Robert A. Baron wrote:

>
> Theme parks, never offer opportunity to question, doubt is not part of the
> program, and indeed, they do whatever is necessary to insure that the
> displays and events and rides are adjusted so that the visitor leaves with
> an image that is uplifting and positive. Sour notes are not tolerated.  To
> appreciate being at a theme park the visitor may not question its premise.
> Cynicism, scepticism and incredulity break the theme park's magic spell.
>

And museum's don't??  A prominent art museum director, in Museum News,
said that "Disney is the epitome of controlled response while museums,
like great national parks, are places of discovery."  Excuse me, museums
AREN'T controlled response?  You mean to tell me we do not tell everyone
that these are temples of importance? You mean to tell me we do not tell
society exactly WHAT is important by giving them the "choice" to see
what WE exhibit next to labels only WE can read...for the sole purpose
of letting them know this exhibit is important and somehow profoundly
affects their existence?

> Take for example that wonderfully conceived Disney "exhibit" "Pirates of
> the Caribbean."  I've read recently that the scenes of the pirates chasing
> buxom women have been taken out and have been replaced with pirates chasing
> people carrying food.  It is true that originally the scene exhibited, and
> therefore may have fostered (among some), stereotypes of relationships and
> lust. But the entire drama to succeed must depend upon the ability of
> visitors to relate to stereotypes and to fixed fictional ideas of how
> people lived. The reason why the ride was changed to a more "politically
> correct" version had nothing to do with correcting stereotypes; it had to
> do with a change in public sensibility to the sensitivity of women.
> Disneyland just didn't want to offend, indeed, its success is tied up in
> its refusal to offend.
>

I can only say...."Enola Gay"

> How interesting that in the
> beginning Disneyland also had strict dress codes and, further, even refused
> entry to anyone whom they felt wasn't properly presenting himself. This
> translated to refusing entry to youths with beards, and later, forcing some
> people to leave if Disney security thought them to be breaking the "mood"
> of the park.
>

Ask any number of visitors about the "mood" in a museum.  I do not mean
any highly interactive museums, just the more traditional ones.  I think
there is quite a bit of data to show a "mood" is created.  Then ask how
those traditional museums tolerate young children breaking that "mood"
simply by being kids and making noise.

> At their heart, theme parks are dramatic entities while museums are
> contemplative ones. Notwithstanding the fact that theme parks often borrow
> from museums, and vice versa, and notwithstanding that the lines dividing
> the two can get quite blurry these days, the major difference, as I see it,
> is that museums ask their visitors to do a little work to make the exhibits
> meaningful. They offer images of worlds that the observer must reconstruct
> in his own mind to make real. Docents may help in this process, but
> ultimately it is the observer who is responsible for his own benefit. He
> may fail; and that is okay. While the museum attempts to be understood,
> there is no requirement that it bow to the lowest common denominator.
>

There's that "dumbing down" worry that keeps so may traditionalists
awake at night.  No one is saying to dumb down the content.  I, for one,
am not saying to turn museums into theme parks, I never did.  What I am
saying is that we must pay attention to the dialogue created by a museum
experience.  For too many years it has been a soliloquy on the part of
museums.  "This is important...understand it or keep coming back until
you do...if that doesn't work...get out."  Art and artifacts have
stories.  Those stories should be exhibited so that society can hold
onto something with their FIRST visit, growing into a contemplative
experience with actual works when they are ready.  If the visitor is
already savvy to a museum experience, they can jump right into the more
scholarly level of engagement.

Having said all that...I must say I enjoy your posts, Robert.  You are
passionate about museums


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D. Neil Bremer
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