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News & ArtsTuesday, October 27, 2009
City / Sex The Skinned Trade
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 4:03 PM
Historically when times were good and rents were high and cities were full of it and themselves, sex-related businesses—sex-toy shops, dirty movie theaters, strip clubs—had a hard time getting a toehold. When landlords could take their pick from shoe shops, high-end restaurants, and pricey boutiques, they were reluctant to rent to sex-related businesses that annoyed their neighbors and invited unwelcome scrutiny from authorities who wanted to keep sex-businesses out of "upscale" retail districts. But landlords who wouldn't rent to sex-related businesses when times were good would rent to them when times were bad—because, hey, it's better to have some rent coming in from a sex-related business than no rent at all. And the same authorities that harassed sex-related businesses when times were good turned a blind eye when times are bad—because, hey, it's better to be collecting taxes than not. That's why the sex industry has always been literally and figuratively "down market." When sex stores moved in it was a sign of economic decline and desperation.
But landlords desperate for rent and cities desperate for tax revenues can't rely on the sex industry anymore. Most sex business—sex toys and porn—are online now and consumers prefer it that way. So what's moving in?
The skin trade is out. The skinned trade is in.
Bodies: The Exhibition is in the retail space that used to house Seattle's Adidas store. It's across the street from Banana Republic and around the corner from Nordstrom. It's not anywhere near as "down market" as strip club or a porn shop, of course, but it's still a little shocking when you walk down Pike to the market and pass Bodies. Whatever you think of the ethics of Bodies—and some people have reservations—the fact that a large retail space in the center of the downtown shopping district that used to be house a major shoe retailer now houses a temporary traveling exhibition tells you a lot about the state of the local economy.
Just wait until they open a Soylent Green shop next door.
9
They'll learn valuable lessons about exploiting murdered prisoners for fun and profit.
10
No, I still haven't forgiven Nordstrom for what they did to the F&N buidling, and I'm not about to let it go. Ugliest. Store. Ever.
12
I went to that bodies exhibit when it was in town and housed at the convention center. Part of it was interesting but eventually it just became more of the same and boring. There were some cross sections of bodies that looked disturbingly like prosciutto, which made me hungry, which then made me a little sick to think human meat caused me to be hungry.
I believe that it's fundamentally wrong to exploit anyone, including the dead. These dead people did not consent to be displayed. These dead people have largely been procured from China and are the bodies of John/ Jane Does and dead prisoners, etc.
This has got to stop. Fascinating it may be: but so are other exploitations we do not tolerate in a civil society.
Please do not support this exhibit. If people had consented to be displayed that would be one thing.
Imagine your spouse or loved one dying and subsequently being displayed shooting a lay up with a basketball all so some rich folk (rich as in, we can afford the ticket to observe your dead ass - as opposed to, I'm so frickin poor that my government sold me to an asshole to display my dead body for a profit my family will never see a dime of) can point and say, "oooh, so fascinating!"
If you support this exhibit you’re supporting the exploitation of people on the lowest rung of societies ladder.
15
That prosciutto would go well with the Thanksgiving turkey body builder guy from a week or two ago.
17
There are competing body plastination exhibits and I don't remember which is which as far as sources for bodies. I think most people agree that using executions/unclaimed bodies crosses a line because of lack of consent.
But, assuming people volunteer to have their bodies preserved and shown in this way, would you still object? Thousands of people have signed up for this very thing.
Really. Pretty nice life you've lived then. This one doesn't even register on my top 50, but YMMV.
22
@21 - Good to know, I get Bodies, Body Worlds, (possible third one) mixed up.
If anyone wants to get offended about using human bodies for purposes other than worm food (and that too), read Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach.
But remember when you could have tea at F&N w/little sandwiches on pastel bread???
I feel very old. I haven't seen pastel bread for ages.
Here's what a law in Seattle could look like: No body exhibits without first presenting signed certificates of consent by those whose bodies would be displayed. No consent, no exhibit. I can't help but think of the cries of pain and agony as these Chinese prisoners were tortured and some of them killed (Google Chinese organ donation), then their bodies sold like meat on the market to this exhibitor. What's wrong with Seattle that we think this is acceptable?
26
Or the cakes and other stuff you could buy in the bakery for half off the last hour of the business day?
La, the memories: If only Marshall Field hadn't sold F&N off, we'd have TWO Macy's and a Nordstrom downtown. Actually, if Macy's hadn't closed up I. Magnin, we'd have THREE Macy's and a Nordstrom downtown.
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