BODIES REVEALED A BUST!!!
Back in July TKC EXCLUSIVELY reported that Bodies Revealed was under performing.
Today, The Star notes that the numbers for the exhibit "fall short."
TKC is more excited that Kansas City isn't turned on by death and the unethical use of dead bodies of Chinese dissidents used without permission than I am about being right.
However, it was sad to see The Star try and stir up attendance with a few cleverly worded phrases in the news article. There was an attempt to spin some numbers related to revenue specially for the exhibit . . .
BUT OVERALL THE MORE IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT IN THE LONG RUN THE EXHIBIT DIDN'T DO MUCH TO IMPROVE THE FINANCIAL SITUATION OF UNION STATION WHICH HAS DONE NOTHING BUT CONSISTENTLY LOSE MONEY!!!
Even worse, the place lost a lot of goodwill. Their attempt to make a buck by catering to the grotesque curiosity of folks who don't care much about people they don't have anything in common with failed . . . Now the place continues to lose money and it has been "revealed" that they don't mind engaging in a horribly exploitative practices in an attempt to escape their mediocrity.
In the final analysis, as long as the current management is still in control . . . I couldn't care less if the place crumbled to the ground. Union Station CEO Andi Udris should be fired for putting on a freak show that failed to increase revenue by much and did nothing to assure the financial stability of the tomb like Kansas City landmark.
posted by Tony Permalink
Because it is gross that's why.
There's just not much of a market for sliced Chinamen in today's struggling economy.
I feel bad for all those Chinamen losing in the Olympics, because you know they're all going to end up skinless on a bike in Hoboken, NJ.
Then it makes sense -- they tried to make money showing dead bodies "in a tomb like Kansas City landmark".
Maybe they should have just displayed them in coffins around Halloween time?
The local press totally dropped the ball on this obscene display. For the sake of money for Union Station the fourth estate totally looked the other way and never thoroughly questioned Premiere about the source of the "bodies." "You'll just have to take our word for it" is usually not sufficient for true journalists.
Exactly, do you think there would be repeat business to see dead people. I have to say the Catholic Bishop made the right call on this one.
As far as we know those bodies could be Tibetian Buddhist Monks who wanted to Free Tibet.
Maybe they ought to start using the dead bodies that come from the Eastside of KC.
Invasion of the Booty Snatchers indeed.
They could use all the dead bodies that come from K.C.'s Eastside...
Invasion of the Booty Snatchers
DKC said: "The local press totally dropped the ball on this obscene display. ...true journalists."
I cannot believe that you have the temerity to use "local press" and "true journalists" to mean the same people when you're talking about this town.
When was the last time anyone heard about a reporter on the Kansas City Star?
I want off this bike!
You did it Tony, you're ruining Kansas City just like you've always wanted.
Read Jack Smith's article "More Bodies Revealed Revelations". He gives some little known background on what was really going on. A sleazy story just got sleazier. Gives and interesting insight into the Kansas City Star.
http://catholickey.blogspot.com/2008/08/more-bodies-revealed-revelations.html
TKC, feel free to bring your ideas and hard work to make art, culture and science exhibits and bring out the crowds and churn out a huge profit for yourself and your community.
If union station is losing money, I guess they should close. Only problem is, they provide a public service as an existing venue, the building has historical significance and it has been put to reuse in a large capacity. And clearly they do attempt to create and attract programs that encourage visiting and participation. Sorry but they fit the requirements for the classic, public-supported monolith.
Do you want the programs free, or do you want the Union Station to stop getting public funding?
I got a ton of rants of places getting public funding that I'd prefer they didn't. Like um, stadiums for one. We should compare budgets. I could give a sh** about our sports here. I'd rather have a science building filling all of union station, an atom smasher.
And sports teams do make profits. Big ones. So why am I paying anything when know we need an ultra-modern transportation system for the future? If the stadiums can charge THAT much over market prices and not keep enough money to manage their structures, they are a bunch of clowns. Or huckster's rather. But we love our athletes with inflated salaries, because somehow we think that it's "our" team, that it's "us" who are the winners. Major league sports is a sad pathetic broken system if there ever was one.
Union Station needs some more brain power, but their problems are not that they had an exhibit. It's that they don't utilize their space efficiently, their gift shops are piss poor and their stores are boring. Also the train system is slow and as a PR problem. But even if they underperform, they still perform.
As someone involved in various culture events in the city, I can tell you for certain that if you want to do something you gotta step up and do it.. or undo it. Otherwise, somebody else will, and when they do it, they'll do it in their own wasteful way. Some blog rants and investigation (which appears you are trying to implicate union station when they just a buyer) in this 'potential' body donor scandal do very little in the long run.
Even if it's all true. Even if the bodies were partially from some meat grinder in Beijing, it would take years investigating, and if Union Station was supposed to be made responsible for it, you want them to give ticket money back AND then pursue legal action, which will cost even more? At that point, it's really hazy what the right thing to do is. Especially if the people who went to the exhibit, had an enlightening experience and enjoyed it.
I firmly don't buy the catholic key blog post either. The so-called shortage of bodies in China? Are you serious? Here's another article like that.
http://www.radio86.co.uk/china-insight/news-today/5722/chinese-have-reservations-about-donating-body-to-science-survey
It says a large percentage won't donate their body for various reasons, but it doesn't mention what percentage would (nice omission) based on surveys. It also says About 50,000 have consented to donate their bodies. Of course the trail gets cold there. So it leaves me to think, 50000 is enough for a lot of schools, car companies, safety tests and yes plasticization. How many bodies were in the exhibit? Less than 100 right. So given that in China and every other country having a small portion of people, it's still enough people for a display. This is a traveling exhibit too. Not every city has one. And it's not unrealistic to think that everything is legit. AND even if it's not, Jesus They are friggin dead already. If I could stop them from being dead, that's one thing, you bet I would. But after they are dead? The investigation gets a little less urgent at that point, you know. There are a few actual living Tibetan's that kind of deserve more of my support at the moment. The press should also act accordingly.
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