Bookplate from the collection of Richard Sica photographed by A Journey Round My Skull
The connection between sex and death is well known. If you want to muse on it further, there’s a pretty good article in the Encyclopaedia of Death and Dying. If you don’t, please don’t read the rest of this post. It’s dirty, you’ll think. Offensive. Come back tomorrow.
Which brings us, with a single bound, to bookplates. Why is it that so many bookplates incorporate a memento mori plus, often, an erotic bonus? I think I knew the answer once but, if memory serves, I have forgotten. Perhaps you can shed some light?
Over at the A Journey Round My Skull blog there are three fine collections of bookplates featuring death and, in some cases, sexy flesh. You can find them here.
From there it’s but a short hop to the Morbid Anatomy blog, where you can contemplate the fatal aftermath of too much masturbation. Here.
While we’re on this topic, you might have some thoughts on the psychological truth or otherwise of this comedic treatment of sex and death:
| Funeral Sex | UCBcomedy.com |
| Watch more comedy videos from the twisted minds of the UCB Theatre at UCBcomedy.com | |
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Charles Cowling, Charles Cowling. Charles Cowling said: Today's blog post confronts those two taboos, sex and death. Someone's got to do it. http://bit.ly/gUDSWk […]
Charles, the comedy clip had me in stitches! It must have taken some courage to post! I still dont quite see the conection between sex and death though. The article on Sex and dying shed some light (salmon) but on the whole I’m not sure about it. I suppose death is often viewed as ‘un-creation’ and the areas of creation are highlighted as a sort of countercharm?? Dunno. I remember an earlier post where you posted photos of a coffinmaker’s website with some very hot posing sugestivly. I didnt get that ither, hmmmm is it me? Anyways, the ability to… Read more »
ps: duh’!I missed out the word ‘woman’ between the words hot and posing
Sonya, it’s great to hear from you. This has to be my most shunned posting — an interesting insight into the minds of those who follow this blog. Really glad the video made you giggle. I cannot promise not to perpetrate another such post when the spirit moves me!
Not shunning your post, Charles… just a little unsure of quoting:
“A funeral and a wedding have this much in common – they’re both about putting a stiff in a box.”
Ha!
We commented last time you put up this video Charles. Mind you, top marks for goading Jonathan into that last remark.
Gosh, I’ve posted it before, have I? Dear oh dear, do I see the shade of the Grim Dementer hovering in the offing?
Do you take Alkasaltzers, Charles? They tell me they’re bad for the memory… or something.
Sorry, what was that?