Celebrity Heads in Jars

[on:]

In Futurama we often see the heads of many, many current and past celebrities alive and preserved in little jars. The more I think about this, the less sense it makes. Sorry if this has been posted before, I couldn't find it.   

- How is the head alive without a heart to pump blood, or a breathing apparatus? But let's assume the liquid they are in provides all the nourishment;

- Then how can they still be alive and show no discomfort when taken out of the liquid?

- How can they speak and be heard normally through a liquid medium?

- In fact, how can they speak at all without lungs to pump the air and create the voice?

- How did Spiro Agnew's body growl, without a head?

- Where did they get the heads of historical figures like George Washington, who would have decomposed long before this technology was available?

- How did all the heads survive if the Earth was razed twice by aliens?

- Finally, if they have all these living 20th century people, why do they know so little about the past, as demonstrated by their idea of the moon landing, or their recreation of old New York in "The Lesser of Two Evils?"

Let me guess, wizard.   

[Reply #1 on:]

looks like someone doesn't realize that this is a cartoon

[Reply #2 on:]

Of course it's a cartoon, but it's still fun to think about these things. I didn't ask for a serious scientific explanation, just a creative one; sorry if that concept is foreign to you. If we always say 'it's just a cartoon', they might as well make it really goofy and stupid and nonsensical, like so many others. Part of the charm of Futurama is that everything makes some sort of sense, in their universe at least.

[Reply #3 on:]

I say that in the future, heads are completey different organisms from humans. The celebrity heads that you see are not the original heads of the celebrities. They are in fact clones of those celebrities genetically enhanced that are actually more fishlike than human. They breath through hidden gills that are hidden behind their ears (refferring to Waterworld). The reson that they can talk is because.....oh........hell, I don't know! I can't come up with an answer to everything! Or can I?

[Reply #4 on:]

Q:How did all the heads survive if the Earth was razed twice by aliens?
Q:Where did they get the heads of historical figures like George Washington, who would have decomposed long before this technology was available?
A: They are all dead and cloned.

Q:In fact, how can they speak at all without lungs to pump the air and create the voice?
A:The thing on the bottom of the head must act as lungs and a heart.

Q:Then how can they still be alive and show no discomfort when taken out of the liquid?
A: It probably is only used to preserve the heads.

Q:Finally, if they have all these living 20th century people, why do they know so little about the past, as demonstrated by their idea of the moon landing, or their recreation of old New York in "The Lesser of Two Evils?"
A: As to this, I have no idea...
Edit:
Q:How can they speak and be heard normally through a liquid medium?
A: The vocal cords could be attached to a machine which makes it sound normal.

[Reply #5 on:]

And a creative answer you shall get.

 

Originally posted by Slashco:
In Futurama we often see the heads of many, many current and past celebrities alive and preserved in little jars. The more I think about this, the less sense it makes. Sorry if this has been posted before, I couldn't find it.     

- How is the head alive without a heart to pump blood, or a breathing apparatus? But let's assume the liquid they are in provides all the nourishment;

The heads are fed several times every day. In the SP3K we see Nimoy gulp down what looks like flakes of fishfood. The band around the neck probably turn the food into nourishment units, and contain a pump for the blood as well. Nano-technology and all.
 

- Then how can they still be alive and show no discomfort when taken out of the liquid?

The liquid is there to protect the heads. They can live perfectly fine without. Since they have no limbs they're unable to shield themself from impacts, bumps, etc. Liquid slow down motions and probably help the heads to move with greater ease, due to the uplift.
 

- How can they speak and be heard normally through a liquid medium?

The same reason we can hear Bender talk in space.
 

- In fact, how can they speak at all without lungs to pump the air and create the voice?

Since their verbal cords are intact it's all a matter of creating a flow of air through the airpibe. Once more a small pump in the neckband can do the job.
 

- How did Spiro Agnew's body growl, without a head?

People can growl without using their mouth, try it, it's quite easy. As long as he has his verbal cords no problem. Since cancer patients today can speak even after major surgery in the larynx (including cutting out stuff), think what future technology can achieve.
 

- Where did they get the heads of historical figures like George Washington, who would have decomposed long before this technology was available?

Cloning. If they can bring back a T-Rex, how difficult would Washington, Jefferson and their chums be to recreate? We have plenty of DNA samples of famous people around.
 

- How did all the heads survive if the Earth was razed twice by aliens?

The way the rest of humanity survived. Hiding, fighting (well, maybe not that   ), licking boot. Plus cloning.
 

- Finally, if they have all these living 20th century people, why do they know so little about the past, as demonstrated by their idea of the moon landing, or their recreation of old New York in "The Lesser of Two Evils?"

