Taphophilia.(dot) Com - Calendar shows off funeral directors' bodies

Welcome

Taphophilia (dot) Com...
A repository of morbid curiosities:
Thanatology and Taphophile Issues, Cemetery,
Funeral Industry and Death Related News.

What's at Taph?

Taphophilia Home

Thanatology Forums

Taphophile Weblinks

Taph's Article Archive

Contact Deadgirl

Donating to Taphophilia

Book Library

Deadgirl Recommends

Dig Deeper

Literature

Topics at Taphophilia

Deadgirl's Dictionary

Cemetery Photography

Industry News

Carved in Stone

A Taphophilia Thank You...

Taphophilia (dot) Com would not be possible without the knowledge, experience and talent of DarkestWeb. From
its conception and early development, DarkestWeb
was faced with many challenges; from inspiring and motivating, to providing guidance and direction. The continued dedication and support has produced results greater than ever expected, and for this, I owe a huge debt of gratitude.

Cemetery Snapshot

Announcements

Graveyards of Chicago:
The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries
By Matt Hucke And Ursula Bielski. Discover a Chicago That Exists Just Beneath the Surface - About Six Feet Under! Take a tour of Chicago's permanent residents! Please visit the Lake Claremont Press website to purchase your copy of Graveyards of Chicago today!

Green-Wood Cemetery Arcadia Publishing announces the release of Alexandra Mosca's historic account of one of New York's most famous cemeteries. Aracdia Publishing's Images of America series has an extensive catalog of many cemetery publications! Please visit Arcadia Publishing to purchase your copy of Green-Wood Cemetery and to browse other available titles!

Men of Mortuaries Calendar
To purchase your 2008 calendar, learn more about the KAMMCARES Foundation, or to be featured in the 2009 calendar, please visit Men of Mortuaries.

Epitaphs: The Magazine for Cemetery Lovers By Cemetery Lovers
For information regarding subscriptions, single issues, submission guidelines, deadlines, classifieds or advertising for future issues, please visit The Cemetery Club.

Guardians of the Soul: Angels and Innocents, Mourners and Saints, Indiana's remarkable cemetery sculpture
with photography by John Bower and foreword by Claude Cookman is now
available. Please visit
Studio Indiana for more information.

West Springfield Massachusetts: Stories Carved in Stone by Rusty Clark features information on early New England gravestone carvers with more than two hundred photos and illustrations. Please visit the Dog Pond Press website.

Calendar shows off funeral directors' bodies

Written by DeadGirl
Monday, 19 March 2007
By Seth Harkness SACO - Though most of his clients would never know it, Stacy Cote, the fourth-generation owner of Cote Funeral Home here, likes to spend weekends water skiing on competition slalom courses at speeds up to 34 mph. He's also a former competitive bodybuilder who wants to lay to rest the image of funeral directors as somber men who speak in hushed tones and wear nothing but dark suits. That's partly why Cote, 38, sent a shirtless photo of himself along with an application to appear in a calendar of handsome funeral directors, "Men of Mortuaries 2008," being assembled by a California mortician. Of the more than 250 funeral directors who applied to be included in the calendar, Cote was among 16 chosen to go to California in May for a photo shoot and a chance at making the final selection. Regardless of whether he succeeds, Cote said he thinks his profession needs this project. "I do think it's a chance to show that funeral directors are normal people outside the funeral home," he said. The first edition of the calendar, "Men of Mortuaries 2007," featured 11 funeral directors standing bare-chested in a variety of funereal settings. The calendars are the work of Ken McKenzie, owner of McKenzie Mortuary in Long Beach, Calif. McKenzie, 40, said his sister came up with the idea shortly after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. He printed 50,000 copies and donated $15,000 from their sale to Kamm Cares, a foundation that helps people living with breast cancer. Charitable benefits aside, McKenzie said he, too, believes the calendar can help dispel the gloomy image of funeral directors. Some may wonder whether the calendar, with its images of men standing half-naked in a graveyard, undermines the sense of compassion and decorum required of morticians. McKenzie said he has received only a few complaints. Mainly, he said, the calendar helps to humanize people in his line of work. "I want to let people know these are just guys," said McKenzie, who is shown washing a hearse in a sleeveless T-shirt in the 2007 calendar. "When they come in to make funeral arrangements, (people) should not be so scared." Cote said he, too, saw no conflict between the portrayal of funeral directors in the calendar and his professional duties. "They did a tasteful job with the calendar," he said. "I don't feel it's negative in any way." There was one piece of feedback McKenzie said he heard repeatedly after the 2007 calendar appeared. "The only thing people wanted was more skin," he said. "If they wanted it, they're going to get it." Next year's edition will feature models pursuing their hobbies or interests, McKenzie said. One funeral director, a rodeo rider, will be photographed with a horse. Another who worked his way through school as a waiter will be shown serving chocolate-covered strawberries to a table of women customers. Cote, who is packing his water ski and swim trunks for his photo shoot, said he has been dieting in preparation for his tryout. "I'll go in about 180 pounds," he said. He said he also intends to go to a tanning salon before he leaves for California in mid-May to be on an equal footing with contestants who haven't endured a Maine winter. Cote said he believes he can hold his own, but he knows the competition will be intense. "This is a unique group of funeral directors," he said. "Trust me, they're not like this all around the country." http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/local/070319yrk.html

< Prev		Next >

[ Back ]

SEO by Artio

Taphophilia?

taphophilia (taf′ō-fil′ē-ă)

ORIGIN:
From the Greek words taphos, meaning "tomb" or "sepulcher" and philia, meaning "attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something"

DEFINITION: 1. An excessive interest in graves and cemeteries. 2. A love or fondness for funerals, graves, and cemeteries. 3. In psychiatry, a morbid attraction to graves and cemeteries