You remember Hedda Nussbaum and Joel Steinberg? They were the Scumbag Couple Of The Twentieth Century, based on their doings, back in 1987. They were bought to my forefront by my seeing the 1990 "Law And Order" episode, entitled "Indifference," in which David Groh and Marcia Jean Kurtz play a fictionalized version of them--here a psychologist named Jacob Lowenstein, and his wife, Carla. These Lowensteins, however, were far different from BARBRA in "The Prince Of Tides!"
Nussbaum and Steinberg were educated--he a lawyer, she a children's book editor. They evolved into a couple of coked out sickos who illegally adopted children, while Joel abused both Hedda and Lisa. Hedda, as can be seen, looks every inch the battered victim, but I am not willing to let her off.. Joel isolated Hedda, in their apartment on now posh Waverly Place, in the West Village, drove her from her job, family and friends, beat and coked her into submission, while abusing, physically, not sexually, their six-year-old adopted daughter Lisa, culminating in her death on November 1, 1987, due to head trauma caused by Steinberg beating her and knocking her against the wall. He then left her on the floor, telling Hedda he would awaken Lisa later.
And this is where I get mad at Hedda. The child is just lying there. I know she been brainwashed, coerced, I know I have never worked with victims of domestic violence, but surely some brain capacity remained for Hedda to do something; at least call 911. I get that she may have wanted to, but if she had Steinberg would have beaten her, but, hell, on his best days he did that, anyway, so what difference would it have made? The difference is she might have saved Lisa! Bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, I don't cut Hedda any slack. Nor do I feel the Justice System did them right. Both were imprisoned, but he should have been castrated minus anaesthetic, while she should have been slapped silly by female inmates. And they should have been imprisoned for life. Instead, Steinberg was released on June 30, 2004. He was placed in a halfway house, but when the location was discovered, he was harassed. Uh....you think? So, he was moved somewhere else. I don't know where he is now, but I fear for those who do, and have to live with him among them. Hedda was released before him, is out in society trying to do good works, has written books, been an advocate, but it does not excuse what she allowed herself to become, and what she did not do when she should have. Go ahead and attack me, but what you have with Hedda and Lisa is one victim victimizing a more vulnerable one.
The story went pretty much the same on "Law And Order." David Groh, who always had a mean look to him, even when on "Rhoda," was chilling in the Steinberg role. I think he either won or was nominated for an Emmy. It remains some of his best work. Marcia Jean Kurtz was an almost carbon copy of Hedda. Her dependence would have been sympathetic, if she had not made the choices she did. I have no sympathy for her.
As for the other child, Mitchell/Travis, or what's his name, he was reunited with his biological mother, Nicole Bridget Smigel.
This episode should be seen, because it will expose those who don't know to this case, which has become the Gold Standard in domestic violence cases.
I don't like the idea of Hedda and Joel being out there. They are still a threat, as far as I am concerned.
May we never visit them, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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