From the Herald on Sunday

Student magazine under fire for 'Lange's leg' auction

04.12.05 1.00pm
By Catherine Woulfe

Otago University magazine Critic is facing fresh criticism after it tried to auction off a "replica" of David Lange's amputated leg online.

It is not the first time the magazine has caused offence or challenged standards of good taste and decency. Earlier this year, the student magazine published an article slated as a "how-to" guide for rapists.

However, this time the stunt backfired when the Trade Me website got wind of the auction and removed it from its website after only one day.

Trade Me business manager Mike O'Donnell said the site's online community must have considered the gag offensive.

"The community has standards and something like that ... which takes the piss out of a great New Zealander ... is not something they considered contributed to the community," he said.

Critic editor Holly Walker said the posting - which was actually a doll's leg - was intended as a joke.

Mr Lange had his lower right leg removed under local anaesthetic two weeks before he died, in August.

Surgeon Peter Vann said at the time that just as the limb had nearly been taken off, Mr Lange had groggily asked: "Have you got the right leg?"

Ms Walker said she did not understand the fuss, given that Mr Lange had been joking himself about the amputation.

Margaret Pope, Mr Lange's wife, was not too concerned.

She said that when Mr Lange's leg was removed, she was asked whether she wanted it.

"I said 'No, please dispose of it.' So I can assure you I don't know what became of it."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY

haha thats pretty funny! david would have cracked up :)

Holy shit, this is a lot like a pub quiz name I thought of once:
'I sold David Langes leg on trademe'

or something like that.

yeah that was the name. we should have so won best team name

Didn't Nick Keesing write a article that was done as a "how-to
" guide for rapists? or maybe it was date rape? He's not going to be happy methinks, because he said they already stole at least one of his ideas this year, I think it was a smoking P guide or something perhaps. I'd be annoyed if someone stole my article without giving me any credit for it. Far more annoyed than I was when Alec and Stian fucked up in their first editorial by claiming that Auckland was NZ's oldest (false) and most prestigious (open to debate) university.

Yeah, Keesing did that article 5 years ago, i don't think he was happy considering the Critic article was a pretty close rip-off of the original. Craccum had already been there, done that, got the publicity then Critic go and try it. Lame. They're pushing the boundary a little too far. David Langes' leg? Please, it's just embarassing when they try too hard, desperatley gagging for publicity.

um didnt uni finish a month or so ago?

yeah, beats me? Fucking critic. Cld b old news

Yeah, I remember seeing this on the net ages ago. I thought it was hilarious. Why do people already have such a rod up their ass over Lange's memory? He would have found it amusing, as Senor said.