What is it with morbid curiosity?

[kingsrings]

It almost got the better of me a couple of days ago, and I feel so guilty. I go to that website snopes, it is my favorite. Well, you know how they have a photo section where they have photos, either debunking or explaining the story behind them? A couple of days ago they printed some of a car crash where an 18 year-old girl was killed, they were the crash scene photos. She had taken Daddy's expensive car out without permission and wasted herself speeding and being irresponsible. I have no idea how the pictures got on the web. I was all I could do to not look at those photos. I knew I would be grossed out, disgusted and disturbed, so I made myself not. It's not like I don't know what car crashes look like, I have seen such photos in driver's ed way back in high school, so I don't know why I wanted to see stuff like that again.

What is it with morbid curiosity?

[HogwartsAlum]

I think people are fascinated with death because we know we're all going to have to face it one day - we look, and compare, and say to ourselves, "Well, THAT one was pretty bad! I hope I don't go like that!"  It's a way of reassuring ourselves we're still here.  "Glad that's not me...."

Don't feel bad...lots of people look.  Anyway, I find curiosity healthier than denying that death even exists, like some people. 

[extranormal]

The weird thing? When I saw the title of your post, my first thought was, "Oh, just like those awful photos I looked at on Snopes yesterday." The very ones you were referring to but had the grace and common sense to resist. I wish I had.

[kingsrings]

The weird thing? When I saw the title of your post, my first thought was, "Oh, just like those awful photos I looked at on Snopes yesterday." The very ones you were referring to but had the grace and common sense to resist. I wish I had.

Well, let's just see if I can keep it up not looking the next time I look at snopes, eh. I think because in the past when I first went on snopes, I didn't know they posted pictures like that and ended up looking at a photo of a decapitated guy, ewww. I know I'll just be grossed out a lot again like I was if I look at the other photos, so I don't.

[Clara Bow]

I have been known to hunt up crime scene photos on the internet, I've not the foggiest idea why. I mean, I'm a true crime BOOK and STORY junkie. I'm not a sicko. But every now and then I get this bizarre curiosity...that and medical nightmare stuff. Though that could be a nurse thing, I don't know.

[kisu]

I think that the curiosity about death is quite natural. We all have to encounter death one day or another, but we rarely see dead or dying people anymore, as almost all the dying nowadays happens in hospitals. Death and birth used to be more a natural part of life, but now we've hidden them away - and thus we're extremely curious about them! (Not saying here that I'd like to give birth in a cottage in the woods with the help of only a 2-year-old, or something...  )

I'm in medical school, and almost always when this comes up, the next question has something to do with dying people or obductions. And if not death, then it's something about blood.

[Clara Bow]

You know that is a very valid point. When we did the thanatology unit in my Development class we discussed how society used to be very pragmatic about death (men remarrying almost immediately, etc) because it was right there where it could be seen, taking place in the home. Houses were equipped with cooling board doors and the whole community turned out for a death, not just to honor the dead but to help prepare the body and dig the grave, make the casket etc. Now death takes place somewhere away from us in a sterile environment and other people oversee our dead. We see them at the hour of passing (sometimes) and then in a box we picked out from a wall chart. There's little hands on activity for the family. So I think you're right, I think this does lead to a morbid curiosity on all of our part about what death looks like and feels like and what it ultimately means.

[Cyndi]

Ew, I can't stand those kinds of pictures. Funny though that I think movies where people die in ways that splatter blood everywhere kinda cool. (Only BLOOD, I don't like seeing GUTS though).

I think I'm more trapped by train-wreck syndrome, where I can't help but look at disgusting pr0n fanfics(I've found SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS slash before *faints*) or X-rated fanart of characters doing lewd things(Bowser showing Mario um...why he was the King of the Koopas comes to mind @_X).

I guess I like to think there are people out there more disgusting than me ^^()

[Just Lori]

I felt the same way about a certain execution video.  I found the link, but I couldn't watch it.

I do believe that something extraordinary happens at the time of death.  I've only seen a few deaths, but I was struck by the fact that the body takes on a distinctively different look at the time of death, at least in my experience.  It's not like falling asleep.  It's not even like a movie death, where the actor obviously has not died.  It's almost like you see the soul leave the body.  The thing that makes us alive is gone.  Again, this is just my experience and how I've come to grips with death.

But yeah, most of us do have a fascination with something we're all going to experience one day.  Let's face, none of us leaves the world alive.

[Cyndi]

^I think it's because death makes someone go from being a person to a THING. The SOMEONE is gone....I hope that made sense.

[Tabris]

I've seen two individuals die. It wasn't a spectacular display.

I think it may be what was said earlier, that death is something that takes place out of the public eye nowadays and people have next to no context for it any longer. By the time they see the deceased, she's in a casket and cleaned up, and that's something done by death professionals.

I think if the average person still had to slaughter a chicken or a cow every now and then, there'd be less morbid curiosity about death. As for me, ever since the second of those two deaths I witnessed, I haven't been morbidly curious about anything any longer. It's just death, something I've seen before and a given for this world.

[kingsrings]

You're so right, Tabris. When you are not exposed to something, you become curious about it, even when it's not appropriate.

I went back onto snopes yesterday as I usually do weekly to check for new stories, and this time I admit I did click on that particular story again, this time not hiding the pictures. There were only pictures of the wrecked car and nothing else. So I guess that was all it was all along, and I just thought it was something more graphic. Either that or snopes took off the offending pics because maybe the family complained or something.

[Just Lori]

It's just death, something I've seen before and a given for this world.

See, the first time I saw a death it had the opposite effect.  I was about 15, and it freaked me out.  I was underneath one of those huge, green steel-beamed bridges when a guy chose to take his life, and he landed about three feet from me.  It was violent way to end a life.

On the other hand, I've found death bed passings to be quite peaceful and reassuring.  My grandmother is a wonderful example of a women who was ready to move on and was allowed to do so with dignity.  She wasn't afraid of death, and her attitude left a lasting impact on me and helped me get past my death phobia. 

[Rei-chan]

ITA about it being a curisosity about something we are not normally exposed to.  As I have told before, DH works for our local medical examiner.  This involves doing autopsies.  Many of our friends are strangely curious about the different cases that come in, especially if they are on the news. 

Anytime there is a "newsworthy" death, we get all kinds of calls from friends wanting to know if DH "got that one" and then actually wanting DETAILS, which DH cannot legally give. 

He will tell me the occaisional story when he comes home at night, but I never know details about that person, just "got a gunshot victim today" or something like that. 

[extranormal]

Either that or snopes took off the offending pics because maybe the family complained or something.

Well, when I foolishly looked, I definitely saw more than pictures of the car. I wouldn't be at all surprised if somebody had complained, as it was beyond gruesome.