thegooddeath

New Patron-ONLY Ask a Mortician

We got questions about decomposition! We got questions about pre-paid funerals!  We got questions about mortician self-care!

All from the mouths (and keyboards) of you, my beloved patrons.

I'll be in England for a conference this week, but still releasing a new Ask a Mortician on Friday. It's a TWO Ask a Mortician week. OH HAPPY DAY.

Talk soon, deathlings, 

Caitlin

The Frozen Bodies of Everest

Have we talked before about how much I love the dead bodies on Everest?  I LOVE THE DEAD BODIES ON EVEREST. I'm not happy that people have died, of course, but every person who comes anywhere near Everest has to know that their untimely death is a very real possibility. How could they not, given they have to climb over the frozen bodies of fellow climbers to reach the summit.

As I say at the end of the video, if you have any good nonfiction recommendations on books of documentaries on mou...

AT LAST, our iconic little Rosalia Lombardo!

A new video on our most requested ICONIC CORPSE– the sweet, young, and (possibly haunted) Rosalia Lombardo.  You wanted to learn about her, and we got you, deathlings!  Any requests for our next Iconic Corpse?

Also: I'm still thinking I'd like to dabble in live(dead)streaming, but my cautious mind is telling me to also get some questions for your Patreon Q&A.  Put them in the comments! I am an open death book.

Happy Friday, stay cool out there,

Caitl...

NEW Ask a Mortician and Livestreaming!?

First of all, a new Ask a Mortician!  Corpses on a plane (and how to travel while dead).  Has anyone ever died on a plane you were on?  Almost died?  Came back to life and drunk a complimentary wine cooler?

Also, Patreon has selected ME (don't get too excited, I think this was a random selection) to beta test a new Patreon livestream service.  People have asked about livestream in the past, but I've been intimidated by it.  But if it could start small, just chatti...

Reacting to my first EVER video

It's been SIX YEARS since my first YouTube video, and I decided to resurrect the dead by going back and watching my initial offering to the world. It's not as bad– and just as bad– as you might think.

In all sincerity, I would put my channel on the timeline of pre-patreon and post-patreon.  The opportunity you've all given me to expand, and create the YEAR OF CONTENT has been amazing.  We have some good topics coming this summer, and we're hard at work on the documentary.

S...

NEW VIDEO on donating your skin for face transplants and human leather!

Today we dive into all the more modern uses for human skin (postmortem and otherwise). 

We're not talking books bound in skin, oh no, we're talking high tech skin grafts and the future of human leather production.

In other news: did you know there was a very active movement to prevent circumcision in boys?  I didn't until today!  But man, youtube commenters are letting me know. Just so we're clear, I am not advocating for either side, just giving some facts on what foreski...

It's HERE: Make Mormon Funeral Potatoes With Me!

Long running is our obsession with Mormon Funeral Potatoes here on Patreon.  I've received not one, but TWO, Salt Lake City Olympics funeral potato pins in the mail.  And now, the time has come.  The time for me to make the famed potatoes.

Spoiler: the tray is now gone... and I am 12 pounds heavier.

Here is the recipe I used so you can follow along: http://cookbookconf...

New Ask a Mortician- Why Don't Mausoleums Stink?

Ah mausoleums– those endless walls of marble, stained glass, and corpses.  Wait, walls of corpses?  Why doesn't that smell of decay?  Well STAY TUNED to find out.

This question comes from your fellow patron, Jennifer. Anyone can ask a question of course, but honestly Patreon is where I'm most active, and most likely to see your question. So if you have an idea for an episode, write it in the comments. It's probably the quickest way to make it happen!

Thank you for your s...

Standing up to Big Corporate Funeral!

This is a slightly different video than I normally do, but I was so excited to tell this story.  A deathling, just like you, standing up to the largest funeral corporation in Canada for their deceptive practices and (spoiler) winning!

I hope her story is an inspiration, because there is nothing I love more than consumers knowing their rights around funerals.  You don't want embalming, or the $2000 cremation casket- you don't need it, folks!

Have any of you had bad experiences i...

Eva Perón's Bonkers Postmortem Journey

What's that? You want a nine minute video on the mega bizarre postmortem journey of Eva Perón? Plus singing? 

Thank you for 1000 of you patrons (which is what triggered this Iconic Corpse series!). 

Do you have any favorites you'd like to see?  I see comments so far for Lenin, Rosalia Lombardo, Pablo Neruda, Otzi the Iceman. Diverse group of contenders. Your thoughts?

