wax that ass

April 4, 2007 11:32 AM

History, horrors, leaders, literary figures, lots of pop stars and inevitably, the Last Supper. Don't let the international conglomerate fool you, wax museums are still weird. Case in point: beware the dangers of drugs in wax! And if you can't make it to Russia, you can always check out the Russian Imperial court, in Texas! (Oops, bye bye Czar Nicholas!) My personal favorite of the genre is Great Blacks in Wax, and I'm not the only one who likes wax museums. The medium has inspired poetry, films and photography. Check out the previous threads on the subject, (but alas, it's too late to buy the Country Music Wax Museum of the Stars.)
posted by serazin (15 comments total)

I apologize for that title. I really had it there as a placeholder and forgot about it. Imagine is says "Fire at the Wax Museum" or "Waxing on" or something that's actually funny.
posted by serazin at 11:43 AM on April 4, 2007

How to make a wax sculpture.

Wax sculptures creep me out, so I decided to only click one of your many links. Unfortunately, I clicked "dangers of drugs in wax." I understand the educational bent of this installation, but jebus!
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 11:50 AM on April 4, 2007

I click on this from the RSS feed, hoping for a solution for my follicularly endowed buttocks.
posted by eurasian at 11:53 AM on April 4, 2007

I find wax museums much less creepy than Body Worlds.
posted by mkb at 11:55 AM on April 4, 2007

I find Body Worlds much less creepy than wax museums - either the likenesses are so well done it gets all Uncanny Valley, or the resemblances are so off that it throws up some sort of cognitive dissonance, like seeing someone you know after they've had a lot of plastic surgery.

Oh, and "In Imperial Russia...".
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:03 PM on April 4, 2007

My cousin does waz models for Tussauds'. It's a great and interesting business he says. He also did the mummy warriors who attacked Brendan Fraser in The Mummy and its sequel.
posted by parmanparman at 12:34 PM on April 4, 2007

Fun post! At a conference I met an educator from Great Blacks in Wax, and as silly as the name sounds, it seems as though they do some really awesome exhibitry and programming. Glad they can take an old concept and use it to create compelling new experiences.
posted by Miko at 12:38 PM on April 4, 2007

This is a cool post. Thanks a lot!
posted by dios at 12:41 PM on April 4, 2007

This post rocks on many levels. :)

But, I'm confused... what does an AIDS-riddled wax Freddie Mercury have to do with the dangers of drugs? ('Cuz I'm thinking... nothing?)
posted by miss lynnster at 1:05 PM on April 4, 2007

I just realized something! I don't ever need to have kids after all! For less money than it would've cost for all of those pesky doctors & hospitals & college funds, people can just coo over my silicone/wax baby!

I love discovering efficient timesavers. Wooo hooo!
posted by miss lynnster at 1:12 PM on April 4, 2007

I love wax museums. The highlight of our trip to Niagra Falls this fall was introducing my 16 year old stepson to the wonder that is Guy Tussaud's. He quickly got into the spirit.
posted by Biblio at 1:38 PM on April 4, 2007

Uncanny valley, or just freakin' Weirdsville?
posted by kimota at 1:54 PM on April 4, 2007

Biblio, you realize of course that your stepson can now never be president.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 2:16 PM on April 4, 2007

It's ok, he's Jewish. He's posing ironically.
posted by Biblio at 3:17 PM on April 4, 2007

The Plymouth National Wax Museum.

Spent a few hours there during a teenage summer and it made an indelible impression on my soul. Something about the pilgrim child with at least two distinct elbows on one arm set a fire in my brain that has yet to be quenched.

And, yeah, seeing the Last Supper in wax at the Hollywood wax museum was pretty special too. Best first date ever.
posted by crinklebat at 4:46 PM on April 4, 2007