Bodies In (yawn) Motion

Every last tendon, vein, bone fragment and hair follicle was visible. Spinal columns, reproductive organs and cancerous tumors spread out and arranged like a silent auction display. And yet, it wasn't as grotesque or gory as the hoopla it has generated would imply -- the Bodies Human: Anatomy in Motion exhibit being displayed at the Coronado Center in Albuquerque through May 15. It's basically a collection of human anatomy (entire bodies or, in some cases, specific body parts) produced by "plasticizing" presumably-fresh corpses. Naturally, questions arise about the identity of the people used -- who are they, where do they come from, did they knowingly donate their bodies for display? Hmmm, doesn' take a genius to figure out that last one. There's a lot being made of the fact that the bodies were all young, healthy people who were in their prime (I guess excepting the ones who supplied the tumors). I personally picture a Hostel-esque situation, in which unsuspecting victims are plucked from their surroundings for the sole purpose of providing the public with this slightly twisted entertainment. Please, nobody tell Lionsgate. I couldn't stomach a new angle for Saw Part XXIII. I might sound glib , but truth be told I was actually disturbed when I initially heard about the show, variations of which can be found in other cities nationwide and globally (though different companies own and run some of the shows; the one in 'Burque is being hosted by Texas-based Lynx Exhibits). It seems a blatant disrespect for the dead for us to chop them up and put them on display, a lack of respect for life itself. It reminded me of stories of Joaquin Murrieta, infamous Mexican outlaw (and hero to many) whose head was supposedly severed, pickled, and pranced up and down the 19th-century California coast. That, and Hannibal Lector's House of Horrors/Hors d'oeuvres. I'd seen a segment on similar "freak shows" on a 20/20 special last week and declared them unfit for observance, but when I found out it was in Albuquerque, my morbid curiosity got the better of me. I took my 8-year-old son with me. He was bored. That should say it all; if a child in the throes of the monster-madness, ooey-gooey-mush-fascination age wasn't interested, how graphic could it have been? The organs were even color-coded for easier identification. The most horrific aspect was the cheesy text that accompanied the displays, which tried to be dramatic and clever in its descriptions but was just poor writing. Hello? Soon-to-be-college-grad here, who would have willingly written those descriptions now that it's dawning on me that a degree in journalism is no hot ticket. So was I disappointed with the show? A little. Is it sick that I expected, even wanted, it to be more shocking? A little. It's no wonder the future of news production is in such dire shape -- with a public as jaded as I am, what newspaper can survive covering town hall meetings or cutesy pet stories? Now if, say, Britney Spears had been dissected and displayed, we'd be in business. Heck, just her bristly scalp would suffice.