Special shout out to Alysa Ronda, my first credits call out in the video (do I need a fun name for ...

Human Skulls as Drinking Cups?!

#BehindTheVideo

This was a strange episode to film deathlings. For some reason I was in SUCH a bad mood, I couldn't get anything right to save my life, there was a stray hair (you'll see it), the list goes on and on.

I understand the most first world problem ever is "my YouTube video shoot went badly."  That and "Starbucks ran out of the Unicorn Frapp WHAT THE HELL?!"

Last year I would have just scrapped the whole video. But because it's the YEAR OF CONTENT I soldiered on,...

Why Is Caitlin SO MEAN to Embalming?!

Why can't I do my thing?  Stay in my lane? Promote my little natural burial project?  

WHY CAN'T I DO ALL THAT WITHOUT BEING MEAN TO EMBALMING?

I answer that question in today's video.  Warning: sometimes your mortician gets a little ranty.

What do my belov'd patrons think?

x

Caitlin

Is the Bride a Corpse or Mannequin?

You're a blushing bride to be, trying on dresses for the most special day of your life.  Suddenly, you feel as if you're being watched. Eyes seem to follow you as you move across the room.  But the only other "person" there is a window mannequin.  How could that be?

Well, if you're in Chihuhua, Mexico, it could be your mannequin is La Pascualita, the actual preserved corpse of the bridal shop owner's daughter.

You asked for her, and here she is!  Addressing the legend...

Potatoes and Burial Vaults! (Your Patreon Q&A)

Allo Patrons, 

All you new patrons get to experience the wonder that is me awkwardly chatting to the camera.  It's like we're having coffee together, where I would be just as awkward.  THIS IS THE REAL ME.  

Thank you for your support, we've already begun evil scheming on this summer's doc!

Leave me questions below for the next Q&A, deathy poos.

xx 

Caitlin

Would your cat or dog eat your corpse?

Ah, deathlings.  In this episode we must ask ourselves that age old question: would my cat eat me the second I dropped dead?

I just posted this to YouTube and one of the first comments was something like "as for the single lady gets eaten by her cats trope.... I prefer the term independent women who recycle."  INDEPENDENT WOMEN WHO RECYCLE.  *smirk*

Hold your fluffy friend close and you learn the truths of postmortem predation.

And as always, thank you for your suppo...

New Ask a Mortician & Welcome New Patrons!

Deathlings, 

First of all, hello, hi, new video today (honestly this is one of my favorites in awhile).

Second, welcome new patrons!  We are so happy to have you in the patreon DEATH family and I'm proud to report that we have reached our patron goal lickety-split.  You are the best, I die.  The documentary is happening!  Now that there is so much support I'm inspired to think of additional exciting new things we can produce in the coming months.

I'll be fi...

Reading and Reacting to TED Talk Comments

Hello mein deathy-poos!

As you may know, I did a TED Talk this past December– here's a link if you haven't seen it: http://ow.ly/pq5i30aRCv1

Year of Content!

In this video I react to such comments as "burial is not your original idea!" and "you've lost weight!"  (spoiler: "no it isn't" and "no I haven't" are the replies to those).

I have to say, when I first started YouTube I was SO sensitive to negative ...

Tomb Sweeping Day!

I bet you woke up this morning thinking, "today is special, by damn.... but why.... WHY?"  Well my friends, it's Tomb Sweeping Day in China!

I love a good death engaged national holiday.  Especially when there is a juicy (poor choice of words) cannibalism legend to go along with it.

Are there more international death celebrations like this that you enjoy?

xx

Caitlin

ps- YEAR OF CONTENT.

The Most Notorious Crematory Scandal of All Time

As I said in this video, I *knew* what happened at TriState Crematory in Georgia, but as opposed to exaggerating this disaster of the past in my mind, I had downplayed how bad it really was.

Let's dig through the facts, and try to discover how such a thing could have happened.

Also, if you didn't catch the post, there is a brand new Q&A for you Patrons I just posted a few days ago.  Check it out and submit a question!

Happy weekend deathlings. xx

Caitlin

Our Second Patron Q&A!

Here we go, my deathlings!

Why the picture here  is so fuzzy, I do not know. It adds to that lo-fi intimate feel of our Patreon convos, I guess?

Keep sending in your questions!

xx

Caitlin

DI(on)Y Mummification

Hello deathlings!

