Feb 19 2008
Bodies Revealed Controversy
In my first year of college, I took human anatomy and physiology classes. Being a Catholic university, a mass was held at the beginning of the semester to pray for the soul of the people whose corpses we were working on. Mind you, these bodies belonged to John Doe’s, victims of violence, probably without a family, bums… The possibilities are endless. It was rather sad, but that’s the way things work(ed) in Colombia. Universities go to the morgues to get what they need if bodies don’t get claimed after a while, and they are cleared by the coroner’s office. So you never know…
I remember I once thought “It would be cool to donate my body to science one day.” (although I prefer organ donation for a good cause much better) - And yes, I still think I would do it. For SCIENCE, but I wonder how my family and other loved ones would feel knowing that the shell that held what I was in this life is being sliced, poked and whatever else students do. And believe me, we tend to get cruel. At the end of the semester there isn’t much left of those bodies. And then there is Bodies Revealed…
Yes, I’m writing about it because my husband and I were talking about it a couple of days ago. He asked me if I, being a biologist and all, would be interested in going to the expo taking place at Union Station here in KC. Ignorant as I was about the whole thing I said yes, and then he explained to me what it was about: Real bodies. No, thank you, not me. Why? I don’t know… I won’t get all religious here, but I do believe that human beings deserve a little bit of dignity even in their graves.
And yes, they claim the bodies come from people who wanted to donate them, but it still doesn’t make it right in my eyes. I’m here thinking if the people who died actually know that their bodies were going to be displayed in what I consider kind of a freak show. Because I remember when I was in elementary school, and they took us to the biology lab. They had foetuses in jars, and it was the most disgusting thing I could see as a 9 year-old. Of course I was too young to understand about science, but even today I think of it with some repugnance.
Science and technology have advanced so much, I don’t see the need of using this macabre idea to show people how the human body works; I wonder if any artist could’ve used any material to model instead of plasticizing real flesh and bone. Some people would argue that Anatomy books have photos of the same thing, and I still would say I don’t like it. I guess it’s a matter of personal choice, and one of those topics where people will have to agree to disagree. Some think it’s the coolest thing ever; some others, like me, think of it as too morbid. I certainly don’t think those bodies belong to people whose families would agree to this kind of display… I wouldn’t allow it with a loved one of mine.
How much of it is science and how much is entertainment? I don’t know. Then there are people who don’t give a rat’s ass about science and will attend this exhibition out of morbid curiosity. I’m not going. I wouldn’t care even if the Pope himself said it’s a wonderful thing.
Update: A reply to Emawkc’s post titled “Anatomy of Willful Ignorance“:
I don’t think it’s ignorance. I think it’s a matter of personal choice. What works for you won’t work for me, etc.
While some people may not choose the right words to express their thoughts, I stand by my position. I am not asking anyone to boycott the exhibit, I’m just stating it is not my cup of tea.
So calling us ignorants isn’t going going to help you to make a point. Tell us why you are interested in the exhibit, instead.
As for its being an educational experience, I agree that some people will see it like that. My opinion is different, and I made it very clear it was my own point of view. That is why I got so many A’s in college when writing essays about evolution and ecology: I never dragged the whole world with me. I always make sure I start my discourses with “I think…”
Technorati Tags: Bodies Revealed, Union Station, KC
I think that if, before you die, you designate your physical remains to donated to science, then you should be prepared to be put on display “like a freak show.”
If one honestly and unabashedly looks at all of the things that science has done in the name of progress, with the bodies of the departed, and then if one still wants their remains used by the scientific community, they’ll at least have an idea of what those uses may end up being.
I guess your comment makes my post seem like a contradiction. In any case, I still don’t agree with this display. Not because of the use itself, but because the morbidity of it all.
When I looked at those bodies I worked on when I was in college, I couldn’t help but thinking about human dignity. I don’t agree with everything science does, and I suppose I have too strong religious values to agree 100% with this kind of expo.
Being a biologist, I worked quite a lot with animals and I didn’t feel this kind of unease then. Human beings are another thing… At least for me. Let medical students and scientists do this. There are plenty of other ways to learn about the human body.
I gotta kinda think there is a difference between donating your body to science and donating your body to entertainment.
I’m pretty sure that once the body is dead, there is no soul, the same that there is no soul in an ear of corn, or a blade of grass. There is no moral dilemma in exhibiting soulless things.
Nuke,
There’s no reason science can’t be entertaining. In fact, I think it should be entertaining to be more educational.