Analysis Of Controversy: The Enola Gay Exhibition
In what ways is controversy good for an exhibit or bad for exhibit? It all Depends on representation and interpretations of the historical item or event in question. Additionally, any attempts to write, exhibit, or interpret historical events can spark a controversy; further, provoke various arguments and struggles over historical truth. Consequently, controversy can be a double-edged sword.
A balanced amount of controversy can be good but too much controversy can quickly become a problem. For example, the Enola Gay exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C controversy. The Enola Gay exhibition was supposed to be a part of an interpretive exhibit reflecting the end of World War II and the origins of the Cold War. However, because there is two sides to the event and curators had a difficult time creating a balance which negatively affected the painful memory of those involved, thus creating a controversy over history and memory. On the one side, the Enola Gay bomb ended WWII, while on the other side, which sticks out the most is the fact that the bomb killed a lot of innocent civilians, which can be a …show more content…
sad thing to consistently relive. Additionally, it marked the beginning of a new kind of War, using technology. It has also gained recognition worldwide and caused controversy over its objective and how we as Americans should remember the past, and in some cases, I believe what we should remember.
I mentioned in a previous post that today’s museum is professionalized and as a result the exhibits are often detached from the academic world, which can result in more problems with accuracy and misinterpretations.
This may be a part of the problem with the Enola Gay problem exhibits because it causes the public to consider the nature of American culture and values.
Controversy can be good or bad for the organization depending on the objectives and expected goal. It is better if the controversy spark conversations rather than make people uncomfortable. In the end, the controversy should be beneficial. When done correctly, it can spark debate and make the exhibit more interesting to talk about, additionally making it a conversation piece which as a result will gain recognition and create more buzz about the exhibit, thus marketing for the
museum.
A balanced amount of controversy can be good but too much controversy can quickly become a problem. For example, the Enola Gay exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C controversy. The Enola Gay exhibition was supposed to be a part of an interpretive exhibit reflecting the end of World War II and the origins of the Cold War. However, because there is two sides to the event and curators had a difficult time creating a balance which negatively affected the painful memory of those involved, thus creating a controversy over history and memory. On the one side, the Enola Gay bomb ended WWII, while on the other side, which sticks out the most is the fact that the bomb killed a lot of innocent civilians, which can be a …show more content…
sad thing to consistently relive. Additionally, it marked the beginning of a new kind of War, using technology. It has also gained recognition worldwide and caused controversy over its objective and how we as Americans should remember the past, and in some cases, I believe what we should remember.
I mentioned in a previous post that today’s museum is professionalized and as a result the exhibits are often detached from the academic world, which can result in more problems with accuracy and misinterpretations.
This may be a part of the problem with the Enola Gay problem exhibits because it causes the public to consider the nature of American culture and values.
Controversy can be good or bad for the organization depending on the objectives and expected goal. It is better if the controversy spark conversations rather than make people uncomfortable. In the end, the controversy should be beneficial. When done correctly, it can spark debate and make the exhibit more interesting to talk about, additionally making it a conversation piece which as a result will gain recognition and create more buzz about the exhibit, thus marketing for the
museum.