In 2000, Dieter Henning wrote an arts review for the World Socialist website discussing Van Hagen's claims that he was an artist. At that time Body Worlds was in Cologne, and Van Hagens had not yet stumbled on the fact that in the United States, science would be a better sales pitch.
Russell Working Shock Value in the Chicago Tribune thoroughly exposes Van Hagens and the trafficking in bodies. wikipedia has a good overview. Where do the bodies come from? See "China turns out mummified bodies for displays" from the New York Times 8-8-2006. NPR has thorough coverage. Anita Allen discusses Body Ethics, Body Aesthetics in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Working Stiff in The Boston Herald expresses outrage about the apparant lack of opposition. Joanna Weiss in The Boston Globe (Registration may be required) has thoughtful comments. Tyler Bleau wrote two Opinion pieces for The Daily Iowan: Anatomy on display is entertainment, not education and a follow-up, Body Worlds', inappropriate production (Registration may be required)
Efforts in Boston resulted in the following press coverage: The Patriot Ledger ,The Boston Herald, The Jewish Advocate, a brief mention on WBUR , letters in The Rhode Island Jewish Herald and Voice, in the Jewish Journal of the North Shore, and in the Boston Herald. Ethan Rosenberg wrote an opinion piece in the Daily Free Press at Boston University. Read about my encounters on the path I have trod to bring this issue to the attention of the public.
In Seattle, the efforts of Philip Lipson and Charlette Lefevre have received extensive press coverage. Read the editorial in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Be sure to read the comments at Sound Off below the editorial Also read Brother Jeffery Puma's Blog, Dan Ruisi writes in The Stranger. Also in the Seattle P-I Robert Jamieson JR wrote If only these bodies could talk. Be sure to read the 28 comments to his article.
Bodies exhibits been extensively covered internationally. See Danny Bermant's blog. Danny writes from London, as does Professor Harold Ellis in Guy's, King's & St.Thomas's Hospitals Medical & Dental Schools Gazette, Rabbi Reuven Hammer (writing from London) in a Jerusalem Post entilted "The Dignity of the Dead," and Norman Lebrecht. In Canada, Rabbi Frydman-Kohl has posted an article and Pastor Christoph Reiners wrote in an Abbotsford newspaper. Pastor Reiners article resulted in the Abbotsford, British Columbia public schools banning field trips to Body Worlds in Vancouver. The Archdiocese of Vancouver has issued a statement.
As the exhibits move around the country and the world, the criticism and the outrage are intensifying. At the end of November, Body Worlds opened a factory/museum in Guben Germany. This was met with a demonstration of 20 people. In Amsterdam when Bodies:The exhibition opened it was greeted by 21 white crosses on the sidewalk with the words "Unknown Chinese" written on them. The philospher Rob van Gerwen wrote an extensive article on his blog.
In Phoenix, editor Loren Tapahe wrote a column in the Arizona Native Scene. The Dallas Morning News featured Professor Thomas Hibbs In the January, 2007 issue of Commentary magazine, Michael Lewis wrote a critique that starts:
"From earliest infancy, our own bodies, those places of sustenance and desire, concern us intimately; nor can we look upon the body of any other person with neutral eyes. For every human body is a variant of our own, a commentary upon it, even—in the case of a corpse—a
foretelling of its destiny.
Under the circumstances, it is hardly surprising that Body Worlds, a trio of anatomical exhibitions that have been touring North America for nearly two years, has aroused so much fascination."
The complete article including a devastating conclusion continues...
Also in January, 2007 Dianne Rider wrote an op-ed in the West Seattle Herald Ballard News-Tribune
As the exhibits proliferate, so do the reactions. Here is a piece by Richard Hooper, a former Lutheran minister that appeared in religionandspirituality.com
In Pittsburgh, the Post Gazette covered the resignation of Elaine Catz from the Carnegie Science center. Elaine resigned in protest over the upcoming Bodies: the exhibition. Be sure to review the comments to the article.
In Durham, North Carolina Bodies the Exhibition attracted substantial opposition, and new coverage, such as a story about opponent Sarah Redpath. Robin Kirk's blog has many posts and links to sites and articles about the opposition in Durham, NC.