Look at Nixon. The man is crazy, would you trust a guy after 1000 years in a fishjar? Plus the heads appear to be more of a curiosity, than actual participants in the society. 

Let me guess, wizard.     

::shoots the wizard::

[Reply #6 on:]

Heh, that whole head-in-a-jar idea is so fekkin brilliant. Not only is it an interesting technology, it's also completely weird and a great way to make fun of today's people a thousand years in the future. 
Oh and those questions I've asked myself before, but I came to the conclusion that I don't really care because it's just too brilliant, and a cartoon after all.   

[Reply #7 on:]

 

Cloning. If they can bring back a T-Rex, how difficult would Washington, Jefferson and their chums be to recreate? We have plenty of DNA samples of famous people around.

I've thought about this. But in that case, why just create the head and not the whole person? 

[Reply #8 on:]

The future is cheap. They probably wanted to save money.

Also, without a body the heads can't really do much in their defense...

[Reply #9 on:]

Also, as we found out from A Head in the Polls, with bodies, they would be people, and would have rights.  As just heads, they are not people, so no problems with inheritance, civil rights, etc.  They are just property.

As for the past, they are mostly from the stupid ages, so who would believe anything they said.  It could also be that head technology is rather new, and the future archeologist assume they got it all right, so they haven't asked the heads to critique them (and who wants to be told that they are wrong by a stupid head?). 

Then again, usually in these cases, I vote on the head of a wizard.

[Reply #10 on:]

mabey they were downloaded from nappster (notice the 2 p's)  and how can they have free napster in the future; it now costs money to use it and kazaa is better anyway?  or mabey lime wire- i think thats what it is-

[Reply #11 on:]

I thought (just now, in fact) that the reason the heads didn't know anything about past history was because they were "programmed" with what the "historians" of the time thought they should know when they were cloned.  Of course, that doesn't explain everything (like why Nimoy knows about the forbidden Star Trek, unless the head programmer was a closet trekkie...), but whatever.  It was just a thought. Or should I say "thought"? 

[Reply #12 on:]

And the talking through different mediums might be due to scientific advances much like how the speed of light was changed in 2820...  So the speed of sound could be changed to move the same speed through different mediums.

[Reply #13 on:]

The real question is how they could have Jar Jars head in a jar.
Explain that with your precious science.

[Reply #14 on:]

Also How come all celebrities in the jar a taken as they are now and not when they are old, But come on people its just part of the show...

[Reply #15 on:]

I have a theory:

We know that most the videotapes from the 20th century were wiped out in the seccond comming of jesus. Now suppose that for some higher purpous unknown to us what acctualy happened is that Jesus resurected the people from the tapes  such that there would be a prevolance of people looking like they would on 20th century TV. E.g. old ex presidents, young celebs, etc.

This is totaly implausable, but fits quite well. Also maybe Jesus wasn't very good at spotting CG so 'resurected' JarJar as well.

[Note: appologies to religous types, no sacriligous content intended]

edit: Maybe he did it to make Fry feel at home, after all he is the most important person in the univese. (I think, I still haven't see TWOF)

[Reply #16 on:]

good theory SBN 

[Reply #17 on:]

Interesting theory, but then how do we explain Chester A. Arthur?  Other than having to learn the presidents at some point, I can't think of a reason to know him.  Well, other than he makes for good humor.

[Reply #18 on:]

It's probably an outburst of perfectionism. I mean having a collection of 40-odd presidents, and then missing one? Naturally they'd want their collection to be complete.

They'll be worth more on eBay too when complete.

[Reply #19 on:]

If you read futurama comics #1 you will know for sure that they are either CLONESor the heads of raised DEAD.

 

Even more amazing then the heads of once dead celebrities living in jars?

[Reply #20 on:]

Teral: a lot of what you wrote in the first one hits the spot, in my head at least...
BUT: the body growling would require, as you say, vocal chords. Yes. You say that the heads need their vocal chords to speak. But wpuldn't that mean that they'd have to have cut Spiro Agnew's head off ABOVE the vocal chords? What about the head? Doesn't it have chords then? (forgive me if this is inane, but I haven't seen the episode with Spiro Agnew's body growling. Which season is it in?).
If the voice comes from some speaker in the jar, then the head would have to be in wireless contact wth this, but then Melllvar (is that spelled correctly?) would have to have known about the cutting off of the heads above the vocal chords and have put these in his bodies for the Star Trek crew...
About the razing of Earth by aliens: There are a bunch of confusing stuff about this... Is there a topic about that already? I'll have a look before i go on and on about it... I shall return (not very soon, though- The library is closing in a short while)
BTW: This reply may seem like ramblings, and so it is; I'm very tired right now, but I have it all straight in my head, at least .Forgive me if my thoughts are not interpreted very well through my hands and onto the keyboard...

