Bodies

As soon as started discussing the bodies exhibit in class, i thought of the hottentot people and or discussion about the "analytical studies" done to the black people. Back in the day, it was thought that Black people had a different anatomy than white people so they were put through tests, dissected, and made into a spectacle. In this picture, you can see that all the white people staring at the one black person in the center who has an enormous butt. they are viewing her from all angles and probably commenting on how peculiar and interesting she is. Sound familiar? If you walk into the bodies exhibit you will hear words like "fascinating!" and "disgusting" all at the same time, and I am pretty sure its not a stretch to say that the white people in the picture are doing the exact same thing. We constantly need a spectacle - something to make ourselves feel normal and superior. Its okay, we can stare at these dead chinese prisoners because their lives probably sucked anyway and in their death they're contributing to "science." While we may feel we have evolved in terms of human and civil rights, have we really? there will always be something new and something undiscovered for us to exploit and manipulate for our own benefit. We can dress it up and place it under the term "science," but there is no actual scientific study done in this exhibit. it is pure and simply, an exhibition. We need to be weary of exploitative spectacles like the body exhibit that are prevalent in our society. And if anyone gets the chance to go to the bodies exhibit, try and remember that these "bodies" were once people.