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When I saw this on "Murder Comes To Town," I knew immediately what was coming. I should. I grew up in a small town, too.
George Jodoin was the third of ten children, all of whom lived near one another, and were all over each other, in and out of each other' houses, like locusts. Typical small town behavior that arts oriented folk want to get away from as soon as possible, but the Jodoins were not artistic. They were just, so AVERAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But, there was something about George I caught on to.....real fast. He had a multitude of interests--boating, car racing, music, and he had a successful real estate, pawn shop business. Those who talked, and who in small towns does not, suggested George was not always on the up and up, but that was never proved.
What caught me was, here is George, living in his childhood home, family nearby, in this repressed town. Through more than half of the program, nothing was mentioned about him being married, divorced, seeing anyone, which caused me to think..Hmmmmmmmmm.........
Could George have been gay???????? I bet he was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And I turned out to be right. Because, years later, when the police finally caught Arthur Collins, a handy man who had worked for George, he confessed George came on to him, trying to kiss him, and get into the bathroom, for some oral sex!
Georgie, baby, you were killed by some homophobic fuck!!!!!!!!!! How disgusting!
But, really, you should have known better. If I could see right through you, George, so could others, and while they may have been discreet, it does not mean they were approving. You should have headed off to the nearest large city--even Boston is more tolerant of gays than Auburn and Manchester, New Hampshire.
All George's story does is point to the tragedy of someone gay living in a small town. And that Grace Metalious was not off the mark in setting "Peyton Place" in New Hampshire. Hell, Grace, things are still that way, decades after your passing.
I hope Arthur Collins gets corn holed in prison. He looks like Ned Beatty in "Deliverance," and who could forget that????????????
Learn from George, you young ones! If you are gay and stuck, get the hell out!!!!!!!!! Fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because, to paraphrase, Jeannie C. Riley, "This is just a little 'Peyton Place,' and you're all Auburn, NH hypocrites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
9 comments:
I actually just watched the episode as a repeat on ID. I think you probably should have given a little more thought about the murder of George Jodoin before you wrote your post. First of all I too suspected that George might be gay. In fact the one scene where the cop was talking to the woman who wanted to be set up with George, I actually thought she would tell the cop he was gay. So I wasn't surprised when the murderer used the excuse of George trying to kiss him so he got angry and killed him. But at the same time after watching the show and doing some research about the case online I don't think George was murdered because he came on to some homophobic friend that he was desperate to have sex with because he lived in a small town and there was no gay men to have sex with. I think this guy murdered George simply for the money and either knew George was gay, or suspected it, and used the gay panic defense as his reason for doing it. The murderer kept it a secret for 10 years and even tried to blame it on a guy he knew. Why would you take anything he said as a fact? Then after he murdered him he went through George's drawers looking for money and stole from him.
So I think the only thing tragic about this story is that George befriended a psychopath who murdered him for money and then lied about George coming on to him. Your beliefs about small towns may be somewhat true but there have been plenty of gay men who live in big cities who were murdered by hustlers, or guys that they picked up who were not really gay and just wanted to rob them, etc. You may be a raving queen but you don't need to be nasty about this murder.
Oh, hon (and BTW, I love your screen name) I wasn't trying to
be nasty. I happen to be gay, and grew up such, in a small town.,
so I saw this program through the eyes of someone who had that
experience,and recalled how rough it was.
You may very well be right about the circumstances of the murder.
I don't think we will ever know, but I believe the murder would
have happened even if George did not come on to him. And I think he
did.
You are right he used the gay panic defense. Which shows how
deep his homophobia is. And you are right about urban gays being
killed by hustlers. I knew such a victim, years ago, at work.
When I write about ID, I write based on what I see, and
connect it to my experiences. Others may have different experiences
an d ideas, which is why I love comments from readers. I appreciate yours.
I apologize if I misunderstood what you were trying to say. But you just seemed to come off very flippant about the murder of this guy. As if it was his fault he was murdered because he chose to live in a small town. I don't understand why you believe that George came on to the killer. People that use the gay panic defense are usually not telling the truth. But that's your opinion so I have nothing more to say on that. I believe that what the killer wanted was money and as I said before he either knew or suspected George was gay, or maybe even that other people had suspected George was gay, so he used the easy gay panic defense. I hope the killer dies in jail. It will give him plenty of years to think about what he did to George's family and the other people who remained suspects.
I too hope the killer gets time to think.
And I admit some of my posts are flippant to the
point of being bitchy. I try not to be when
veering onto darker topics.
As for gays and small towns, that is purely a
product of my experience. I did not feel accepted
there, so I moved to a place where I was.
Only two people know the real story--George and
the killer. and neither is talking.
I didn't realise that coming on to somebody carried the Death Sentence. Whether he was Gay or not, whether he came on to someone or not, he should not have been executed in his bed. Living in the UK, my suggestion for the US is to tighten your gun laws. They are far too handy and available for my liking. George was a lovely looking man and travelled far and wide. He could have had anyone he wanted.
Speedbird,
I agree--coming on to someone should not
end in death. Obviously, the guy had issues,
I am in the US here, and you are so right
about our gun laws. But, then, look who is
our national leader now! Sad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Darling, I flew with British Airways for many years when I was young and slim and spent lots of time in the US. I worked on Concorde for 3 years and spent more time in New York and Washington than I did in London. I loved America and its people and always felt at home there. I am now so saddened at what your wonderful country has become. I have even stopped my annual pilgrimage to watch the whales off Cape Cod.
However bad and sad it is for me, it must be so much worse for you all. I find the levels of hate and bigotry very distressing and frightening. Stay well
In address to both sets of ongoing commentators...
I am a female who grew up in those years part of a huge midwestern city with a very liberal accepting ( for the most part) view of most people's sexuality...
That being said.... my experience showed me
Many many times that even in those years- so much further removed from earlier years of anyone alternative being able to be hassled; that it was just the way many conservatively raised " middle American"
gentleman we're almost forced to live in that public seclusion due to hassle & harassment.
Bottom line that applies to you both & actually links you.... Is the quote... "Quiet desperation is the English way". Implication on this side of the pond isn't so far removed. Personally... I agree both theories. Conman taking advantage and most like alternative lifestyle man, relegated to live that quiet desperation; because of that large family/ small town upbringing.
Either way- a contributing member of the human race was taken too early for ZERO good cause.
Agrnfish,
I agree with your points, and thanks for
sharing them. When, if ever, will people
come to their senses?
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