Bioengineered Pet
Are you looking for a new pet? How about a buddy? Maybe a new toy? Well look for no more, consider getting an adorable Genpet. “The Genpet is a Bioengineered Buddy and is available in 7 different personality types. Because of engineered DNA, engineered personalities, and engineered lifespan, each pet is unique in terms of personality (although they look the same).
Each package has a built in low cost heart monitor that is fully functional.
While the Genpets hang on the store shelves they are in a form of hibernation. Each Genpet package has a special nutrient feeding tube attached to it, supplying a specially formulated mix and keeping them healthy and asleep.
Restraining the pets in their packaging ensures no damage to the product, as well as allowing for optimal consumer viewing”
What do you think? Are you interested? Would you buy this pet? Are you itching for that new toy to play around with? Or are you offended and shocked at the cruelty of having a living thing in a plastic box?
Well now that you have formed your opinion (let’s hear it in the comments section), allow me to tell you that these pets are not real, however, you have accomplished the artist’s goal when he created this pet and marketed it for sale:
….We already package and strap down animals, pump them full of drugs, and hook various tubes into them. When we can take natural animals and legally label them ‘product’ and strip away all animal rights, why would a genetically modified organism with patented DNA made by a large corporation be given more rights? .
…and finally on people’s reaction: It disturbed me to see such a positive acceptance of Genpets by people who wanted to buy a genetic pet. There are of course people that get Genpets and what I am getting at, as well as those that “cried upon seeing them”. Overall though, Genpets.com has been swamped with emails from people wanting to buy a pre-packaged pet.”
Fascinated? I know I am. This is quite an amazing idea. I was shocked when I first saw this especially when you notice that the “pet’s” hands, legs and neck are restrained. Makes you think how far is too far?
Read more about the artist and his work: what, where, why and how.
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I want one!
Did you read the whole thing?
This is really cool. I want one too!
The thing is how can you look at something that is man made and think of it as alive? The way I see it, it’s just another technology.
Furthermore, the analogy with animals doesn’t make sense to me; We package DEAD animals not living ones.
I don’t agree with the way animals are treated but they are nutritious so why not eat them?
Yes, i read it all… the thing is these things are so Hip…
it’s like tamagotshi…
http://teemix.aufeminin.com/blog/seeone_14236_531856//tamagotshi
I must admit it was a bit confusing at first, but as far as whether or not I would buy one, I think it is pretty clear that I wouldn’t, simply because I don’t see the use of having such a thing.
I think Kris and Nab have both ignored ur questions, that ultimately relate to animal rights and how far is too far.
Kris is trying to get a rise out of us but I think regardless of whether or not organisms are man-made or “God” created, they are still living beings.
As far as the nutritious thing goes, I think we’ve already established that its possible to get our recommended daily intake from other sources.
But back to the main point of this post, would it have made a difference if Genpet was really a bioengineered buddy? I don’t think so, it seems like most people have completely set aside morals when it comes to animals simply because they are weaker beings with the possibility of high exploitation.
Indeed, as the site points out, it is scary to see such a great demand for this sort of product, but why is that? Simply because a life’s value is that of its financial one. We are a generation that has been led to believe that everything and everyone around us is a commodity. Proof of that would be the way we
(ab)use nature, animals and workers.
“How far is too far?” Well this is too far! I understand what the artist is trying to convey, however I think the negative aspect is the desensitization of people to these sorts of things until they become reality. A rather somber one that most won’t even question.
i still want one :p
first off… sandra had written for me.. if you didnt notice the writing pattern… she is far superior then i. However, in defense of myself I feel the need to write and clarify my point of view.
1. My first impression… ugly ugly little beaties….
2. Interesting…it must be robotic with real fleshy thing
3. what was the designer thinking…
4. heart monitor.. im confused its alive… how is that possible
5. no way this is real…. ethically speaking the world isnt at all convinced yet that bioengieering is humane.
6. umm if its real… i want one… to poke and prod
7. sandra has just made a comparison between packaged meat (dead) and an engineered pet that never existed before. Also.. its asleep….. so what if its tied … the binding dont look too tight added to the fact that if its engineered to be in that package and has a life span… it cant possbily be alive in the same sense that we refer to things being alive. UNLESS of course …. humans have a designated life span of 1 or 5 years…. which it states on the web.
