Not Exactly Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

gregorymaness

Jul 3, 2025

3 min read

Updated: Apr 9

I often refer to my forays into the world of the Internet and YouTube as “tumbling down the rabbit hole.” Sometimes I find myself watching a video or series of videos or clicking on a series of websites and ask myself how did I end up where I currently find myself.

I recently found myself watching a series of videos by Lauren the Mortician (https://www.youtube.com/@Laurenthemortician/featured). And yes, I once again found myself wondering how I came to find myself watching videos by a “…funeral director, embalmer, and your favorite caffeinated death educator.” To be honest, the videos that I have watched were interesting, informative, and even entertaining.

I remember writing a paper on funeral rituals for a college English class (it was one of the selected topics on a relatively long list) and being in a bit of a dark place at the end of the research, writing, proofreading, and editing process. I also remember applying for a job at a funeral home in 1994 while I was a student at East Carolina University. This primarily because it offered a room in an apartment at the funeral home reserved for employees.

I got a partial tour of the funeral home during my interview that included a visit to the apartment, visiting a number of the rooms devoted to the funeral home business, and seeing a deceased person awaiting visitation by their family and friends (the person interviewing me admitted that he wanted to see my reaction to being in the presence of an embalmed body ready for viewing). I interviewed well, but I had lost my driver’s license due some poor decision making. It was pretty clear that I was going to be hired until the gentleman interviewing me realized that I would be unable to drive to pick up the bodies and to drive the company vehicles before and after the funerals.

I can’t exactly say that I was terribly disappointed not to be hired. The idea of working some holidays and being required to be onsite wasn’t exactly appealing to me and the fact that the casket selection/viewing room was just down the hall from the entrance to the apartment was a bit eerie. Being in the constant presence of death certainly wasn’t an idea that I relished. I do remember being amused by the stipulation that I couldn’t have overnight guests. I remember thinking that convincing a young woman to come over to have dinner, watch a movie, and perhaps participate in some romantic coupling would be kind of challenging… unless she was a bit of a freak.

But you have to respect the people that choose to serve others as morticians/funeral directors and funeral home workers. They offer a needed service during what is typically a dark, painful period in the lives of those left behind and they are pledged to treating the deceased with a dignity and a care that is sometimes deprived to people in life. Lauren certainly seems like a really decent person motivated to her calling beyond that of being a YouTube content creator. While you may not choose to subscribe to her YouTube channel (I haven’t as of yet), you may also find one or more of her videos interesting, informative, and entertaining. Below are links to a few of her videos that I have watched.