I Love the Monterey Bay Aquarium and have been a member for 5
years. About 2 years ago I wrote a letter to the Aquarium regarding an
exhibit for children showing sea mammals and comparing them to
humans. The MAIN display in the exhibit is an enormous bottle
showing quantity of milk comparing whales consumption to human
consumption. Needless to say I was chagrined and found it absurd.
Following is the response I got from the Aquarium, and a letter I sent
back. I was so angry and dissappointed that I did nothing further at the
time. (I also got no other reply from my letter of response.) I'd like to
make another attempt to help the Aquarium "get it" before staging a
protest and a "breastfeed in." Anyone who would like to write a letter or
email, please do to - I would love to be able to make some small
contribution to promote breastfeeding - and maybe getting this exhibit
changed would help?
Here's the contact info:
http://www.mbayaq.org/sg/sg_fb_mailroom.asp
direct your comments to "Aquarium fact and exhibits" or write to the
Director,
Julie Packard, Executive Director and Vice Chairman
Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, CA 93940
Copy of lettter I received from the Aquarium:
Dear Ms. Kroeker,
Thank you for your comments concerning our choice of a very large
baby bottle in discussing the comparisons of nursing in baby whales
and humans.
By using this baby bottle analogy (analogy is a well-tested and
commonly used technique in science exhibit design), we are not
promoting the use of formula over natural lactation-this is simply a
metaphor to help people understand the volume comparison. This
was a deliberate choice, of course, and I'd like to share with you some
of the reasoning that went into this decision. Nowhere in the exhibit do
we imply that bottle feeding should replace natural nursing in humans
(or in whales).
Several years ago we developed Mating Games, an exhibit on various
aspects of the biology of reproduction. We conducted focus groups at
that time, and came to realize that for our diverse public audience,
some subjects are sensitive-particularly as we present them to young
children. Many parents want to choose what biological realities to
present to their children, and when. Being surprised by the information
in an exhibit removes that prerogative of choice from the parent(s).
Mammary glands, at least in the human species, are one of these
sensitive subjects for some aquarium visitors. Making volume
comparisons with reference to human or whale mammary glands and
nursing equipment or adaptations would be very difficult without
including some graphic images that could easily affront some
parents. In addition, reference to cups, pints, quarts, ounces, beakers,
pads of butter, etc. is more abstract to a child, and less directly
connected with nursing, than is reference to a baby bottle.
We realize that the bottle analogy, too, is controversial. We have
reviewed the accompanying graphic text and have made adjustments
that make it clear that this is a volume comparison only; that whales
do not nurse from bottles, and that we are not promoting formula
feeding for human babies. We feel it is important to let the parent
make this choice, and we will not suggest, or promote, one alternative
over the other. This is, after all, an exhibit on marine mammal
adaptations-not a discussion of natural breast feeding vs. formula
feeding of human infants.
I appreciate your comments, and have personally learned a good deal
from the perspectives you and others have provided to me.
I hope this answers your question. Thanks again for your comments.
We are constantly striving to make the aquarium the best it can be,
and our visitors' thoughts and suggestions help us in reaching this
goal.
Sincerely,
Susan Blake
Manager, Exhibit Development and Design Departments
My response:
Ms. Blake:
Thank you for responding to my questions regarding the bottle exhibit.
Unfortunately I found your response specious and somewhat
patronizing. Having been a marketing professional for over 30 years I
was frankly disappointed with your explanation.
Since I have no personal conflict with you but rather with the exhibit, I
will address my future concerns in a more formal manner to your
Board and Director.
So that you clearly understand my intent, I am absolutely concerned
that you are indeed promoting bottle feeding/anti-breastfeeding -
however unintentionally - by your exhibit. I understand that you do not
believe you are doing this. I also understand that you do not wish to
"take sides" on something you consider an "either/or choice" and that
this is something you consider "controversial." Surely you must realize
that just by placing a bottle in the exhibit you are indeed taking a "side"
and giving approval to this form of human feeding. I am NOT
completely opposed to bottle feeding but I have some knowledge on
the detrimental affects of bottle feeding on the human child. My own
OB/GYN, who serves as a Chair for the National Board of OB/GYN's
states that if formula companies were exposed as have been tobacco
companies that the population would see them as a far worse threat
to humanity. (Are you and the aquarium aware of the death rates
attributed to the use of formula worldwide?) This is not alarmist
rhetoric but published information by our own FDA. I am aware that the
aquarium receives money from corporations that produce baby
formula and I am hopeful that this in no way has influenced this
exhibit. Comparing a human reproduction display to quantitative
display is absurd. I don't believe I ever stated that I thought you should
display a human mammary or breast in your display. Do you see
human breasts as merely sexual? And what do breasts have to do
with the reproductive act and what/when parents want to tell their
children? Phrases like "analogy is a well-tested . . . ." and "simply a
metaphor to help people understand volume comparison" are
insulting to me as an educated, loyal and respectful patron of the
aquarium.
One thing I have respected about the aquarium has been its refusal to
"sell out" and to stay close to its mission. In doing so the aquarium
has been an advocate for many other causes beyond its tanks and the
oceans. Let me be very clear - I am NOT suggesting that the aquarium
take on advocacy for human breastfeeding as its cause - rather, I am
hopeful that the aquarium will realize its error and NOT promote
something that is DESTRUCTIVE to humanity. Sound like a crazed
person? You may choose to think so . . . but I am hoping that you will
indeed get your facts straight. After all, the aquarium is a scientific
research institute and this display is inconsistent with your stated
mission.
My god-child, who accompanied me last week to the aquarium, knows
that we eat only "green" fish and that we are careful with how much
paper we use in the same exhibit of which I speak because paper
most often comes from trees and so on and so on . . . SHE is the one
who asked me what that big bottle was . . . and, she is 3 years old.
Again, the MBA CAN and should find a BETTER way to explain
volume/quantity. That my three year old god-child may be in the
minority on this does NOT excuse you or the aquarium for the display.
Surely your very creative staff can come up with a clever concept
without controversy.
Sincerely, Janet Lynn Kroeker
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