The scene: Tate Modern on the Southbank on a rainy day
The question: Why do parents feel compelled to come to a museum with little kids in tow? Really - why?
I was trying my hardest to enjoy a day of culture at the Tate Modern, one of the coolest museums in London, when all around me were prams pushed by paents, and little kids running amok. Instead of letting my rage get the better of me, I indulged in a thought exercise to try to figure this vexing problem out.
Potential answer #1: Kids like art, and we want to make sure little Buffy gets her intellectual curiousity stoked at an early age.
Why this is utterly ridiculous: Seriously? The kid in the pram doesn't know anything other than when it is going to cry again, and the kid running around like a nutter isn't getting anything stoked but his need for speed. Try harder.
Potential answer #2: Desperate parents want to get out of the house and be around civilized people at least once a day.
Why this is utterly ridiculous: Surely there are other places to go, like a coffee shop or a park or even a Chuck E Cheese or something, where you can get some fresh air without worrying that the little ones are going to put their adorable little fists through a Mondrian?
Potential answer #3: It was raining, I grabbed the kids and ran for the nearest free shelter I could find.
Why this is utterly ridiculous: Actually, this one isn't so ridiculous. I can buy this - it sounds reasonable enough - but now that you are dry, get your pram, call a taxi, and leave me in cultural peace.
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