Body Worlds 3

I saw Body Worlds III today. I have to tell you honestly that I was a bit unsure how to take this exhibit. Especially since I had my ten year old with me. Then we were in there wit hall the plastinates (plasticized people) and after fifteen minutes my ten year old came up to me and gave me her pronouncement.

She was standing in a room filled with a dozen human cadavers, heads, brains, lung cross-sections, examples of diseased and healthy organs, and even a full sized camel that was, well all hanging out, and announced that she was bored.

I am not sure what it would take to interest the youth of today. Actually I do. It is High School Musical 2 and its accompanying soundtrack. Now if the Body Worlds exhibit had a more pumping beat to its musical score then perhaps the kids would not be bored.

For me I was amazed and I could have spent a lot more time in there if it weren’t for a portion of my brain, I am sure it was out there somewhere on display too, that told me to partake of this anatomical extravaganza and then leave. For some deep and shadowy reason I had a problem with it. It did not sadden me or gross me out. I guess if I had to put a finger on it it would be that despite extraordinary sites I was not looking at anything that particularly reminded me of the living.

I came away from the show with the over arching thought of “I am amazed that we can exist at all given how we are put together. We look engineered, like complicated erector sets, the only thing that gives us the illusion of organic life is the life itself. Take that “life” away and all the posing, coloring, plastination, or whatever and you are still just an “it”, no more special than a hunk of bark dust, or pile of dust.