thegooddeath

Who's ready to be cryogenically frozen? Huh? Anyone?

I can't believe I've never done a video on this topic before!  It's highly requested, but maybe I was worried about the life extension bros making a huge deal out of it?  (Trust me. They will. They're coming.)

I don't talk about Walk Disney because, fun fact, he was cremated, NOT frozen.  I also don't go into the scandals that have plagued cryonics since its inception.  I focus on where the technology is now, and will let you decide for yourselves.

Sure, I'm personall...

Aokigahara, Sans Sensationalism

Yikes, I should have posted this for you this morning, but was pulled away to a day of meetings. We've never been a channel that comments on the news of the day, and to be fair, the Aokigahara/ *cough* Logan Paul *cough* incident is a few weeks old. But, I still think it's worth while breaking down what the forest is, why it's a beautiful landmark with a somewhat bad reputation, where that rep comes from, and what's being done about it in Japan. 

Special thanks (as always!) for the help o...

Ancient Aliens! Cadaver Factories!

If you don't know me, this video seems kind of like a whole slate of other videos on YouTube about aliens, conspiracy theories, etc.

But!  That's not how we do things here.  We bring the research! We bring the cultural commentary!  We bring the basic white girl voice!

This is the kind of video that YouTube has no idea what to do with.  Is it bad? It's about corpses?  Should we demonetize and ban it?  "Death education" is a category their algorithm can't conc...

What happened to the Franklin Expedition?

This video is far from a "behind the scenes of the funeral industry," where my channel started, but I'm so happy you all are willing to go down these morbid rabbit holes with me!

My favorite nonfiction reading (favorite reading period, really) has always been the man faces death (and often loses) in extreme conditions. That's why I love Everest, the Amazon, the open sea, and now, the Arctic. There's something about facing death head on, the ego you need, the desire to conquer, and how some tri...

It's 2018! Let's make a DEATH PLAN.

Well, I may already be failing at several of my resolutions this year– but one you cannot fail at is MAKING A DEATH PLAN. You'll feel great and it isn't even a ongoing thing, like weight loss or meditation!  Bonus!

Don't forget that the book club is happening over at the Deathling Den: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheDeathlingDen/

We're reading "Being Mortal" by Atul Gawande. Major thanks t...

FINAL VIDEO OF THE YEAR

WE DID IT.  YEAR OF CONTENT.  VIDEO EVERY WEEK. NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY.

Ok, I get it, a video a week seems like the bare minimum for a lot of creators, but trust me, I used to think of a video a week as a completely insurmountable barrier. But with a good team and your support? Look at us now!

The goal with the videos is to get people talking about death, learning, changing preconceived notions, pushing boundaries.  2017 is the year where I feel like that goal was actua...

Final ICONIC CORPSE of the Year!

NOT the final video of the year (oh no no no, deathlings) but it is our final iconic corpse of the year. 

Someone on YouTube just suggested a set of iconic corpse dolls.  Listen, I'm not saying that's an ethically great plan, but how adorable would little plush or chibi versions of all the hit corpses be? We can just dream. 

In this video, we talk about the tragic life, and  (somewhat) happy ending for the body of performer Julia Pastrana. A ton of Order of the Good D...

ECO-DEATH TAKEOVER is here!

At last our precious green death baby has slithered into the world, ready for her moment!

There was a steep learning curve here (plus a ton of research and travel), but we're proud of our first effort at a longer, more intricately produced video, and we're excited to discover ways to push things even further.

Before we go any further, other important news: PATREON REVERSED their decision to add new charges. Full reversal. I appreciate you sticking with me while Patreon heard us out and c...

Burial Shrouds and Patreon Fees (a common combination)

Hello deathlings, 

You may have heard rumblings round the interweb that Patreon as a company is planning to introduce new processing fees on the people who pledge and donate.  The fees may seem to be on the smaller side ($.39 or so) but the amount is still too much, especially for all the kind people who are donating $1. As you might imagine, creators like myself are livid about this. There wasn't any transparency or warning from Patreon, and it seems fair to say they made a mistake ...

New Video & New Rewards!

A highly requested video on what happens to the dead after a natural disaster.  Not the most fun video, exactly, but with everything that's been happening around the world, I think an especially relevant and interesting topic. Thanks to one of our patrons Maria in Puerto Rico who got me started thinking about this, especially the uncounted dead after the hurricane.

Awkward transition from a very serious topic to, well.... patron rewards.  Uuumm, woo?

Anyway, if you look on the ...

