titanic

Let Her Go, Man

Photo: John Parrot/Getty Images/Stocktrek Images

In the 1997 theme song to James Cameron’s Titanic, Céline Dion sang that her heart would go “on and on.” She did not, however, make any promises about the famous wreck’s staterooms, deckhouse, or bathtubs.

According to the BBC, a new documentary from Atlantic Productions will include the first newly recorded footage of the wreck of the Titanic in over 15 years. In an interview, Titanic historian Parks Stephenson described the decay of the sunken ocean liner — which has been sitting at the bottom of the north Atlantic for over 100 years — as “shocking.” No disrespect to Stephenson, who I’m sure is very good at his job, but … is it really?

“The captain’s bathtub is a favorite image among Titanic enthusiasts — and that’s now gone,” said Stephenson, who was part of the crew that explored the wreckage. “That whole deck house on that side is collapsing, taking with it the state rooms. And that deterioration is going to continue advancing.”

“Titanic is returning to nature,” he concluded.

Per the BBC, strong ocean currents, salt corrosion, and metal-eating bacteria are “attacking the ship,” which, it seems worth noting — again — has been 2.37 miles under the sea for — again — over 100 years. One hundred and seven, to be exact. In those 107 years, the terrible tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic, that killed over 1,500 crew and passengers, has been the subject of countless books, documentaries, and movies featuring drawings of Kate Winslet’s boobs. People are still spending millions of dollars on Titanic artifacts. There are even plans for a Titanic II to cast off in 2022. The Titanic, like everything on this Earth’s surface today, has been mined for all possible forms of content.

“The wreck itself is the only witness we’ve now got of the Titanic disaster,” Robert Blyth, from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, told the BBC. “All of the survivors have now passed away, so I think it’s important to use the wreck whilst the wreck still has something to say.”

It seems like, at this point, what the wreck has to say is, “Let me go, man. It’s been over 100 years. I don’t care about this bathtub anymore.”

Let Her Go, Man