I actually think its quite interesting to learn about the human body. I mean if you were a medical student you'd get to see stuff like that as part of your training anyway.

Its really only an extension of learning things in a biology classroom. OK I'm being very brave watching it on a tv screen, I'm not great with scalpels and knives so I'd probably be hiding behind my coat if I was in the audience.

You see acted out autopsies in progs such as Xfiles & murder-type shows, so how different now is watching something like that?

How do you feel it is wrong?

There is a strange and morbid fascination about it.

I'm watching, albeit slightly queasily.

I'm watching quite comfortably, because they're barely showing anything! Lots of longshots in the actual dissection, the cameras keep hedging away, and when one was invited round for a closeup, they cut to yet another longshot. Lots of audience reaction, I'd like to see what they're reacting to thanks! C4 have bottled it: if they're gonna do this, they should do it properly.

Moving onto the organs now, less squimish about those for some reason ...

The heart is fascinating.

As for any ethical issues, as the participant has given his concent, as far as I'm concerned, there are no ethical issues.

Don't see what's to be against if the person gave consent. Missed it, but got to play with pig's lungs in biology today, so it's all good

Yep the person or family of would have needed to give consent. So that doesn't bother me either. I guess the only ethical question was the way in which the tickets were distributed. It was almost like randomly selling to a freak show

In my opinion it would be nice to see a proper medical documentary being filmed in a proper lab.

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by Pegasus
How do you feel it is wrong?

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Good question, i'm not entirely sure, maybe im wrong, and the fact that I find it distressing and sickening is just my own personal distaste and shouldn't affect others freedom to see such acts.

My own reasons for why it is wrong is I don't think this is providing any real education. I think it is appealing to the lowest common denominator in the same way that is an alarming trend of TV programmes and newspaper articles of today. It leaves the same distaste in my mouth as do so called 'Reality TV' programs which seem designed to undermine our value as people and treat us as merely machines, who can be prodded and made to react as we see fit.

Such programmes seemed to be designed to extract our most unlikeable traits as people. To see how far you can 'push' people. Im too drunk to comment on this sensibly or lucidly, but I feel it has a lot to do with the age we live in which has rejected faith and religion and is left cold and feeling cheated. A society in which our cold comfort is supposed to be consumerism. This is just another form of consumerism as is all reality TV.

Our reaction to this at the moment seems to be that we 'revel' in taking apart what we have spend hundreds of years creating - respect for others, respect for ourselves, our sensibilities, our traditions, our sense of specialness in what we are. I find it very sad. This is something probably worthy of a post in itself when I am in the right mind to say what I mean clearly.

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by Pegasus
Yep the person or family of would have needed to give consent. So that doesn't bother me either. I guess the only ethical question was the way in which the tickets were distributed. It was almost like randomly selling to a freak show

In my opinion it would be nice to see a proper medical documentary being filmed in a proper lab.

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I agree a genuine autopsy would be fascinating: only if they do a proper job with the filming though! And had better not be overseen by the old Doctor in the audience - his constant condescension and arrogance really grated after a while.

I honestly can't see any grounds for not showing this on TV, least of all performing it (like I've said, I think the actual performance is a non-issue). It was on suitably late, the usual warnings given, and they didn't even show that much. I think the sensation surrounding this (Evening Standard front page) speaks volumes about our unhealthy attitude towards death. Like Six Feet Under says, its one of our most enduring taboos.

On a completely daft note, hubby decided the brain looked like a walnut - and we sat there pondering for a while how something that looked so daft could actually control all our body's functions

I saw some of it, and found it rather boring! It wasn't particularly sensationalist, but I felt there was very little educational context concerning human anatomy, as you might expect froma short tv programme. My main impression was of an Ikea advert version of human biology! But, now that this 'taboo' has been broken, we may get something more 'meaty' (apologies for the pun!).

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by Funky Monkey
(quotes)

Good question, i'm not entirely sure, maybe im wrong, and the fact that I find it distressing and sickening is just my own personal distaste

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That so isn't wrong , we all have things we would not want to watch hun, or can't stomache it's no different from any kind of Phobia

I missed it cos I ended up going to bed. But on a slight tangent (What? Here? Naah ) The guys name reminds me of Haagen Daas Ice Cream. That's gotta be a bonus??

I missed it as I was too tired to stay up and watch it. As long as the donor concered has given their permission then like the others I dont see any ethical reasons standing against it.

As for if its in bad taste or not, it all depends on the individual. At the end of the day you cant please anyone and if you dont want to see it then turn off the tv or change the station.

D'oh, I missed it! Never mind, from what you guys have said I would have been frustrated at the way it was filmed anyway. I found the Body World exhibition very educational and so may have been expecting more than was shown.

I didn't even know this was on When I was doing my access course at college we had the opportunity to watch an autopsy if we wanted to. I'd been looking forward to it for the whole of the 1st term. In the end only me and another girl went in to watch and it was so fascinating that I applied to do my next lot of work experience in the morgue. Unfortunately I quit college before that terms work experience

I wasn't really sure what to make of it to be honest...on the one hand, if the relatives agreed to it, and the actual person gave consent, then there is nothing wronmg with it. On the other hand however, there was a definite air of showmanship there that I didn't think was appropriate.

Although it was educational, I think there was an element of shock value in there too.

I am somewhat annoyed. I searched like crazy through every day and every channel in the TV Guide looking for the autopsy, and it wasn't listed. So I missed it.

When the heck was it on??

Didn't see it. but would have wanted to iff it had shown everything properly because i find forensic pathology really interesting and if I wasn't crap at biology night have gone down that career path.

However, by the sound of things it didn't really show much so i'm not bothered that i missed it - the reasoning behind C4 using longshots and not showing much etc is probably something to do with the fact that the public autopsy was kinda illegal (i forget the exact details of why) and the police were threatening to arrest this guy as soon as it was over and done with.

In terms of it being low grade entertainment - i'd much rather have sat through this than that truely appauling sex survey show on ITV - excuse for pre midnight soft porn anybody!!!

Yeah but Kelly participated in said survey. Strange thing is the top score on the programme was 100. Kelly claims to have got 149 from the website. That makes her a sex goddess!