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS (& a brand new video!)

Morning deathlings!

Presenting a new video on the history and meaning of gravestone emojis (ok, the technical term is not emojis).  What do you want on your tombstone?

Now, to the announcements!  

I'll announce these to the general public sometime next month, but I want my patrons to be the first to know.

1) YEAR OF CONTENT:  As you know, 2017 is winding up.  That means I'll no longer be producing a video a week...

....KIDDING. ...

Famous Corpse Penis? (Yes, really.)

Good mourning, deathlings!

I should have posted this yesterday, but the day got away from me. Which is a shame, because you deserve the BREAKING CORPSE PHALLUS NEWS.

After the heavy story of La David Johnson's widow's fight to see his body that I discussed on Ask a Mortician last week, it seemed like time to dive back into our weird and wonderful death history.  Plus, dismembered members.  Don't say I never do anything fun on this channel.

Next week I have two (actually, ...

Ask a Mortician: Can they keep me from my dead?

Hello corpsey muffins!

(This is my new term of endearment, though it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, does it?)

This is an older style Ask a Mortician with a series of questions about life in a funeral home.  Though to be fair I give the most weight to a question about family's being kept from their dead. Is it legal?  Spoiler: no.

Look for big changes in my reward levels and what I offer soon, I learned a ton about what is possible at the Patreon conference and I am ...

Iconic Corpse- The Strange Head of Jeremy Bentham

I'm BACK deathlings.  It's been but a single a day but I've missed you so.

This particular video has been very requested by you, the iconic corpse enthusiast.  And we are nothing if not open to requests here at the ol' death shoppe. 

Since I'm off to the Patreon conference today, let's talk about what you'd like to get out of Patreon.  More of a community vibe?  Extra videos only for you? Livestreams?  What could the 2018 death experience be for you?!

...

Hanging out in Cemeteries (a patron Q&A!)

Greetings deathlings!

I shot this Q&A last week, before I left for my last leg of the book tour. Thank you to everyone who came to see me on tour, it was amazing to meet you.  I loved when people came up in the line and said "I'm a patron." It was like meeting an old friend!

I'm hanging out on the couch watching Stranger Things today (trying to relax...trying) but tomorrow I'll be attending the Patreon conference in downtown LA.  I think only 100 creator-types ar...

Salem Witch Trials (With Live Footage!)

Wait, that title makes it sound like I have live footage of the witch trials. Uuumm, those were in 1692.  So, I don't.  But I DO have footage from around Salem and the recently discovered location of the infamous hangings of the "witches."

This story combines history and a modern mystery and investigation. It's fascinating to me how something so important could be lost to history- until now.

I want to mention that this video is sponsored by YOU.  I decided to make my "goal...

So many ways to decay!

I get a ton of specific questions about bodies: "If my dad was dropped in the ocean and he was 200 pounds and there were sharks but not TOO many sharks and this was one week ago, what would he look like now?"

Aww geez, I dunno!  There are SO many factors!  But, we can make some cool generalizations about what a corpse would do in a humid forest, a desert, a cold ocean, etc.  And that's what we're talking about today.  I love decay, so I love this episode. 

I'm zi...

GHOST Marriage

Hello deathlings, happy Friday the 13th!

I was not gone last week, but my book came out and my video was a book trailer (https://youtu.be/Mp5R7wjb-Vc).  I may not have outsold most of the people I mentioned in the video– damn you Bill O'Reilly and Hillary Clinton!– but I did enter the New York Times bestseller list at #9! Thank you all! I hope those of you who got the book are enjoying it.  

<...

New ICONIC CORPSE

At last, and episode on England's iconic Lady Di!

Oh....that's not what this episode is?

I see, Lady DDAAAAIII– perfectly preserved diva of ancient China.

Hope you enjoy learning about her deathlings.

I'm about to leave for tour for my NEW BOOK (if you haven't ordered a copy pretty pretty please- http://amzn.to/2wofRxv - alongside Patreon it's the best way to support our efforts!)

But, I promise that no ma...

Can I be MUMMIFIED?

It's the question on everyone's mind– DON'T SAY YOU WEREN'T THINKING IT. Is mummification for you?  Too cost prohibitive?  Not enough rot for me, frankly.

By the way, I didn't post this here, but I uploaded an extra video this week, a short vlog about burying my dear friend's cat.  Give it a watch if you haven't already: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15tQPaKpEHI

I'm about to go on book ...

