Changing Society & Technology

    I am very busy lately so I don't have time to write a post. Instead I will quickly discuss something which continues to come up every now and then, and while not directly about the funeral industry iy relates to the industry.

   People comment about the changing nature of society, specifically how technology is making us less social.  To me this is a simplistic and incorrect argument; nothing has changed much really.  This is an old issue that has been brought up time and time again, as the web comic xkcd so nicely demonstrates.  You can view the comic in full below.

Does the American Funeral Exist?

    Does the American funeral actually exist?  In short "no",  and yet at the same time it does.  The American funeral is an interesting thing which says a lot about the Australian funeral industry, and Australian society on a broader level.  In this post I continue my theme of 'American funeral' and look at if it really exists.

The Negatives of the American Funeral

     In this pervious post I discussed at the definition of the American funeral, the five key points which make up our understanding of this concept as the Australian industry uses it.

    Just the idea, the notion and nothing more, of American funerals is a source of anxiety and concern with those in the Australian funeral industry.  I have found an actual and ever present worry that the Australian industry will "slip" into American styles.  So let's look at what is so bad about the American funeral as viewed by the Australian industry.

Ageism in the Industry & The Funeral Friends

    Ageism is quite common within the funeral industry, I have found only a few places where it doesn't exist.  So no one company is at fault really, no single company, group, or person is ageist.  Instead it is an industry wide thing, ageism is an aspect of the funeral industry and not of funeral companies.

Origins of the American Funeral

    The American funeral has an interesting history, which is unfortunately difficult to follow and mostly based on rumours and anecdotes.  It is not a new idea by any means, but is one which has changed over time.

Interview with an Undertaker

    Here's the first interview with someone from the funeral industry.  I feel it went well and the topics discussed were quite interesting, it was good to hear such a frank and open opinion on certain things.

Alternative Memorialising with Heinz

    A while ago Heinz launched the myHeinz site where you can make custom messages on Heinz bottles.  At the time I thought nothing of it and barely even noticed it, until someone recently had a rather amusing suggestion.  To use this as a way of memorialising the dead!

Undertakers Eating on Funerals

    A while ago I wrote this post on how to get fed for free if you're an undertaker.  Since then I have played the role of mourner more and thought I would share my perspectives on funeral staff joining mourners for food.

Upright Burial

    The concept of burying coffins standing up (vertically rather than horizontally) is by no means a new one.  This is an older idea and one brought up every so often, but it is about time I gave my own personal thoughts on the matter in a short post.

Appropriate In a Cemetery

    What is appropriate in a cemetery is quite a debatable thing, but I have found that many take a reverential and highly respectful view of cemeteries.  However, this view requires a certain distancing from the cemetery, that those who think this way cannot understand the cemetery itself and cannot visit cemeteries regularly.

The Criticism Cycle

A while ago I wrote a post about the 'vulnerable capties' of the funeral industry, how the public perception is that the funeral customer is locked into using the industry and vulnerable while using it.

Short History of the Australian Funeral Industry

    As part of my honours research I have been looking into the history of the funeral industry, which might be interesting to a few people.  In doing so I have also discovered many sources are long and dense, or difficult to find.  So here is a short summary of what I know so far, everything in one place, and put simply!

The Rookwood Picnic

    The picnic was a huge success, exactly what I hoped for in ever way, it was a small but great gathering of fun people in a casual way.  In total only five people attended, but everyone was great fun and added something to the conversation and dynamics.  We had a nice variety of people from very different backgrounds.  There was even one person who had never worked in the industry but was keen on joining it.

    The weather forecasts had warned of afternoon rain, yet it was already raining by the time I got up.  Not a great weather for a picnic, but the place was under cover and the rain was only light, so I was not too worried.  In the end the rain turned out to be a mixed blessing.  As due to the building design the rain gently fell off the roof into the little pool, creating a very nice background trickling and sloshing sound.

