Posted on 03/22/2008 7:16:02 AM PDT by shrinkermd
...Sure enough, that's what Body Worlds is all about. The cadavers, (relatively) whole or in parts, are fascinating, sometimes beautiful and inspiring, and remarkably low in ick factor. They could be plastic or ceramic; when you see them, you have to keep reminding yourself that they're dead people, and then you get to pat yourself on the back for how well you're taking this. A practically skinless man is leaping over a hurdle, though given the lack of clearance, he is perpetually headed toward really hurting his private parts. His aerodynamically sliced brain, however, seems like overkill. There's no apparent educational reason for this. It is, I deduce, Art.
Likewise the giant posters of loving people (the theme of the exhibit is ostensibly the heart), inscribed with quotes from Khalil Gibran. What do these have to do with agate-like slices of brain revealing a stroke? Or the nerves, in a display case all by themselves and understandably looking a little frayed? Let's stop the pretense to poetic thinking. This is a curiosity, an informative bit of voyeurism, and that's good enough for me.
There's an archer and figure skaters, a flamenco dancer and a torch carrier, their athletically graceful poses (and paucity of skin) showing off their lean muscles, the interplay of bone and tendon and ligament. Of course, anyone's abs would look ripped if they weren't hiding under a pad of fat. And with a couple of notable exceptions, fat was banished. Finally.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I am saddened by this, but I can’t really verbalize well what troubles me about these exhibits. It would seem to be in the same vein as Dr Kervorkian - death for its entertainment value for him. I recognize that these people aren’t in pain, but they are people.
I understand the need to have willing donors used in scientific research to study/cure human ailments. But this seems a violation of human dignity for no purpose but its entertainment value.
Heavens, American Indians fought for the right to bury Kennewick man with appropriate ceremony. We go to great lengths - 9/11 recoveries, for instance - to make sure those who die are treated with dignity.
But we Westerners apparently don’t give a care these days that these individuals are someone’s son, mother, brother, and even if they were willing to be exhibited in such fashion, can’t we avoid our baser nature in doing so? Those who are Christians also know we are God’s special creation and concern.
Frankly I think the same of Survivor, Fear factor, cage fighting, etc. Bread and circuses . . .
Flame on.
NO flames here. You said it perfectly.
great post, thanks!!
I can verbalize it. It’s an outrageous display of disrespect of the dead.
A society that does not respect the dead rarely respects the living, either.
Instead of respectfully buried or cremated, human bodies are now a freak show exhibit? It’s revolting, appalling, nauseating, and morbid.
There is nothing taught by this that could not be just as well taught with plastic scale models... except that human beings are nothing special, to be dissected like animals.
And that is, in essence the message - that humans are animals, doubly reinforced by the treatment of the dead and the actions of the living who would do such a thing.
I agree..which is why, as someone studying anatomy I would find it interesting to go...I will not go. These are dead people, regardless of how innocent it looks. I think I could understand this kind of display better if it was strictly for medical students or for those studying anatomy.
How can it be disrespect? These people volunteered when they were alive to be displayed this way.
This is entertainment in the same way Rush is entertaining. Yes there are laughs and humor, but underlying all this is the education of those who are there to see it.
Whether they volunteered or not, it is still disrespect. Women voluntarily get abortions - is that not disrespect of life? Others voluntarily submit to euthanasia - is that not also disrespect of life?
The act of consent does not mitigate the disrespect, it only means the consenting person disrespected himself in addition to the disrespect of the exhibitors.
Human corpses as a subject of entertainment is about as disrespectful as can be. It’s not a heck of a lot better than digging up skulls from graveyards and joking “Alas, poor Yorick!”
What it says is that human death is nothing special. That sentiment cannot be separated from saying that human life is nothing special. As I believe in a Creator that is unacceptable to me.
Double Disgusting, anyone that watches this should be ashamed!
Not to mention the concern for these people’s Eternal Souls!
As a Christian, that is my belief. Once our souls have left our bodies, the empty shell means nothing. These are not humans. It is not a disrespect of life because there is no life here anymore! The former occupants of the body have moved on - hopefully to a better place.
Call me nuts, but I don’t think dead bodies should be displayed for admission at a shopping mall.
Another great reply. Why couldn't I have said this???
Excellent, brilliant. Thank you!
What makes human death special is that it is inseparable from human life. It is because human life is special that the shell left over at the end of that life should be treated with respect.
And I think you’ll find that Christians generally hold this view; it is why the dead get buried or cremated rather than simply tossed on the trash or ground up for animal feed.
Plastination...
That is what Nancy Pelosi did to her face.
Yep. She learned it from joan rivers.
“I saw one of the demonstratons is Houston, and it was worth every cent.”
I took my daughter to see the exhibit at the Witte in San Antonio. FIguring she wants to be a doctor I thought it would be a good thing to see.
She loved it.
I saw the exhibit. I thought it was tasteful, respectful, and valuable. I’ve even given some thought to donating my remains to a program like it.
I don't even know how you disrespect a corpse. I can get the concept or respecting one, but I think it's really is showing respect to the living who knew the invidual.
In many respects, it's like looking at stuffed animals on display at the Natural History Museum, although there the added element of that these people were actually frozen in time, forever on display.
Different people clearly will have different reactions to the concept. I found it fascinating, informative, and tastefully done, I have a much greater appreciation of how our body works.
I'm leaning toward eventual cremation. But if one this exhibits would prefer to display me as a keyboard commando, I'd be all right with that, too. They'd have to embalm or plasticize a bag of Cheetos at the display for authenticity purposes, though.
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