Status: Unusual false body part
I seem to have been posting a lot about goldfish, with recent posts having included items about
blind goldfish,
trained goldfish,
forgetful goldfish, and
swallowed goldfish. So when I came across
this story about goldfish used as fake breasts, I knew I had to post it:
FISH have feelings, too, according to the folks at PETA, who are taking aim at writer Josh Kilmer-Purcell. The author, whose best-selling memoir, "I Am Not Myself These Days," chronicles his double life as an ad exec-cum-drag performer, was put on notice last week by the animal-rights group's "Fish Empathy Project" for alleged cruelty to goldfish. As his whip-cracking alter-ego, Aquadisiac, Kilmer-Purcell donned a pair of clear plastic breasts filled with live goldfish. Says PETA: "It would be, for you, like living in a covered bathtub that's constantly moving, tossing you around as you defecate in it. It's filthy, painful and terrifying for these animals."
When PETA puts it that way, it kind of reminds me of how I felt once back in college when I had a particularly bad hangover (minus the defecating part). But seriously, it does seem unnecessary for Kilmer-Purcell to use real goldfish in his fake breasts. He could substitute plastic fish for the real ones, and most people would probably never know the difference. (Here's
an article about Kilmer-Purcell in the Fairfield County Weekly, where I found the picture of him as Aquadisiac.)
I seem to have been posting a lot about goldfish, with recent posts having included items about blind goldfish, trained goldfish, forgetful goldfish, and swallowed goldfish. So when I came across this story about goldfish used as fake breasts, I knew I had to post it:
Comments
A NORWEGIAN marine biologist, investigating fishermen's reports of cod vomiting in rough weather, has concluded that fish can be seasick in their own element. Researcher Erlend Moksness, of the Floedevigen marine institute,based his conclusion, in part, on personal observation of signs of seasickness from fish during transport, the Oslo newspaper Aftenposten reported yesterday. He said he saw fish vomiting in the choppy water of their transport tanks, a disturbance caused by rough handling procedures. Three small bones in the ear help fish find their bearings, and if these are disturbed the creatures can become disoriented and sick to the stomach.
How big are the fake breasts/fish bowls?
How big are the fish he puts in them?
Is there any air in there?
How long does he leave the fish in the falsies, and where does he keep them when he's not playing dress-up?
Does he just walk around with the fish strapped to his chest, or does he turn summersaults or do something else that would shake up the aquariums?
What's the water temperature in there?