My sister sent me this youtube link and it immediately made me think of all of us here, both the museum junkies and the museum-averse alike, discussing various museums and etiquette and whether or not the guided tour is really worth it.

I myself haven't encountered a museum guide quite like this yet, but I'll bet they all dream about it. I KNEW there was a reason why I don't like guided tours:

http://tinyurl.com/6xh8md

(since I originally posted this on Sunday evening I'll give it a little nudge- it's too funny to let it sink into the sediment just yet)

Sorry, I thought it was just dumb; not a bit funny.

>>>Sorry, I thought it was just dumb; not a bit funny<<<




I think it's hilarious but then again I have been told once or twice I have a weird sense of humour

Sorry, a second vote for just plain dumb.

And a third.

Isn't it something for the U.S. forum?

For Europeans who want to travel to the U.S. it is a good preparation and a perfect introduction into U.S. culture. It is always good to know typical behavior patterns and social norms when you travel to a foreign country.

After watching this video, you know what to expect when you have your first encounter with American culture at immigration in the airport.

>After watching this video, you know what to expect when you have your first encounter with American culture at immigration in the airport.

Is an obligatory visit to an art gallery part of the immigration process? ;-)

No, but the guys at immigration behave pretty much in the same way as the guide in the art gallery.

Like Nuke, Jean, and Quokka, I found the skit missed its mark. In order for a spoof to be effective, it has to have a connection to reality, that is the event being spoofed. Yet this skit seems closer to Paris Island than the Uffizi. It's likely the writers have never been subjected to an art gallery guided tour.

The "look and move on" part was rather like viewing the Pieta at St. Peters. If you're looking too long the guards make you move on, although they're much nicer than the person in the video. I was getting quite glared at the last time for too long a look!

I'm sorry Apres that people don't have the same quirky sense of humor you do. I often find myself in this position where I see humor in places others do not.

Did you encounter something like this at the Orangerie after staring too long at the Soutines?

The two English tourists at the end of the skit left the gallery because they learned they weren't allowed to touch the paintings. Is that an element of English culture? Touching the works of art?

Just dumb all the way 'round.

It's an English show filmed in London!

I think it's funny because on one hand it's acting out exactly how museum people would like to deal with the great unwashed masses, i.e. screaming "Do NOT touch the paintings!" or "No NOT titter!" at them, but then he's willing to blow up the gallery if anyone breaks the rule and touches a painting, and he's perverted and titlliated by the nudity and talks about it so crassly...(made me think of a funny thread I read here once about looking at naked women in the Louvre)

..it's a silly, slapstick joke, (sort of) about demanding respect for paintings while having a complete disrespect for art.

Plus, he farts.

Oh, he farts. That makes all the difference, then. I'll have to downgrade my rating from "dumb" to "stupid and crass".

>>>Did you encounter something like this at the Orangerie after staring too long at the Soutines?<<<

Hi adrienne, I was lucky that the guard in the Soutine room was VERY bored and tired looking, he just sort of slumped in his chair, it was near closing time so I suppose he had had a long day, lol.

I did have a funny incident at the Louvre...I was alone in a small room and thought I'd take a picture, but when I turned on my camera and the lens zoomed out it set off the alarm.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I must have been standing just short of the "trip wire" and my camera lens must have stuck out too far and set it off (it's the only explanation I can think of- at the time I was paranoid that it was a camera detection sensor or something)

I'd turn my camera on and the alarm would go off. Turn my camera off and the alarm would stop. I'm so dumb I stood there all confused doing this over and over (and over and over) until a couple of guards came running in (literally running) and asked me what the heck I was doing in there. I was so embarrassed! And I even tried telling them that I thought my camera was to blame.

I'm starting to plan my fall trip to London and Rome now, and I'm am looking forward to seeing the Soutines at the Tate Modern. There's also going to be an exhibit at the Royal Academy of Art with pieces from the Maeght Foundation- Miro, Braque, Giacometti, Alexander Calder- lots of sculpture, I think! (I still really miss Paris, though...)

Apres - now your camera trick was really funny!

You're really turning into a Soutine freak. I'm going to the Met (NYC) this weekend so I just searched their database to see if they own any Soutines. The search returned one Modigliani. Now there's a painter I love! I did another search and found one Soutine. I'll try to see it after I see the Turners.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/scpa/ho_67.187.107.htm

While in London please do the closing ceremony at the Tower. It was one of the highlights for me. You need to request tickets well in advance, about 6 weeks or so.

Yes I've definately become a major Soutine freak (and I'm still amazed at kerouac's connection- what a small weird world- talk about six degrees) but I love Modigliani too- there was a wonderful Modigliani exhibit a few years ago at the AGO here in Toronto, I just loved it. I also really enjoyed the Modigliani's at the l'Orangerie. What an incredible little museum that is. Did you know that Soutine and Modigliani were best friends?

Enjoy the Turner exhibit this weekend! (and thanks for the rec re the key ceremony at the Tower, I really have to cracking on getting organized for this trip)