thegooddeath

The Weirdest Corpse in American Funeral History [NEW MAIN CHANNEL VIDEO] (Patreon)

Published:

2025-05-16 18:53:57

Imported:

2026-06

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Hello Deathlings,

Contrary to Caitlin mythology, I am a millennial lady-hag of many interests. When the camera is off and the mic is cold, I don't just power down – My Heart Will Go On playing softly in the background. I do things! I have outside hobbies and interests! Such as:

Swimming

Reading books about boats

Writing books about boats

Embalmer bros

Now, you might be thinking, "Uh, we've seen you do or talk about all those things on your channel, work-life boundaries much?" Ok. That's valid, but how do you even millennial if you don't make your passions your job? (Don't answer that, at least not until TITANIC BOOK comes out...someday.)

But when I say one of my passions is early 20th century embalming history, I need you to believe me. Finally, today, we bring you a video about perhaps the bro-est of embalmer bros, Carl Lewis Barnes and his wild creation, Bisga Man. Over the years I've waffled about doing this video, not because I'm not deeply interested or because I think it isn't a fascinating commentary on how we approach ideas of immortality. No. I hesitated because when you're me and you're a real embalmer bro nerd, there's always the chance that I'll just got off the rails and rant about spooky eyeball experiments, embalming fluid thunder dome, and the modern obsession with corpses looking ALIVE for 40 minutes. I HAD TO GET IT RIGHT.

I might have done a little bit of ranting here, but when talking about early embalming, how heated is too heated, really? Are you not entertained?!

Point is, I'm excited to bring this video to you! Let us all gaze upon Bisga Man with an open heart, a critical mind, and an appropriate amount of WTF, CARL.

Sing it with me – Bis-ga Maaan!

Caitlin xo

[CAITLIN POWERS DOWN]

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Previews only

Here's the Weirdest Corpse in American Funeral History

It's the future of death, boys! Support our team and the production of these videos through PATREON: http://www.patreon.com/thegooddeath MORE CAITLIN DOUGHTY The Books I Wrote: http://caitlindoughty.com/books The Course I Created: https://www.mortalcourse.com/ The Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegooddeath PRODUCTION CREDITS Host & Writer: Caitlin Doughty (@thegooddeath) Researcher & Writer: Louise Hung (@LouiseHung1) Editor & Graphics: Andy Windak Production Coordinator: Sarah Chavez Outro Songs: performed by DARRENCORP (@darrencorp) SELECTED SOURCES/FURTHER READING Troyer, John. Technologies of the Human Corpse. The MIT Press, 2020. Scandura, Jani. "Deadly Professions: 'Dracula,' Undertakers, and the Embalmed Corpse." Victorian Studies , Autumn, 1996, Vol. 40, No. 1 (Autumn, 1996), pp. 1-30. Indiana University Press. Podgorny, Irina. "Modern Embalming, Circulation of Fluids, and the Voyage through the Human Arterial System: Carl L. Barnes and the Culture of Immortality in America." Nuncius 26 (2011) 109–131 Barnes, Carl Lewis. The Art and Science of Embalming. Barnes School of Anatomy, Sanitary Science and Embalming, 1927. Randolph, Vance. Ozark Magic and Folklore. Dover Publications, 1964. Farrell, James J. Inventing the American Way of Death, 1830–1920. Temple University Press, 1980.