‘Bodies’ story ignored exhibit’s darker side

I was very disappointed to see Steven Kwan’s article about the “”Bodies”” exhibit downtown. 

The story did not mention that Premier Exhibitions couldn’t prove the exact origins of the bodies on display. According to Premier, the “”unclaimed”” bodies were turned over by the Chinese police to a hospital for medical students and then rented to Premier for $25 million for a touring exhibition worldwide. China’s record of making political prisoners disappear from their families has been well documented. The New York Times, 20/20, and several local newspapers (none in Tucson, however) have reported that Premier cannot prove the bodies are not prisoners. Prisoner or not, Premier cannot prove the people, whose bodies are on display, gave any sort of consent to be exhibited without skin. The New York attorney general even forced Premier to post a disclaimer and to issue refunds to customers. Even more recently, the State of Hawaii has banned exhibits such as these due to the cultural insensitivity towards Asians. 

It’s a sad time for the United States when its media becomes a method of free advertising for dubious forms of entertainment, rather than critical questioners.

Travis Klein

University of Arizona

Class of 2001