Inside the Glore > Comments > "Disturbingly Visual and Thought Provoking"
Piece Comment
Commenter Profile
- Megan Sukys
- Username: msukys
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
- Joined PRX: Apr 27, 2004
Piece Information
- "Inside the Glore"
- Summary: An otherworldly visit to one of America's most bizarre museums, the Glore Psychiatric Museum in St. Joseph, MO.
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Disturbingly Visual and Thought Provoking
Megan Sukys
Posted on July 16, 2009 at 09:37 PM
I hesitate to call this terrific only because the images from the museum are terrifying. As other reviews have commented, though, the tone of the producer and museum guide help give some levity to disturbing instruments of mental treatment. It is a piece that has real impact.
The museum tour could actually be shortened. After abour five minutes I needed some kind of context for all the historical devices. The interview at the end gave me that context and helped me as a listener put all those images into a place in my head where I could really mull over the significance.
Also, the artifacts are presented out of chronological order. It would have been helpful to me to hear about them in a way that gave me a sense of the 'progression' of treatments. For me, that would have given this a stronger story structure, a sense of cause and effect, a beginning, middle and end - something that helps a radio piece stick in my head so I can tell others about it.
This piece does offer much-needed historical perspective on mental health treatment. I find this an important - though gruesome - tour of what humans have tried to do for one another. And, I really appreciate the final thought in this from the producer.