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Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida

By Jeralyn, Section Off Topic
Posted on Sat Aug 20, 2005 at 11:52:31 AM EST
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This is just too bizarre not to mention:

A controversial exhibit of human corpses, stripped of their skin to reveal muscles, organs and blood vessels, opened in Tampa, despite the state Anatomical Board's refusal to approve it....The "Bodies: The Exhibition" show includes human bodies and body parts preserved with a process that replaces human tissue with silicone rubber.

The dissected and preserved corpses belonged to Chinese people and went unclaimed or unidentified before being turned over to a medical school in China, according to the exhibit's owner, Premier Exhibitions of Atlanta.

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    Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida | 11 comments (11 topical)
    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#1)
    by Andreas on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:33 PM EST
    Five years ago the WSWS published an article on the original "Body Worlds" exhibit. That exhibit is not the same as the one in Florida but mentioned in the local6.com article: Science, art or carnival sideshow? The "Human Body Worlds" exhibit in Cologne By Dietmar Henning, 23 March 2000

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:33 PM EST
    Interesting, I saw an exhibit like this a few years back. It was being protested, and I couldn't figure out why. As I said then...what's the big deal? These people clearly had no further need of their bodies, so what's the problem?

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#3)
    by stoic on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:33 PM EST
    Chicago Museum of Science and Industry: Bodyworlds My daughter saw this exibit (I don't know if it is the same one as mentioned in the blog post) at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and thought is was very educational. She said most of the bodies exhibited "smokers lung" and many of the people viewing the bodies walked away vowing never to smoke again.

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:33 PM EST
    There is a similar exhibit at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. We went and loved it.

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#5)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:33 PM EST
    While I support the exhibit, and anything that promotes the arts and sciences, I must admit that I would be disturbed if it were my own body being displayed in such a manner. It just kind of creeps me out.

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#6)
    by MikeDitto on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:33 PM EST
    The Body Worlds exhibit caught a bunch of flack because some of the Chinese corpses were actually the bodies of executed prisoners. Modeling technology has come so far these days that there is no need for them to be displaying dead bodies, other than to make a buck. We made models for the Hall of Life at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science that looked exactly like the real thing. And I mean exactly. You wouldn't be able to tell them apart. And we didn't need to use the bodies of executed political dissidents to do it. The only value of this exhibit is the morbid sideshow aspect. There is absolutely nothing gained in terms of educational value.

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:33 PM EST
    Very interesting fact is the Bodies show is produced by a public company called Premier Exhibitions trading as PXHB.OB. I checked it out and it looks like the stock is severely undervalued and with this kind of success the company and the stock are about to take off. They are the same people who put on the Titanic show and they are the ones who did the sea expeditions to salvage the Titanic artifacts. Very cool company! I'm in the Tampa area and saw the show first thing Thursday. The large crowd was practically hushed with reverence. It was a very compelling experience for almost every person in attendance. A little while ago I found out about the company that is putting on the Bodies show in Tampa. Then came the media blitz. Then the "controversy" (sure). Well, I was dying to see the show for its own sake, but also because I felt I had discovered something no one else was talking about and this was the first time I've had a chance to maybe find an incredible stock early and really kick the tires. Basically, I was surprised to find out they are profitable and growing and it is still under $2 a share. After going first thing Thursday, I spent all Thursday night researching this company, Premier Exhibitions, and I started buying the stock immediately yesterday. If you want to reseach the company, go find their website listed as PXHB Website Seek out the conference call audio link under the investors section. fascinating listen! What it boils down to is they are expected to triple their exhibition schedule in the next 6 months. That means a half dozen Titanic and a half dozen Body shows running SIMULTANEOUSLY. Twice a year. That equals two dozen shows a year producing on average a million plus dollars profit each. This company has less than 30 million shares outstanding and, by my calculations, in the next year or so they could earn as much as 75 cents to a full dollar per share and this stock is somehow trading under $2 now. Do the math. I'm a serious investor and this could be the closest thing I've found to a no brainer. Funny how the front pages can lead you to the fountain if you're ready to drink from it. I think the company is prohibited from promoting their stock at the museums they exhibit in so almost no one attending these blockbuster shows knows they can invest in this company. This is some kind of serendipity from my point of view and I'm glad I was able to get in before the herd. You sure can't buy publicity like they have been getting. Great, great show. The anecdotes published about the cigarette packs being left on the display case holding the diseased lung just goes to show it is going to be a life changing experience for many of those attending. Anyone who wants to shut this down is a troglodyte. Smart people will now also look into PXHB as an investment opportunity now too.

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#8)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:33 PM EST
    Mike ditto, I agree. People should object to the use of any human remains for art. It doesn't matter what kind of process or preparation for exhibition they went through. These were people. I don't care what they did in life. It's dehumanizing. We've desensitized ourselves to death and destruction. I'm a use-what-you-can-and-burn-the-rest type, and I wouldn't want my plasticized remains in a case in Atlanta being gawked at.

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#9)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:33 PM EST
    Yeah, they should use monkeys instead.

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#10)
    by Unsyndicated on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:34 PM EST
    The technology for this has been around for some time. There was some German artist a while back who got flak for it. The BBC did an article on it and it was on a popular US news program (I forget which one). As for those who think it is disrespectful of the dead, that's your opinion and you are welcome to express it, but leave it at that.

    Re: Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida (none / 0) (#11)
    by scarshapedstar on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:02:35 PM EST
    Sure it's disturbing. Look away if it gives you bad dreams. I think it's pretty cool. Furthermore, I would rather be gawked at for a while, and avoid vanishing into the mists of time for that much longer. People were outraged when Leonardo da Vinci studied the anatomy by cutting open - gasp - lifeless sacks of carbon. And hundreds of years later, they're still outraged. Yaaaaawn...

    Corpse Exhibit Opens in Florida | 11 comments (11 topical)