    Having enough food is always important for functions, you want too much so people do not feel uncomfortable eating as they please.  In this instance we were spot on, there was more than enough food to share, and also a decent diversity of food.

    We all sat on a blanket in the middle of the building, it was not exactly the most comfortable but it was certainly acceptable and good fun.  Despite the rain we managed to create the picnic vibe while staying dry.  The discussion was also quite good, ranging in topics but focusing on the industry as everyone there had a real interest and passion for the industry.  We shared experiences of what it is like to work funerals, funny stories and company information.  Everyone had a good time, and we were there from 11:00 to just after 16:00, so five hours all up.

    Overall I count this as a huge success, the numbers were low and weather bad, yet we all managed to have a great time.  So I will be trying to organise more casual events in the future, from cemetery walks to specialty museum visits.




An~~

    Below are some pictures of the where we had the picnic in good weather for anyone interested, as it really is a unique, interesting and nice place.  A very modern place which downplays religious imagery, it was built by a Catholic organisation and yet has no crucifix.  Perhaps an indication of where things are going.

Lego Funeral Director Play Set

    Here is a fake lego funeral play set, complete with crying mourners, a coffin, and even a crematorium.  Personally I think it is rather amusing, and a wonderful idea!

    This has already made the rounds on certain circles (such as coffin-talk), so I thought it appropriate to discuss it.  Despite the fact that it is fake it has potential, we are seeing more alternative and specific lego sets as lego becomes more popular.  Take for example this lego aircraft carrier, or this life size lego house built by James May.  There are numerous lego groups and exhibitions, even official ones like Brickworks in Sydney.  It is not beyond reason or possibility for lego to make a certain number of funeral theme sets.

     Some might think a lego themed set would be upsetting or inappropriate for the most part.  A mixing of children's toys and death is rather touchy to say the least.  But as the comments on this "Confessions of a Funeral Director" post show many people would like it.  I asked a few friends who I know to be 'squeamish' about death and funerals.  One is so 'squeamish' that she gets uncomfortable at seeing a photo of an empty hearse.  Because it reminds her of funerals and death an the likes.  Yet even she (and everyone I spoke with) really liked this idea and would buy it or compete for it.

    Perhaps one day a funeral company will get in touch with lego and have a promotional event, I (and a few others I know) would certainly participate!  It is a possibility, and there is a market, so why not?

An~~

Vulnerable Capitves

    The 'vulnerable captives' is a surprisingly common public view of the funeral customer.  I have found hints of it in many comments and stories about the funeral industry.  In this post I look at what the 'vulnerable captive' is.

Are We Too Comfortable?

    A couple of people have said how some topics on my blog are a little 'out there' or 'uncomfortable' in a way.  That I basically talk about sensitive things which makes them a little uncomfortable.

    But is this a bad thing?  Perhaps it is about time some things were said as we have gotten too comfortable.

Ageism - Hiring Younger Staff

    Ageism is a large part of the funeral industry and is something actually encouraged by the industry.  Many regard it as a minor thing, not even an issue and completely write it off.  However, it has a direct and indirect negative impact on companies and individuals.

The Funeral Industry & Creating Disgruntled Outsiders

     This post comes from my experience trying to study the funeral industry, how many companies actively keep people out, creating 'outsiders'.  Which explains why most studies of the industry are negative and done without input or involvement from the industry.

Fetishism of The Dead Body

    In this post I explore our relationship with dead bodies and how we turn them into The Dead Body (TDB).  This was something I wanted to write as an essay and do properly back in early October.  But unfortunately I never found the time.  Instead enjoy this informal and casual post of mine, it was written for fun so with luck it should be fun to read.

Why Bodies Smell So Bad

    I have noticed a visceral and emotional reaction to the smell of bodies.  A reaction so strong that it goes beyond the physical sensation.  This article is not about the physical side of how bodies smell.  Instead it looks into why we take the smell of bodies so personally.