ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Very legitimate question.

Let me go even further with an experience at
Pittsburgh's original Buhl Planetarium.

For Buhl Planetarium's 50th anniversary in October of
1989, the management decided to showcase three
"nationally recognized" science demos, throughout the
month, to both the public and to school groups. The
problem was that one of these "nationally recognized"
science demos involved blowing smoke rings after
puffing on a cigarette!!!

I immediately protested that such a demo glorified
cigarette smoking before very impressionable children!
Children would, naturally, want to replicate what they
saw with their friends, necessitating their use of
tobacco.

My immediate supervisor agreed with me and offered the
observation that "without the smoke rings, this guy
does not have a show."

The manager who booked this show understood my
concerns, but the administration wanted this show.
And, he had also received similar complaints from the
public regarding this show.

A friend in the PR Department complained about this
show in a Management Committee meeting. She was told,
quite bluntly, to mind her own business!

I did talk to the actual performer about this, when he
came to do his shows. Again, he understood my
concerns, but he had no real way to modify the show
[as my immediate supervisor had pointed-out].

In the end, the show went on, as the administration
wanted it to. And, who knows how many children were
influenced to start smoking, so they, too, could blow
these neat smoke rings!

And, this came about a year or two after the City of
Pittsburgh had officially outlawed smoking in public
buildings!

So, the further question would be how are program
decisions in museums and science centers made, when
such a decision could adversely influence the visitor,
particularly a child?

gaw

--- Jonah Cohen <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of
> Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums
> and related institutions.
>
*****************************************************************************
> 
> I may regret going here....
> 
>  
> 
> A few recent threads have brought up issues such as
> what our relationship is
> with corporate sponsors. And in a similar vein,
> where do we say "I'm not
> doing business with them", and where does that
> become a treacherous slippery
> slope? Tough but important questions. So let me add
> more based on a specific
> instance:
> 
>  
> 
> I see that at the ASTC conference, a couple of the
> speakers are sponsored by
> Philip Morris. What exactly did we give them in
> return for this? Merely a
> mention in the conference program, or something
> more? The theme of this
> year's conference is "Partnerships for Excellence",
> but how excellent can it
> be partnering with a company whose main product is a
> carcinogen that's
> spiked with addictive drugs?
> 
>  
> 
> Yeah, I'm gonna regret this.
> 
>  
> 
> Jonah Cohen
> 
> Outreach & Public Programs Manager
> 
> Science Center of Connecticut
> 
>  
> 
> "On blind faith they place reliance,
> 
> what we need more of is science"
> 
>            -MC Hawking

gaw

Glenn A. Walsh
Electronic Mail - < [log in to unmask] > 
Author of History Web Sites on the Internet --
* Buhl Planetarium, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://www.planetarium.cc > 
* Adler Planetarium, Chicago: 
  < http://adlerplanetarium.tripod.com >
* Astronomer & Optician John A. Brashear: 
  < http://johnbrashear.tripod.com > 
* Andrew Carnegie & Carnegie Libraries: 
  < http://www.andrewcarnegie.cc > 
* Duquesne Incline cable-car railway, Pittsburgh: 
  < http://www.incline.cc >

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