Photo: DPA

'Dr. Death' plans to plastinate King of Pop

Published: 29 Jun 09 12:50 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090629-20267.html

Controversial Body Worlds creator Gunther von Hagens plans to preserve the late Michael Jackson’s body in a dancing pose for display using his plastination process, a spokesperson told The Local on Monday.

Shortly after the legendary pop entertainer was pronounced dead in Los Angeles, von Hagens released a statement revealing his personal assistant had been contacted by an anonymous member of Jackson’s management team about plastination some six months ago.

“During the phone conversation we were told about Michael Jackson’s interest to become plastinated after his death,” the statement said, adding Body Worlds did not confirm the King of Pop’s interest because the caller wished to remain anonymous and the body donation form is available online.

The validity of the call “is soon to be seen,” the statement added.

On Monday, Institute for Plastination press spokesperson Christiane Casott told The Local the organisation is still awaiting confirmation the King of Pop wanted to become plastic.

Von Hagens promised the late 50-year-old’s family that his body would be preserved through plastination for “a didactic eternity,” and would be conducted free of charge.

“The pose would be a dancing one, to be determined by the family in detail,” he added.

The provocative 64-year-old, known as “Dr. Death” in Germany, is infamous for transforming the bodies of people and animals into exhibition pieces for his Body Worlds exhibitions. He recently caused a stir this May in Berlin where his show, “The Cycle of Life" featured dissected corpses having sex.

Click here for a photo gallery of the Body Worlds exhibition.

Kristen Allen (kristen.allen@thelocal.de)

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Your comments about this article:

#1
17:01 June 29, 2009 by Meatman
Possibly have his body 'plastinated' into Lego's then that way the little boys can still play with him....

Too soon??

I'll take a window seat over the wing!!

Now where did I put that hand basket?
Report abuse »
#2
19:06 June 29, 2009 by KBCraig
Seriously, what's left to plastinate?
Report abuse »
#3
08:41 June 30, 2009 by niacin
sounds like a publicity hoax to me... if you were contacted by an "anonymous" member of the family, why would you go public with it before anything had been properly organised?
Report abuse »
#4
08:47 June 30, 2009 by Bell the cat
has't Bubbles already been plastinated?
Report abuse »
#5
09:07 June 30, 2009 by marie-claire
I hope it's not true. This plastinater guy is so creepy. In one of his exhibitions he displays dead bodies having sex.
Report abuse »
#6
09:16 June 30, 2009 by silty1
If the Local is going to try its hand at fake news, at least try to make it half-ways to funny.
Report abuse »
#7
09:41 June 30, 2009 by PezMom3
That would be creepy. Who would want to see that?

Meatman I was going to post the same thing. Haha
Report abuse »
#8
15:22 June 30, 2009 by Serenajean1
I think it is a bit premature to say he is planning, when only an inquiry or rather a supposed inquiry was made.
Report abuse »
#9
15:51 June 30, 2009 by kato
His factory is right behind Campbell Barracks in Heidelberg *cough*
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#10
19:21 June 30, 2009 by BrewZ
I already saw enough of his face when he was alive.
Report abuse »
#11
19:23 June 30, 2009 by marie-claire
I just feel so sorry for his children, they are much too young to loose their father.
Report abuse »
#12
00:51 July 2, 2009 by Wireless.Phil
Please put some close on him!

I agree with BrewZ!

As far as I'm concerned, he has been dead since the 80's anyway.

Look at the bright side, when the big end does come, he'll just melt away, finally.
Report abuse »
#13
16:24 July 3, 2009 by anne0619
I hope it's not true. This plastinater guy is so creepy. In one of his exhibitions he displays dead bodies having sex.
Whoa, in that picture Dr. von Hagens looks like he's had a little plastination done on himself!
Report abuse »
#14
06:38 July 17, 2009 by be001g
I thought it was illegal to display dead bodies disrespectfully in Germany. I remember the Körperwelt exhibit in München. The dead man riding a dead horse had to be covered, as it was deemed to be disrespectful. Dead bodies displayed in a sexual way would certainly be banned, would it not?
Report abuse »
#15
11:22 July 17, 2009 by Lorelei
... his many critics accuse him of deliberately shocking people in order to gain publicity, rather than furthering science as he claims... "I am …
That sounds very plausible. It's difficult to see how a pair of copulating corpses is supposed to further science.
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