[Reply #21 on:]

I have a question about the heads...and I hope no one will waste their time in answering it. But it still made me wonder. In the "Anthology of Interest 1" episode How are the heads of the Hansons playing instruments?

[Reply #22 on:]

 

Originally posted by Slashco:
In Futurama we often see the heads of many, many current and past celebrities alive and preserved in little jars. The more I think about this, the less sense it makes. Sorry if this has been posted before, I couldn't find it.   

- How is the head alive without a heart to pump blood, or a breathing apparatus? But let's assume the liquid they are in provides all the nourishment;

- Then how can they still be alive and show no discomfort when taken out of the liquid?

- How can they speak and be heard normally through a liquid medium?

- In fact, how can they speak at all without lungs to pump the air and create the voice?

- How did Spiro Agnew's body growl, without a head?

- Where did they get the heads of historical figures like George Washington, who would have decomposed long before this technology was available?

- How did all the heads survive if the Earth was razed twice by aliens?

- Finally, if they have all these living 20th century people, why do they know so little about the past, as demonstrated by their idea of the moon landing, or their recreation of old New York in "The Lesser of Two Evils?"

Let me guess, wizard.   

3 words, it's a cartoon.

[Reply #23 on:]

It's a cartoon?  And all these years I thought I was watching an incredible documentary made by filming through a wormhole in space.  I just assume the vibrant colors and the lack of a finger was because of radiation leaks..., Wow, thanks for letting me know that I've been wasting my time talking about it here. 

 

Originally posted by Habodes:
I have a question about the heads...and I hope no one will waste their time in answering it. But it still made me wonder. In the "Anthology of Interest 1" episode How are the heads of the Hansons playing instruments?

I assume like Bender and Beck, they have manipulators controlled by their thought paterns. 

[Reply #24 on:]

 

Originally posted by VPActionRanger:
looks like someone doesn't realize that this is a cartoon

Exactly what I was going to say.
Crazy and unexplainable things are jsut part of the cartoon genre, just enjoy it.

[Reply #25 on:]

Yeah, yeah... But since the show is actually quite well thought through, one might think that there WAS an explanation (maybe not a very probable one- maybe a little "increase in light speed or about the PE Ship realy just moving everything around it"-esque)

[Reply #26 on:]

 

Originally posted by Carbito:
 Exactly what I was going to say. 
Crazy and unexplainable things are jsut part of the cartoon genre, just enjoy it.

The fun part is not to find the mistakes/nits, but to find a reasonable explanation for them.

Kinda like picking up where the producers fell short, finish the job they couldn't handle. 

[Reply #27 on:]

Well don't forget if Futurama did not have any mistakes etc (or any cartoon infact) then places like PEEL would not be here (or they would not have as many fun topics like this!) (don't worry im new)
---------------------------------------
and ive may my point, how about yours?

[Reply #28 on:]

Maybe Futurama is only a cartoon, but try to find logic explanation to the mad ideas of the scripters is soo fun!
If in all the post we use the logicall, this will be very bored

[Reply #29 on:]

but i'm not good at logical reasoning

[Reply #30 on:]

nice explaination, christina.

[Reply #31 on:]

Where can I find a list of all the celebrity heads in jars? If there is one.

[Reply #32 on:]

 

Originally posted by Habodes:
In the "Anthology of Interest 1" episode How are the heads of the Hansons playing instruments?

They're actually miming. 

[Reply #33 on:]

heres everyones quetions answer, in short,dont we LOVE the future!?

[Reply #34 on:]

I love the future, but I'm not in love with it.   

[Reply #35 on:]

all you fanboys listen up the heads in jars are created by partial cloning and the advanced technology in the future plus they also have these wonderful little things called nanites which create the lungs and vocal cords and things and stay in a liquid form at the same time
and yes i am aware that my name means the cornhole

[Reply #36 on:]

Hey, the future has advanced technology that we don't understand!

Just sit back and enjoy as Pamela Anderson helps to trick Fry into revealing his PIN number 

[Reply #37 on:]

aah well i seem to be disagreed with
someone better run

[Reply #38 on:]

the real reason why we came to this site was to twitter mindlessly about the future
and i cant provide all the ansewers
and yes my name still means called the cornhole

[Reply #39 on:]

- How did all the heads survive if the Earth was razed twice by aliens?

Because the Cryogenic lab was not destroyed.

Also, if you've seen "the Abyss", you'd know what liquid the heads are in, also why they are not harmed when taken out.

-looks like someone doesn't realize that this is a cartoon.

Oh yes, a theory about Futurama in which we don't have to discuss it, how convenient!

It's too easy to just say it's a cartoon.
Sir, you forget that it is a cartoon, with access to all kinds of technology in the whole damn universe.