Michael Jackson... An Afterthought

After writing about the death of Walt Disney, Elvis and Michael Jackson I started thinking about the public's response to the deaths of these famous individuals.  And the way their early deaths marked their position within culture and society forever.


After Michael Jackson's death on July 25, 2009 many internet websites and hosts reported crashes due to an overload in the system including: Google, Wikipedia, Los Angeles Time, Twitter and AOL.  Within one hour of his death Wikipedia reported nearly a million views of his bibliography.  And it's important to point out that he was reported dead at 2am.  


Within a year of the superstars death Sony Music had extended their contract with the Jackson estate to allow the distribution of ten albums of either unreleased material or new collections of old work before the year 2017.  The contract was reported to be the highest valued contract ever made to single individual.... And the individual is dead!


It appears that an untimely death cements individuals within the subconscious of society ensuring them years of fame long after they have departed.  When remember Michael Jackson people remember his music, dancing and tours; not the notorious scandals that marked the last years of his career.


These events remind me of a quote my first year History professor used to repeat often:

“The past is never dead, it’s not even the past"

So possibly the departed are just as much a part of today as the living are! 

Mr. Walt Disney

How different is Carbon Freezing
 from Crynogenic Freezing?

When considering unique and remarkable internment styles my mind instantly wanders to the magic and mystery concerning Walt Disney.  Many years ago, I was told that Walt Disney the creator of Micky Mouse, Donald Duck and Snow White had been frozen immediately after his death.  I always pictured this process would be similar to the freezing of Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back; in my imagination I picture Walt Disney frozen in suspended animation with a hopeless twinkle in his eye, just like the Star Wars character. Theoretically Walt Disney had been frozen so his body could one day in the far future be cured of disease that had killed him and be brought back to life (Stuttaford 1996).  Even though Walt Disney died thirty years before I was  born, I was comforted by the fact that the creator of my favorite cartoons would one day be back to create more. 

A quick search on the internet quickly burst this image!

It turns out that Walt Disney died of lung cancer following a heart attack in December 1966.  He was cremated two days after his death and was never given a formal funeral, which was his own personal request.  Having his body crynogenically frozen and stored under the Pirate of the Caribbean ride was a myth created by optimists eagerly awaiting his return.  Most likely the same optimists who claim Elvis never died of a heart attack and Michael Jacksons mass funeral at Staples Center was a hoax.  Hoping for the return of these influential superstars is much easier than accepting their death. 

Still curious about crynogenical freezing I conducted several more searches to investigate the practice.  Although it certainly wasn't possible in the 1960s. The cryopreservation process requires a body to be cooled to below -196°C (Stuttaford 1996).  At this temperature all cell processes stop, including the reaction that lead to the destruction of the cell after death.  A special solution called cryoprotectant is used to prevent the cells being damaged by the icy temperatures.  This process is currently used to store unfertilized eggs and semen.    Wikipedia states that by July 2010 98 humans have been cryogenically frozen to date along with about 70 of their pets (2011).  The process is extremely expensive and offers no promises that the frozen individuals will ever be revived.  

I personally find the idea of reviving frozen individual a little spooky.  I would not want my own body (or pets body) to be preserved forever.  I think the idea of gradually dissolving into everything is a little more poetic.  Furthermore, I find the idea of resurrection just a little creepy.  When these individuals are awoken will they still be themselves?  Will they be able to connect to the "new" world?  I would only really want to come back if the people I knew and loved were still around.  Finally, this practice of "burial" has some detrimental effects on the environment.  The process requires the continual drain of resources to keep these individuals permanently frozen, which I feel is almost selfish of them.  


Instead of considering the resurrection of the dead, I think it is important for everyone to remember the wonderful Mr. Walt Disney who brought a little bit of imagination into everyones lives.  (And who created everyones favourite childhood movies!!!) Therefore I will leave you with a photo of Mr. Walt Disney and his most famous creation, Mickey Mouse. 

I always wonder what he's thinking!

References:
Stuttaford, A., 1996. Frozen Future, National Review 48 (16), pp. 30-31.

