The way the mainstream media would have you believe it, Heritage Minister James Moore does not like the Canada Science & Technology Museum’s latest temporary exhibition:
“The purpose of the Canada Museum of Science and Technology is to foster scientific and technological literacy throughout Canada,” said Minister Moore’s spokesperson.
“It is clear this exhibit does not fit within that mandate. Its content cannot be defended, and is insulting to taxpayers.”
I have to wonder about that. I went to the Museum yesterday, and I’ll talk a bit more about that, but I find it interesting to note that the Museum houses an exhibit that meets this proclaimed “mandate” even less than the controversial one.
It’s this:
Twenty-nine vibrant pastel drawings from Ian Wallace’s children’s book, “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” highlighting Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song of the same name, will be exhibited at the Canada Science and Technology Museum. Visit CSTM’s Locomotive Hall to learn even more about the railroad that defined our nation.
Yes, the paintings are very good, some would say inspirational. But they’re the stuff of pop culture and history, not science or technology. In an ideal world, they would be exhibited in the Canadian equivalent of the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History. In the real world, that equivalent is the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, and there are some who would argue that the reason this exhibit isn’t there is because the song wasn’t a hit in Quebec. (Either that, or the Gatineau one had no money or space for it.)
It is, of course, funny that the announcement of this exhibit back in February prompted no similar outcries of “outside the mandate,” but then again the Canadian Railroad Trilogy isn’t as controversial the way that sex education is. Which leads me to suspect that this is an attempt, by mainstream media, to manufacture a “Tories out of touch with society” thread, a lot of negative publicity and fuss over — well, what, exactly?
- Is there artwork of nude people? Yes, there are bigger-than-life-sized statues of a reclining man and woman, and the walls have photos of naked people, male and female, from infancy to old age. They’re not erotically posed, they just look bemused at the sight of teenagers giggling at them.
- Are there people talking about being gay? Yes, there are candid interviews of gay people talking about their experiences in “coming out.” It’s not the Gay Pride parade; no one’s dressed outlandishly, the people are pretty much of all ages. If you showed Rob Ford this, he’d call it a cure for insomnia.
- Are there condoms Yes. They’re in a glass display case, on glass — er — dildoes, and they look ridiculous. It’s parked next to a sign outlining the dangers of not using a condom, but no one brand is singled out, so it doesn’t count as advertising.
My own conclusion? Since the exhibit talks about the reproductive and pubescent processes, and since sociology is considered a science (that point can be argued later), this exhibit does, in point of fact, come under that stated mandate. Certainly it’s more qualified than the Railway Trilogy.
