Watching a story on 20/20 right now about the Bodies Exhibits around the U.S. right now. I saw advertisements when I was in D.C. last summer and wasn't sure what it was all about.
But it's Live human bodies that are on display through plasticization. Apparently sometimes people give permission for their bodies to be used for display, but there is concern that the biggest show in NY gets it's bodies from shady sources in China, that could be executed prisoners.
It's really creepy. And shady. Anyone else know anything about this or have opinions? For some reason I just feel like this is something to be worried about...but maybe it's because I'm super out of it...
Full Version: Bodies Exhibit
One of the exhibits is this one (NSFW, don't click if you're squeamish, or possibly not if young kids are around):
http://www.bodyworlds.com
I've seen it both years it was up. The first year was better because it seemed more authentic and scientific in terms of purpose, this year's seemed to be more artistic and doing things just cause they could (weird sectioning ideas, making the bodies look like they were figure skating, etc.), with considering the subject matter seemed more disrespectful. Though there were scientific explanations for both shows I think people seemed more into the science the first time also.
As for consent forms them display near each body (I believe it's the law to do so). Sounds great, but can you prove the signatures belong to the actual people?
http://www.bodyworlds.com
I've seen it both years it was up. The first year was better because it seemed more authentic and scientific in terms of purpose, this year's seemed to be more artistic and doing things just cause they could (weird sectioning ideas, making the bodies look like they were figure skating, etc.), with considering the subject matter seemed more disrespectful. Though there were scientific explanations for both shows I think people seemed more into the science the first time also.
As for consent forms them display near each body (I believe it's the law to do so). Sounds great, but can you prove the signatures belong to the actual people?
My understanding is that it is the BODIES exhibition http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/ whose integrity is in question for receiving numerous unaccountable bodies from China.
The BODYWORLDS creator/exhibitor was interviewed and he did say (through tears) that he received some bodies from China, but when they could not be accounted for, he became concerned that they were illegally obtained and that they were executed, and he had them cremated and refused to communicate or work with the Chinese importers any further.
I have not seen either show, but we were intending on visiting the Bodyworlds 3 this coming week. I am hoping that it will be as respectful to the deceased as indicated in media reports and documetnation on the site.
20 years ago, in the medical library at our local university there were dissections and body parts preserved in formaldehyde available for study. I think that the plastinization process is a modernization of the formaldehyde process.
The BODYWORLDS creator/exhibitor was interviewed and he did say (through tears) that he received some bodies from China, but when they could not be accounted for, he became concerned that they were illegally obtained and that they were executed, and he had them cremated and refused to communicate or work with the Chinese importers any further.
I have not seen either show, but we were intending on visiting the Bodyworlds 3 this coming week. I am hoping that it will be as respectful to the deceased as indicated in media reports and documetnation on the site.
20 years ago, in the medical library at our local university there were dissections and body parts preserved in formaldehyde available for study. I think that the plastinization process is a modernization of the formaldehyde process.
I don't really get why people think it's horrible to buy bodies from China. It's not exactly like they were killed for THAT reason. Even if the concern is that the deceased person's family was not compensated, etc. the bottom line is that dead people are dead people, and really it's a little silly to say that family should receive a profit from what is made of the remains. Places like China will always be more willing to sell dead bodies for things like this than Americans. Most Americans, by the way, are too squimish to even DONATE THEIR ORGANS. Talk about something to be upset about!
I went to one in Las Vegas. It was so AMAZING how they do things, you cannot take your camera in and I was SO SAD just because you can't believe what you see. You learn ALOT about the anatomy. The only troubling part of it is the area of babies, but still TOTALLY INTERESTING AND YOU WALK AROUND IN AWW!!!!! VERY INTERESTING AND JUST TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY!!!!
The Bodyworlds exhibition came through Vancouver - it caused some controversy because of the potential for disrespect to human remains.
We went to see it - it was supremely interesting. We took our kids, too. The people were less interesting to them than the organs and displays that showed how our bodies worked (i.e. blood vessles, smoking vs. nonsmoking lungs).
It is my understanding that people donated their bodies to this project willingly, there was actually a video of the creator/inventor talking about the ethics surrounding plasticization.
It would have saddened me to know that there wasn't consent.
We went to see it - it was supremely interesting. We took our kids, too. The people were less interesting to them than the organs and displays that showed how our bodies worked (i.e. blood vessles, smoking vs. nonsmoking lungs).
It is my understanding that people donated their bodies to this project willingly, there was actually a video of the creator/inventor talking about the ethics surrounding plasticization.
It would have saddened me to know that there wasn't consent.
QUOTE(Elysian @ February 15 2008, 11:16 PM) 
My understanding is that it is the BODIES exhibition http://www.bodiestheexhibition.com/ whose integrity is in question for receiving numerous unaccountable bodies from China.
The BODYWORLDS creator/exhibitor was interviewed and he did say (through tears) that he received some bodies from China, but when they could not be accounted for, he became concerned that they were illegally obtained and that they were executed, and he had them cremated and refused to communicate or work with the Chinese importers any further.
I have not seen either show, but we were intending on visiting the Bodyworlds 3 this coming week. I am hoping that it will be as respectful to the deceased as indicated in media reports and documetnation on the site.
20 years ago, in the medical library at our local university there were dissections and body parts preserved in formaldehyde available for study. I think that the plastinization process is a modernization of the formaldehyde process.
The BODYWORLDS creator/exhibitor was interviewed and he did say (through tears) that he received some bodies from China, but when they could not be accounted for, he became concerned that they were illegally obtained and that they were executed, and he had them cremated and refused to communicate or work with the Chinese importers any further.
I have not seen either show, but we were intending on visiting the Bodyworlds 3 this coming week. I am hoping that it will be as respectful to the deceased as indicated in media reports and documetnation on the site.
20 years ago, in the medical library at our local university there were dissections and body parts preserved in formaldehyde available for study. I think that the plastinization process is a modernization of the formaldehyde process.
Yeah this is what the report was covering. That one show is reputable and one isn't it.
QUOTE(Hope @ February 15 2008, 11:25 PM)
I don't really get why people think it's horrible to buy bodies from China. It's not exactly like they were killed for THAT reason. Even if the concern is that the deceased person's family was not compensated, etc. the bottom line is that dead people are dead people, and really it's a little silly to say that family should receive a profit from what is made of the remains. Places like China will always be more willing to sell dead bodies for things like this than Americans. Most Americans, by the way, are too squimish to even DONATE THEIR ORGANS. Talk about something to be upset about!
I don't think anyone was saying that the person's family should be compensated.
And the report was suggesting that these bodies may have been killed for that reason, or killed to be sold for a similar purpose. Because all the bodies were of very healthy individuals. They also talked about the website that sold the bodies to the exhibit, and they call them "plastic models for educational purposes" or something along those lines. But it really is a HUMAN. The curator of the shady show also said that they came from a medical university in China, yet that medical university denied it, and they found a shady warehouse where the bodies seemed to come from.
The one show that is more scientific and who obtained their bodies legally, I think can be a great and fascinating educational tool. But the other one, with the shady practices and just out there for entertainment and to make money just seems wrong to me. And the curator of that one couldn't answer a single question straight...I dunno it was just weird.
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