Wikipedia, 2011. Cryopreservation [Online] (Updated 4 January 2011) Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryogenic_freezing [Accessed 25

January 2011].

Image Credits:
Serpentine, Julius, 2006. Dixar Us. [Online] (Updated 30 January 2006) Available at: http://thevault.slantmouth.com/entertainment/dixar-us/ (Accessed 25 January 2011)

May, Geoff, 2011. Top Ten Inventions You Didn't Know Were Canadian
[Online] (Updated 1 July 2010) Available at: http://www.bite.ca/
bitedaily/2010/07/top-10-inventions-you-didnt-know-were-
canadian/(Accessed 25 January 2011).

My Own Burial

Selecting the items you would like to be buried with is a very odd task. Attempting to select the possessions that best represent yourself is a difficult and slightly morbid process which requires careful consideration.  I have been lucky enough to have never experienced any serious near death experiences.  Because of this I have never fully considered the act of dying since I was a small child, during which time I lived in considerable fear of the Grim Reaper.  I remember when I was five my mother took my brother and I to a camp site which was situated directly beside a grave yard. I spent five sleepless nights fearing the gravestones and what they represented.  It wasn't until several years after that I released my new found fear of death.


Items that I would like to have buried with me include:
1) White Plumeria and White Gardenia flowers - I was born in Hawaii and both of these flowers grow widely across the islands.  They are my two favorite flowers and they both have a beautiful scent.  Furthermore, my parents first house had a large Gardenia bush in the backyard and my mother used to put the flowers in my hair as a child.  To this day their scent reminds me of the Island I was born on.
2) Simple Jewelry - I would like to wear my families gold signet ring to represent my connection to them.  I would also like to wear the necklace my mother bought me for my high school graduation.  This necklace depicts a ship which has crashed on the rocks and reads "Such is Life".  I like to think of it more simply as Shit Happens, deal with it. 
3) Photos - I collect photos of my travels, my family and my friends like a pack rat.  It only makes sense that some of the most important ones stay with me forever.
4) My Pencil Case - It may sound strange, but I bought this pencil case when I was on a volunteer trip in Nicaragua building a library.  I have continued to use this same pencil case for five years because it reminds me of one of the happiest times of my life during which I underwent personal revitalization.  Furthermore, this pencil case has brought me incredibly good luck on every exam I have ever written. 



My strong fear of death as a child remained with me until I was ten and I read the series "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman. In the final book "The Amber Spyglass" the main character releases the ghosts from the world of the dead and the description of the process released my fear of death.  

"...all the particles that make you up will loosen and float apart, just like your daemons did... But your daemons en't just nothing now; they're part of everything. All the atoms that were them, they've gone into the air and the wind and the trees and the earth and all the living things. They'll never vanish. They're just part of everything. ... You'll drift apart, it's true, but you'll be out in the open, part of everything alive again."

"The first ghost to leave the world of the dead was Roger. He took a step forward, and turned to look back at Lyra, and laughed in surprise as he found himself turning into the night, the starlight, the air... and then he was gone, leaving behind such a vivid little burst of happiness that Will was reminded of the bubbles in a glass of champagne."

These quotes made me understand that even if religion was wrong and nothing happened after death I would still be part of life, by becoming everything.  Because of this I think I would strongly consider cremation.  I would prefer to be spread over the ocean.  And instead of a grave I would like a park bench overlooking the Sea, with a gardenia bush right beside it.  So the beautiful scent can travel through the wind.

Introduction

Hey!


My name is Claire. I am a third year student at the University of Victoria.  I am currently working on a double major focusing on both Anthropology and History.  My degree is focused on European military history and archaeology.  I think that History and Anthropology compliment each other because they are both focused on the human race but look at different aspects of it.  I am especially interested in archaeology because I believe it is the primary source of evidence for historic and anthropogenic events.  


I am taking To the Grave and Beyond because I think a culture's treatment of their dead signifies many of their unique trends.  Furthermore, studying the different practices around the world will reveal many of the differences and similarities between different cultures.


Looking forward to seeing everyone in Class!