8. I dont think that its just nutriously good to eat meat.. i think that is one of the main concerns of vegetarians added… most vegetarians are horrible about their diet… aka .. bread and cheese for every meal hardly constituets as healthy. I think any extreme of any situation is bad… simply put.. would i want the meat industy to cut back on killing animals.. would i be willing to eat less…. probably….to cut it off completely .. nope not gonna happen.. i have yet to be completely convinced.
9. Lastly, i didnt ignore the ultimate question of animals rights.. i answered it… you guys just dont like the answer… also its a created animals.. i never brought GOD into it…. I think that we have been preconditioned to believe that bioengineered things (animals, people ) is just wrong… i dont necessarily support it.. i havent completely made up my mind, because its hard thing to put your fingers on. But something to think about, if we were never meant to create it.. how did we find the way to create it… for those who believe in GOD… if he/she has never meant for us to create bioengineered living things.. why did we evolve to gain the knowledge to do so. Granted… humanity has made bombs and guns and things that hurt other people and i hardly support the creation of those things. But bioengineering definately has its positive side… heart transplant…organs… etc. ultimately were talking about having the ability to control life …. scary stuff
10. I think this is a long enough post…….PARIS HERE I COME PARIS HERE I COME!!!! WOOHOOOO
Lastly.. i knew i had something else to say… i know that being a moderate is not seen as a good thing… I am a firm believer of knowing alot of facts before making up my mind…. i am still sketching on bioengineering…. i am still sketching on the relationship sandra had pointed out.. and so i honestly gave my first impressions… i think thats fair
For the record these pets do NOT exist, i.e they are not real. They are a work of art so to speak. The first link refers to a (made up) website that supposedly is marketing this product in order to test people’s reactions to it.
This “pet” deals with many issues, which is why I liked it a lot.
- It tackles the problem that is corporations (everything in quotes is from the artists’ website by the way) and what would happen if they jump on the bandwagon and start utilizing biotechnology for profit.
- It tackles morality and how we treat others, including animals. How we package animals (regardless of dead or not).
- The way that they are hanging on these shelves in a plastic box is meant to illustrate how we package animals and stick a label on them. We don’t even think about it anymore but it is quite eerie to have flesh ready and waiting for us to buy.
through the wonders of the net, I can see who links to me. I don’t usually comment, but I think you all brought up very good points about the genpets.
the comparison isn’t between ‘dead’ meat and alive naimals, it’s wholly on live animals. again ‘pet stores’ don’t sell dead aniamls. as for farm animals, again, it refers to BEFORE they arrive at the market, packed into tiny little cages and pumped full of drugs.
as for a designated life span, that’s nothing new. hamsters? they don’t ive 100yrs. and monsanto is now modifiying crop lifespans.
as for creating animals, in a loose ignorant sense, there’s nothign wrong with it, but look at what happens when a foreign speicies is introduced into the ecosystem. cane toad, here in toronto the long horned asian beetle, etc. it’s fucks shit up bad.
it has little to do with god/vs science and more to do with simple observational skills.
cheers
-Adam Brandejs
hmmm, hope that didn’t come off as rude, I just woke up….
You didnt come off as rude, and you made a very good point about introducing new species into the ecosystem… one i hadnt actually contemplated. Really interesting site though and Im sure one that will become even more relavent in the future. About the life span… yes.. a hamster does not live for a 100 years, but i daresay that a pet store owner will ask if you would like to purchase a hamster that lives for 1 year or one that lives for 5 years. What i meant by the lifespan is that … because we have been conditioned to believe that somethign that is alive generally doenst have a standard shelf life. Therein likes my reason as to why many would buy the genpet if it existed.. not because of a lack of humanity, but rather the inability to see it as something that is really “alive”. We have been conditioned
TO THOSE PEOPLE THAT REALLY WANT TO BUY A GENPET IF THEY
WOULD BE MAKE, WHAT DO YOU THINK IF WE PUT YOU ON
A PACKAGE AND SELL YOU IN EBAY? THAT WOULD BE COOL!
DON’T THINK?
I SUPPORT THE ARTIST’S IDEA.