Monday, January 7, 2013

'Best Funeral Ever': Audition, Train 'Professional Mourners

There are a lot of ways to honor the dead, and the Golden Gate Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas, specializes in some of the more outrageous ones. From a barbecue-themed funeral to a trip with ashes on a roller coast, "Best Funeral Ever" spotlights the ways in which loved ones honor those recently passed.


But perhaps the most bizarre thing spotlighted is the inclusion of "professional mourners." These are people who audition and are training to bring the most "authentic" mourning experience to the funeral service, even if they know no one there.


The TLC special took viewers behind-the-scenes to see the audition process, as well as a "class" during which funeral director John Beckwith Jr. makes sure these are the best of the best.


"Earn your money! Bite your lip, one more time. That’s it. That’s what I’m looking for!" he told one woman. To another, he said, "Don’t give up. Keep going. It’s a two-hour funeral, we gotta keep it going."


The Hollywood Reporter found these "pros" a little bizarre, while The New York Daily News wrote that they were less comfortable watching this portion of the special.


TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.


No comments:

Post a Comment