulls, people assume he also ate human flesh. However, there’s no credible evidence that Gein ever practiced cannibalism.</p>
<h3 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-his-house-wasn-t-full-of-dead-bodies-lying-around”>His house wasn’t full of dead bodies lying around.</h3>
<p id=”par-6_38″>Gein’s house was filthy and morbid. But some think it looked like a slaughterhouse with corpses everywhere. Investigators found crafted items made from body parts (masks, furniture, clothing). However, Gein usually <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/netflixs-jeffrey-dahmer-series-criticized-connection-case.html/”>processed remains</a> rather than leaving them intact.</p>
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‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ Leatherface Actor Made Only $800 for the Original Film </a>
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<h3 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-ed-gein-wasn-t-the-sole-model-for-leatherface-norman-bates-or-buffalo-bill”>Ed Gein wasn’t the sole model for Leatherface, Norman Bates, or Buffalo Bill.</h3>
<p id=”par-7_58″>People often think Ed Gein solely inspired these famous movie characters. In reality, writers borrowed select traits. <em>Psycho</em>‘s Norman Bates had an unhealthy mother fixation. Leatherface of <em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/texas-chainsaw-massacre-used-real-blood-leatherface-scene.html/”>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</a></em> made masks out of human skin. Buffalo Bill in <em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/did-anthony-hopkins-blink-during-the-silence-of-the-lambs.html/”>The Silence of the Lambs</a></em> sewed a “woman suit.” However, none of these characters is a one-to-one copy.</p>
<h3 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-he-wasn-t-outwardly-terrifying”>He wasn’t outwardly terrifying.</h3>
<p id=”par-8_35″>Many imagine Gein as a menacing, monstrous figure. In real life, locals described him as a shy, quiet, somewhat odd handyman. Gein blended in, which is one reason his crimes shocked the community so much.</p>
<p id=”par-9_45″>Gein was not a prolific killer, cannibal, or chainsaw-wielding maniac. What made him infamous was the bizarre, ritualistic use of corpses and the way his crimes blurred the line between murder and grave desecration. <em>Monster: The Ed Gein Story</em> premieres on <a href=”https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/monster-the-ed-gein-story-release-date-cast-news” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Netflix</a> on October 3.</p>