The wifey & I trekked down to the Museum of Science & Industry this past Saturday to check out the Body Worlds 2 exhibit - anybody seen it? As good as advertised, I was pretty wowed by the whole thing. From the plastination process to the actual installations to the subtext of death having become a dirty word, completely out of place it today's world. We paid for the headphone tour guides, though, and I'm not going to lie: hearing a German physician extoll the virtues of health and diet and hard work had me thinking back to WWII text books and "Work Will Set You Free" signs and stuff. Anybody seen it? Thoughts?

Oh, I really want to see it -- I'm so happy it's back. I've gotta wrangle a date who can handle blood, guts and glory.

i saw the first installment of bodyworlds and enjoyed much of it. i think it was a fascinating exhibit and i want to see this one too. has anyone seen both (or all 3)? what are the key differences?

Yes, Alan--what's different about this followup?

We went to the first, and our thoughts were indeed provoked.

I'm afraid we've only seen this one. I can't imagine different "tours" being very different, though...you can only tell so many stories with human marionettes, right? The miracle of the body, the history of anatomical science, cultural differences when dealing with the inevitable...and of course, smokers being confronted with actual diseased lungs.

I hope nobody here is a coal miner.

I went to the first one. Thought it took too long, but that's only because I don't like stopping and reading all of the little plaques. The blood vessels were the most amazing part of the exhibit. I just can't imagine having the patience and talent to get that display right.

Went to a panel discussion last week about art vs. science re: body worlds. Just a bunch of scholar hippies talking about grotesque artists. Would've had the potential to be awesome, but my friend and I were famished, so we left after speaker number three.

I saw the first one. It was really interesting, but I really got queasy when children were involved. It's a tough sell convincing me these kids wanted their bodies on display. Like the blood vessel family where the little boy has a thumbs up. I found it fascinating yet very degrading and in poor taste.

The originator's ancestor's nazi ties are also very creepy too.

Nevertheless, very educational and interesting.

yes, this also bothered me a little bit. the whole consent issue, especially with children and fetuses, was a bit of a moral issue i saw with the entire program.

I read this as Body Double at first.

Oh yeah, Body Worlds. Yes I plan to see it.

An absolute back-seat subtext but still something I could tell was bothering a good number of people this afternoon. ****SPOILER ALERT**** Lots of gasps and murmers and averted glances when presented with a dead pregnant woman, layers peeled back to reveal her 4 or 5 month old unborn fetus.

The pregnant woman bothered me in the first BW. She was all sprawled out in this "come hither" position and I thought that was kind of sick.

"Come hither", or you know, the birthing position. Whichever way you want to look at it.

I saw the first one and really enjoyed it, not sure if I'm ready to put up with the crowds to see it again though.

oh come on, nazi ties set one up to do some awesome shit.

most of the holocaust aside of course

I didn't have to see it.

I lived it.

So in China there's a little problem with authority figures killing prisoners for their organs--word on the street is that Body Worlds or one of its knockoffs has been accused of using cadavers of said Chinese prisoners. Anyone know what's going on with that?

I heard some kind of rumor about shady obtaining of bodies, but I am very skeptical that it is true, having no idea of the source I heard it from.

I saw the exhibit in Vienna when it was just getting started, and later on in Chicago when it premiered over here. The chicago version was much better; there were many more models and stuff, and the exhibit had a lot more breathing room. It was a very unique and hair raising experience, thought provoking.

Saw it the first time in Chicago, and planning on going again in 2 weeks.

I spent about 5 hours in there nerding it up. I think my favorite thing was when me and my friend were discussing various anatomical things with lots of termanology and a few people ended up gathering around us listening intently. They then asked "are you doctors?" To which we replyed "No, were teachers". They then seemed disapointed and walked off.

i'm terribly intrigued by it, although i don't think i could make it through the exhibit without passing out. shit makes me lightheaded.

I don't think women give birth while laying on their side. But whatever.

I wasn't trying to be a smartass... I just thought I remembered the pregnant woman being in the usual birth delivery position. I could be remembering it wrong though.

It's really not that gross. Just convince yourself that it's fake.

i heard about this the first time it came through...eh, what can you say? a brother wanted to get his business off the ground. apparently numbers that represent those who wish to be plastinized has gone up up up since the first tour.

And I distinctly remember being disgusted by the fact that she was laying on her side, I believe with an arm over her head (of course I can't find a picture to save my little internet life...). Putting her on her back wouldn't really make sense because you'd only be able to see half of her. And I understand that extending an arm shows that much more of the muscles and bone, I just didn't enjoy seeing her laid out in front of me. And then to show the fetus, too. I might just be more sensitive to it now, who knows.

I didn't think you were being a smartass.

i wonder what'd be like if i went to it high this time.....or tripping.

tripping's probably not a great idea. you might do some damage to the exhibits or the people around you. at least that's how i envision my acid meets body worlds trip to be.

maybe you'd start eating one of the little kids or something.

immediatly after reading this, i pictured my drugged out self doing this. thank you.

haha... sorry. didn't mean to freak you out or anything.

no i was sincerely thanking you, i laughed my ass off over here.