The Agony and the Ecstasy

July 30, 2001 9:05 PM

The Agony and the Ecstasy It's a thin line between torture and titillation... these exhibits always get tremendous audience turn out. How many people have a little de sade within, I wonder?
posted by christina (11 comments total)

Good lord. When I seize power, and begin to murder most of the planet, you all need to keep this sort of thing in mind -- at least my minions are just shooting people, rather than using the, err, rectal/vaginal pear.

Thank your lucky stars. I know I do.
posted by aramaic at 9:13 PM on July 30, 2001

ow.
posted by moz at 9:56 PM on July 30, 2001

I don't know if that is a pseudonym or what, but I'm fairly certain Lady Katrina was my last girl friend.*



*Literally, my last. I'm switching to guys. I'm gonna start small and work my way up. I'm lookn' at you, Robert Reich.
posted by dong_resin at 11:13 PM on July 30, 2001

I always fancied slowly sawing somebody's nose off with a metal guitar string. ZZZZT zzzz ZZZT zzzz...
posted by obiwanwasabi at 12:28 AM on July 31, 2001

eyeball, meet razorblade...
posted by Opus Dark at 12:45 AM on July 31, 2001

> How many people have a little de sade within, I wonder?

I do. And I'm not letting the little bugger out. Make him suffer.
posted by pracowity at 4:52 AM on July 31, 2001

Okay, dumb question: The Agony and the Ecstasy?

Okay, so you probably weren't referring to Manowar...
posted by J. R. Hughto at 7:24 AM on July 31, 2001

I thought she was referring to Michelangelo.

I gotta say that personally I didn't find any of the devices mentioned the least bit titillating; torture is a true horror visited on far too many people in the world every day. As the article points out, some of these devices are still being used in some countries.
posted by briank at 7:33 AM on July 31, 2001

I . . . I guess I'll skip breakfast.

Torture (tor-chur) n. 1. a form of sensual bliss that precedes or deposes sexual release. -- Lady Katrina

Spoken like someone who (I must suppose) has never been actually tortured. This quip is just a little too "I'm-ever-so-artsy" for me.
posted by Skot at 7:40 AM on July 31, 2001

I saw this exhibit in San Diego last summer, and really enjoyed it (though I wouldn't say I was 'tittilated')

One of the neatest touches was the creators included the modern American electric chair, right beside the Iron Maiden. :)
posted by Dirjy at 10:42 AM on July 31, 2001

Leave it to Hughto to bring up Man-O-War.
posted by fred wilhelm at 1:31 PM on July 31, 2001