However, Forbes magazine got a real scoop: The Russian government was going to sell off Vladimir Ilich Ulanov's (Lenin's) embalmed body. In the true capitalist spirit, they were having a Going Out of Business Sale and asking a cool $15,000,000! Well, in rubles. Of course, it was in good condition, reflecting the finest in Soviet mortuary science. The original report did not specify if it would be delivered, or should be carried out by the happy customer.
This story was picked up by other news sources, such as USA Today, ABC's World News Tonight, the Associated Press, and others. This was an indication of the extent to which things had utterly changed.
The following day, Peter Jennings followed up the original sensational story with an update disclaiming the earlier reports: they were a hoax. Lenin was not for sale. It is not known whether there was any discussion of the possibility of him being rented for the weekend at any time.
The Old Boy still lies in state in Moscow, but with no price tag on his big toe.
7 comments:
What does someone do with an embalmed stiff?
I'm surprised that big league journalists were taken in by such a weird story. It must have come up when most of the fact-checkers were on vacation.
In answer to Anonymous's question, you would get them out every year and dress them up in new clothes.
ha ha.
(yes, the whistlers broke the birdbath bowl by too many perching on one side of it.)
Party rental?
Aloha
Lenin was a real party animal; so renting him for a party or Halloween would be a natural.
Best haunted house ever!
What's the going price for old dictators' bodies? How did they come up with 15 million?
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