You've boggled at Realdoll (yes, who would pay US $15,000 for what is basically a masturbation aid?) but the internet, that wonderful tool for bringing us into contact with things that make us wish we could scrub our brains out with dental floss, isn't through yet: these people will happily sell you an artificial corpse:
Each corpse is Hand-Made to your specifications. The Corpses For Sale page contains the variations that you can choose to make your corpse unique from all others. You can choose the Hair Color, Skin Color and the approximate Degree Of Decay. If you have any special request please E-mail me or note them on the order form and I will see that they are incorporated in the construction or notify you if it is not possible.(I notice that the options on the "order your corpse" page do not include "orifices — firm or squishy" so we're safe from necrophiliacs for the time being.)
Meanwhile, on a more serious note, The Observer says that up to 55% of death certificates filed in the UK are inaccurate or incomplete.
I can see a few reasons for an artificial corpse, the Internet is notorious for connecting minority interests--how many TV shows have there been about pathologists, all needing realistic fake corpses?
I do recall seeing a TV documentary which had some reporting on Realdoll: at least it looks like the advertising pictures, and not some painted balloon. Which maybe makes it even creepier.
On the topic of RealDolls:
http://realhamster.com/
That male RealDoll looks an awful lot like Tony Blair, don't you think? When's Dubya's birthday?
I think there was a thing in the news a few weeks back about an organ supply company that lifted some organs from the corpse of a somewhat well known TV show host in the UK.
Can anyone remember the name of the documentary about RealDolls and if this was a UK doc? What channel was it on?
Rachel: It was probably "Surplus" , a swedish documentary.
Official website: http://www.atmo.se/?pageID=4&articleID=382