MetaFilter: The Naked Truth (San Jose, CA)

October 27, 2007 4:37 PM

Who's up for a Metafilter Field Trip to Body Worlds 2?

Let's do a meet-up at a meat-up! And then go drinkin' and lyin'.

Saturday, December 1st. 5ish, to get in before last call, and give us time to go for food and drink after.

Hands? (heh)

posted by scrump to MetaFilter Gatherings at 4:37 PM (50 comments total)

Well, this sounds pretty fleshed out. I'm sure I can muster the guts to show up.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 6:23 PM on October 27, 2007 [1 favorite]

Depending on if I'm in town, I might be up for it. And I'll probably need the drink after hanging out with corpses and Mefites all evening. :)
posted by miss lynnster at 6:51 PM on October 27, 2007

Easternblot and I went to see this in Toronto. While I can't go this time (being back on the other side of the world) I highly recommend it and encourage all the rest of you to go along. Way more fun with intelligent companions.
posted by shelleycat at 7:34 PM on October 27, 2007

This kind of thing really gets under my skin. I don't have the stomach for it, nor could I muscle up the courage to be seen there. In fact, I'd probably fall to pieces, and you'd all be able to see right through me. I guess my heart's just not in it.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:03 PM on October 27, 2007

No thank you, I already went vegetarian once (and still am, damn those plastinated glutei maximi).

(Seriously, this is a cool exhibit and people should go. It would be better with Mefites. But do assess your ability to spend three hours looking at bodies first.)
posted by fuzzbean at 9:50 PM on October 27, 2007

Go see this exhibit. It will completely alter your perspective on human physiology. We took my wife's 8 year old sister and she thought it was the coolest thing ever. Seeing Body Worlds was one of the coolest experiences of my life.
posted by baphomet at 10:31 PM on October 27, 2007

The one day in the next 2 months that I actually have something planned, you will be a mile from house. It's terribly unfair :(

That said, the Tech is across the street from the park where "Christmas in the Park" will be going in full swing. It's a weird little Santa's Village thing they have in SJ every year, that for reasons I can't fathom, is quite well attended. So street parking will suck. There is a pay lot across the street from the Tech and the Adobe garage frequently has pay parking for events also.

As for food/drink there's lots of stuff in walking distance from the Tech, mostly fairly pricey business lunch places. The Tide House is about 4 blocks from there or Gordon Beirsch about the same distance. Neither is great food-wise, but they can deal with larger parties and function as bars as well as restaurants, so you can hang out.
posted by doctor_negative at 1:28 AM on October 28, 2007

is this the group that used chinese bodies where there is discussion that they were political prisoners and did not agree (/agree freely) to the donation?

a plastination exhibit came to sydney, and it was very ethically dodgey. i would loved to have gone, but concerns about the donations were not answered.

just a thought.
posted by taff at 2:21 PM on October 28, 2007

taff, it isn't the same group from Sydney, and though there hasn't been total traceability for the bodies used in Body Worlds, it is the first exhibition company in this field, helmed by the inventor of the plastination process, and he claims to be as free as possible from unethical sources.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:32 PM on October 28, 2007

I saw this a couple of weeks ago and it was great. Anybody planning to carpool from San Francisco?
posted by Quietgal at 7:34 PM on October 28, 2007

I'm totally there! This will be awesome.
posted by sarahnade at 9:06 AM on October 29, 2007

I'm in! I don't gross out that easily.
posted by marylynn at 11:26 AM on October 29, 2007

I saw it in Boston. The participants gave informed consent, IIRC, but they had no control over the "poses" that the artist put them in. However, the plastination process melts your beer gut, so it's all good.
posted by Saucy Intruder at 6:59 PM on October 29, 2007

How did I miss this earlier? Fantastic idea. Of course I'm up for it.
posted by tangerine at 8:57 PM on October 29, 2007

So, how shall we all identify ourselves as part of this anarchist collective?

I'm tempted to suggest that everyone wear some shade of blue, but that's so...normal.

Suggestions?

"Meet by the penis"
posted by scrump at 9:04 PM on October 29, 2007

I think I might have a bat mitzvah to attend that day...but if I'm wrong and it's the following weekend instead, I hope to be there with bells on.
posted by crinklebat at 10:11 PM on October 29, 2007

Sounds good!
posted by TwoWordReview at 11:29 PM on October 30, 2007

Sucks to be me. The only other MeFiMeetUp I attended was in Venice a few years back, and now I actually live in the south bay, but will be gone until Dec 3rd :(

FWIW I saw the first bodyworlds in London back in late 2002 or early 2003 or so and it was totally awesome.
posted by cactus at 12:42 AM on October 31, 2007

This sounds like fun, I'm in. I'm up for carpooling from SF, I can kick in for gas or other mefites can kick in for the cost of a ZipCar for the evening.

I feel a terrible compulsion to eat beef jerky throughout the exhibit.
posted by whir at 5:03 PM on October 31, 2007

I live in San Mateo, so if anyone wants to carpool I may be up for it. I'm right on the way to San Jose.

And... uhhh... I feel like singing now.
posted by miss lynnster at 5:01 PM on November 12, 2007

I might go. I might be too scared. (If I go I have a car.)
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 5:22 PM on November 14, 2007

Never mind, I was high -- I have tix to Kathi Griffin that night.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 7:26 PM on November 16, 2007

The tech museum is right across the street from where I am staying for my trip, I would be so up for this :)
posted by Progenitor at 11:39 AM on November 22, 2007

Okay, time for one of them headcounty things.

Who's coming?

