About Neil Postman As professor in Communication Studies (New York University) Postman has written many interesting books and articles. Especially his 'Amusing ourselves to death: public discourse in the age of show business' (1986) was a reason to invite him as keynote speaker at the International Council of Museums' General Conference of 1989 (the Hague, the Netherlands). This book was very popular in the Netherlands, perhaps more than in US. Postman's relevancy for the present discussion The subtitel of 'Amusing ourselves to death' ('public discourse in the age of show business') was re-phrased in the Dutch edition as: 'the stultifying effects of television'. Since I have the Dutch version it is difficult to quote, but Postman describes the transition from a book-oriented culture to a television-oriented culture. We (the organizing committee of ICOM 89 and its advisory groups) considered his provocative remarks as very relevant to museums, and, looking back to the conference, his speech was the most relevant and most appreciated contribution to the plenary sessions. I agree with Mary Worthington that his speech is very relevant to the present Museum-L discussion on theme parks and museums (if necessary I can give the full title of the publication). About theme parks vs museums To answer Mary Worthington's question, Postman's views are very close to what has been referred to as 'critical curatorship' or 'critical museology' (= 'new museology' in the British sense, which, by the way, is not the same as 'museology nouvelle' in the French/Canadian sense !). In 'critical museology' exhibition design should emphasize authorship and changing perceptions of the artefactual past ("the method as message"). In this approach ambiguity and uncertainty should play a role. Here we find an essential criterion in the present discussion. However, I hesitate to label (and condem) categories of institutions without proper definitions. It is easy to 'prove' that theme parks are different from museums, as it is equally easy to 'prove' that the are in the same business, when no clear definitions are given! By the way, apart from Postman's publications I recommend Umberto Eco's 'Travels in hyperreality'! (Unfortunately I have again only the Dutch edition; perhaps somebody else can give the English/American title & publisher). Peter van Mensch lecturer of theoretical museology and museum ethics Reinwardt Academie Amsterdam (the Netherlands) e-mail [log in to unmask]