This video has been a long time coming.  I know you like a good mix between fun videos (like last week's lead makeup tutorial) and denser, info-heavy videos.  This video is dense, but each bit of info is more "oh shit, really?!" than the last.  Welcome to the obscure and ancient practice of self-mummification by devoted monks.

Stay tuned for a little something extra next week. I can't tell you what it is (*cough* it's a Patreon Q&A video *cough*) but ...

When Makeup KILLED (and a fun tutorial for spring!)

I'll admit it, I love a good YouTube makeup tutorial.  I don't USE any of the tips (as my sticking to one basic makeup look can attest) but I like them all the same.  

So when my video researcher Louise suggested we look into the use of toxic lead based makeup in the 16th century, I was like "OH MY GAWD CAN WE MAKE IT A MAKEUP TUTORIAL!?"  And here is the final result.

I know this is a little different than what I normally do, but I hope you like it.  It's the YEAR OF...

My Big Announcement!

Hello deathlings, 

If you haven't heard, someone (it's me) has a NEW BOOK coming out this year.  I told you it was the year of content!  You were thinking "maaayybbeee she'll keep this up though February..." NO!  A YEAR.  WHOLE YEAR OF CONTENT.

I'd love it if you watched my little book trailer above.  Not charging you belov'd patrons donations for this video of course, just sharing.  Regularly scheduled videos back next week. 

Thanks guys, I ...

Hey! Why Are You Afraid of Death?

Allo deathly dumplings!  

It is I, the conductor of the Year of Content train.

I've been thinking about this question for awhile- how do you face down you death fears if they seem overwhelming and scary?  This video is about that very question, and how to get started tackling those fears.

Tell me what your number is below (this will make sense when you watch the video).

xx

Mistress Caitlin, Duchess of Deathshire

Ground Up Skulls & Executed Corpse Blood

No, it's not a metal album we're talking about here– it's a new Morbid Minute.  Today we're discussing the ways we once used corpses as medicine, for everything from epilepsy to the plague.  I even do a little cooking portion (for those of you who watched my Patreon Q&A, no, it's not Mormon funeral potatoes).

Can you believe February is almost over?  YEAR OF CONTENT.

xx deathlings

Caitlin

Our First Patreon Ask a Mortician!

Hey all!  I hope you enjoy this chit chat video (it sounds like I said shit chat in the video.... I didn't.... but sort of?)– just for you guys.

If you enjoyed it, leave some questions for the next video in the comments below (in Patreon, not on the video).

Thanks deathlings, we'll see how this ggoooeeesss  xx

Caitlin

Do Crows Have Funerals?

Hello Deathy-poos!

The Year of Content continues with animal death and grief. Do the winged harbingers of DEATH (crows) have funerals for their fallen bretheren? Click to find out more.

Let me just say, the photoshop is off the hook in this episode. Your Patreon donations are going to good use is what I'm saying ;)

February is going by so quickly, but I plan on recording the Q&A at the same time I film my next episode early next week.  

xx

Caitlin 2017-02-16 23:11:39 +0000 UTC View Post

Your BURNING questions about cremation!

🔥 NEW ASK A MORTICIAN! 🔥

As tradtional as an Ask a Mortician gets- except now I'm responding to comments at the end of the video.  Three more minutes of my bizarre self. 

Do you like the comments at the end?

As for your patron-only treats for the rest of February, we've got a new blooper reel coming early next week and I plan on filming your private Ask a Mortician (Chat with a Mortician?) to send out the week after. Thanks for the great questions, by the way! &...

The Future of Funeral Homes? + Private Patreon Ask a Mortician

Patrons!  My dear loves!

My first  video offering in February is one for the funeral home enthusiasts and  geeks out there.

My friend Jeff spent the weekend helping me whip my funeral home  into shape, and we realize there are really so many things we've learned  that we think are about the hit the rest of the funeral industry big time. Are we correct?  YOU DECIDE.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Submit your questions in the comments for an excl...

4th Video this Month! Omg Omg Omg!

Allo deathlings, 

"What an interesting, complex, well researched video," you say. (Well, hopefully you say that.)  

That's because we've just brought on the brilliant writer Louise Hung to help me research and write on these type of morbid story videos.  Our tastes and ideas are totally in sync, and your donations allowed me to snag her!  Which means MORE VIDEOS.

I'm so happy you've allowed me to make 4 videos this month, I don't think I've EVER done that once i...