(me)
posted by scrump at 10:40 AM on November 28, 2007

Me.
posted by tangerine at 11:01 AM on November 28, 2007

For those of us thinking about skipping the wedding and making the reception, as it were, is there a designated after-place? I saw one of these awhile ago and once was enough.
posted by fleacircus at 11:19 PM on November 28, 2007

Quietgal and I will be driving down from the city. If any other SF mefites need a ride send me metamail (or if you're also driving down and could give us a ride - otherwise I'll be getting a zipcar for the evening).
posted by whir at 10:17 AM on November 29, 2007

We haven't picked an after-show location yet, but I'm going to do that today: stand by!

Current timing is meet at Body Worlds around 1700-1715, then relocate to the drinkin' and foodin' around 1845-1900. Sooner if we're all, like, totally grossed out, dude.
posted by scrump at 1:08 PM on November 29, 2007

I'm in
posted by pantsrobot at 5:23 PM on November 29, 2007

So the post-soylent hijinks will be at McCormick and Shmick's, across the park from The Tech. Reservation will be under the name of Coramyn Howie.

If you're planning to be there, plis to reservup here or send me memail or something so I know roughly how many to warn M&S about.

In terms of meeting up at the meetup, I'm this guy, and I'll be with this girl. I'll try to be visibly and audibly conspicuous. Memail me for my cellphone nummah if'n you need it.
posted by scrump at 6:19 PM on November 29, 2007

I'll be there.
posted by JDC8 at 9:34 AM on November 30, 2007

I'm there!
posted by sarahnade at 5:10 PM on November 30, 2007

I am there as well! Sorry I didn't send this more in advanced.
posted by Progenitor at 12:47 PM on December 1, 2007

I'm late RSVPing, but I swear I was planning on coming all along! See you in a bit!
posted by sambosambo at 3:11 PM on December 1, 2007

Ambrosia Voyeur and I will be there too.
posted by contraption at 4:04 PM on December 1, 2007

Okay, last-minute update: my cellphee is 650-575-1707, and hope to see y'all there! I'll be wearing some flavor of blue. Name's Ashton.
posted by scrump at 4:15 PM on December 1, 2007

Ugh. I don't have a ride there and can't show up now. This sucks. Take pictures!
posted by pantsrobot at 4:46 PM on December 1, 2007

Dang it! I totally forgot it was today. BART was all messed up today so I stayed in the city after language class and went shopping instead. How was it?
posted by miss lynnster at 7:05 PM on December 1, 2007

I call FP after meetup :)

I had load of fun - that was some amazingly diverse dinner conversation we had. The Body Work was quite interesting but the highlight are the easy atmosphere and the flowly dinner conversation. The excellent white picked by Ambrosia Voyeur helped too.

Comment of the evening is definitely "The horses, it vibrates?"

Miss Lynnster, scrump took quite a liberal amount of picture so you will be able to see what mischief we have got up to. We have commonly agreed that this was a pretty good metafilter meet up.

Thanks for scrump for organising this meetup!
posted by Progenitor at 10:33 PM on December 1, 2007

That was some definite fun. There were skinned people, excellent dinner conversation, a modicum of wine, and a carousel ride to finish the evening off. Ambrosia Voyeur and contraption also, I believe, intended to do some ice skating after the rest of us left.

Thank you to everyone who came. I wish I were one twentieth of the photographer DaShiv is, but unfortunately I'm not. Hopefully some of the pictures will turn out!
posted by scrump at 11:04 PM on December 1, 2007

...and here's proof positive of the carousel (and dinner).

Pictures from the meetup.
posted by scrump at 12:34 AM on December 2, 2007

I too, wish scrump was one twentieth of the photographer DaShiv is, but it was still a great introductory meetup for those of us uninitiated in such things.

And as tasty as that dessert tray looked, it was the churro that broke me down after we all split up for the night.

I'ma go look at pictures now!
posted by sambosambo at 12:41 AM on December 2, 2007

That was fun, nice meeting y'all. I actually brought a bag of beef jerky with me, but I left it in car during the exhibit. I think I'll hold off on eating it for a while, now that I think about it.
posted by whir at 1:04 AM on December 2, 2007

Man, are my drunken unhideable chins and I glad that meetup pix don't get their own threads anymore.

Good times, you guys! All hail scrump, the meetup hosting king! Let's leer at plasticized dongs again sometime real soon!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:11 AM on December 2, 2007

Hey -- you said dead bodies. You did not say there would be a carousel. (Pouts.)

I'm sorry I missed it -- I had fun at Kathy Griffin but wish I could have done both.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 9:51 AM on December 2, 2007

My first MeFi meetup ever, and it was a blast! (You can tell by how hard I'm laughing in the pix.) Some of those pictures turned out really well, and the captions are a hoot. Thanks to all of you for a wonderful evening, especially scrump for arranging to whole shebang, and I look forward to seeing y'all at future meetups.

By the way, I forgot to ask whir: what is so special about his T-shirt?
posted by Quietgal at 1:25 PM on December 2, 2007

I'm still laughing and it's the middle of the next day.

Thanks, everyone. Let's do it again soon.
posted by tangerine at 2:29 PM on December 2, 2007

Too bad about no photography in the exhibit, it was a great chout out opportunity for cortex, hmm?

Everybody come to the SF meetup, k? I am so shy, you know, it helps to have people around I can cleave to.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 3:16 PM on December 2, 2007

I too had an awesome time. I am telling all of my friends to go see the skinned people and then ride on the carousel.

It won't be nearly as awesome as it was with you all, though. Looking forward to the next one! :)
posted by sarahnade at 6:18 PM on December 2, 2007

Too bad about no photography in the exhibit

Yeah, I thought that skinned pony would have been perfect for something like this (sadly, this picture is not at the exhibit). Uh, only funny.
posted by whir at 8:57 PM on December 3, 2007