The Video Where I Reveal My DEATH FEAR

Sure, I seem so comfy with death.  Match me with any corpse, anywhere, and I'll do my job.  But what if I told you it was all a lie?  What if I told you there was one type of corpse I simply cannot abide!  That corpse, my friends, is the dreaded underwater cave diver corpse.  Bum bum BBBUUUMM.

What is your least favorite corpse?  You answer might be all corpses, and that's ok, we'll keep working on it. 

Also, I'll be doing a book Q&A soon, I'll pull...

PATRON ONLY: Get Ready With Me & Chat Death

This is why you're a patron, deathlings!  This high-quality patron only content.

Ok, maybe "high quality" is too strong of a description.

But it is just for you, and it is casual and experimenty (for me at least). I'm getting ready, puttin' some makeup on to make a video, and answering your questions!

Gearing up for book tour, super busy, but feeling #2blessed2bestressed with all your support  ;)

Yours in death, 

Caitlin

The Trial of the Corpse Pope!

Patreon prompts you to write in the this box with: "Now this is a story all about how..."

Haha Patreon, I don't think you know what you're prompting here. This is a story all about how popes were dying left and right and one particular pope with a grudge had a dead pope exhumed, dressed up, and put on trial.  And that's just the start of it!  The Middle Ages truly were magic!

I hope you're taking care of yourselves out there. The world is so scary at the moment, maybe this vide...

ICONIC CORPSE: Vladimir Lenin

Perhaps the most famous corpse of all. 

For a man that never wanted to be preserved, Lenin is going strong 93 years later.  Or, as you'll learn, 23% of the original him is still going strong.

What are the ethics here? I don't go into this much in the video (it's already 10 minutes!) but if someone didn't want to be preserved, didn't want to be an icon, is it really fair to keep them on public display for almost a century?  There are people who say, "bury him already!" Are ...

An Eclipse Ask a Mortician! (& name my deer)

Hello my deathlings, 

I was really hoping the world would descend into a nihilistic darkness during the eclipse, and I would speak on profound things.  Alas, the eclipse didn't make much of a dent in Southern California.  But I still hung out and answered your questions OH YES I DID.

We talk death stains, we talk bras, we talk unembalmed viewings!  We name my taxidermied deer!  

We're working on our episodes for next month, there are going to be some nitty ...

My Wake Up Good Morning MOURNING Routine

There is nothing I love more than a beauty or lifestyle guru sharing their glamorized morning routine with me.  So I decided to show you the life of a mortician in the morning which may be....slightly different.

This video took forever to film since it was such a different style for me, but I have to say it's been very fun to have the freedom to experiment in the YEAR OF CONTENT.

Speaking of, the time has come to send me your death and fun death questions for an eclipse Q&A (yes...

The Death Mask Episode!

The long requested death mask video is here at last. DROP EVERYTHING.

What are your thoughts on the death mask revival? I want a wall of death masks of everyone I know. I guess they would technically be life masks if I made them now, unless all my friends are dead... which knowing meeeeee....

Happy dog days of summer Year of Content, my friends, 

Caitlin

First time Vlogging! Let's see some Cadaver Tombs.

As you may recall, there was a moment two videos back where I told you I was fighting potential DISASTER.  This was right when I had gone to the cathedral and been DENIED entry to the precious cadaver tombs.  But I believed in the power of my dreams and got back in there and the vlog was saved!

Vlogging is a total experiment. (Maybe I shouldn't even use the word vlog.) There are definitely some things I wish I had done differently, and I was surprised how hard it was. Those professio...

It's time for some AMERICAN MUMMIES.

Well, there's debate in the comments over who REALLY invented the internet (which is peak internet, to be honest) but let's focus on the real heroes here, the AMERICAN MUMMIES.

"AMERICAN MUUMMIIIIEESSS!"

This is the perfect video to post now that I'm just back on American soil. And having stayed up late to watch our senators debate who deserves healthcare.  Sigh, I hope this video serves as a fun distraction from everything going on. Just remember, when things get hard and oppressiv...

NEW Ask a Mortician- Vintage Rapid Fire Style

Allo from jolly ol' Winchester, England!  It's weird to release a video at 7pm. "But the analytics!" (Oh, it's 11am in LA, got it.)

This is an older style of video, but I think it's when I'm the most me, the most ridiculous. You'll uuummm, see what I mean.

I filmed a special video today but something went horribly wrong!  Can I save it?  We'll know tomorrow. I must go on a hero's journey. These are the times that try men's souls. 

Thanks deathlings! 2017-07-21 19:13:04 +0000 UTC View Post