Alligator Man
Steve Irwin, the wildly popular Australian television personality and conservationist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray while filming off the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44. While tragic, it is not entirely unexpected. I am reminded of Werner Herzog's superb documentary, Grizzly Man. At least he went out doing what he loved.
posted by Brandon | 3:40 PM
3 Comments:
I'm trying to summon sadness for Irwin's death. But all I can come up with is Anger.
His son is, what, 2? And, now he will grow up knowing that Daddy loved the adrenaline rush of danger more than he loved his son.
And then the fans...some of whom will say "wow, what a way to go!" and try to imitate it. And the other fans, who will say "he knew how to take life by the horns...I'm going to go do that, too."
You see, I think we have already invaded way too far into the habitat of wildlife. It's bad enough that in order to house ever richer Americans who want 5,000 square foot rural retreats that they use twice a year, we mow down forest, and erase habitat for bears, ungulates, mountain lions, beavers; now we're just invading and damaging habitat for FUN.
I think it's disgusting. And I think that Irwin is going to be some sort of "hero" or even any kind of role model is just bad. I think his life is a bad example of how to live in harmony on this planet, leaving it healthy enough for our grandchildren to be able to live the kinds of lives we would wish for them.
We need to step lightly. And he didn't.
Or, another way to look at it, he brought loads of attention and enthusiasm to the thing that he loved, which was the natural world and everything in it.
What was more damaging, his passion or the style in which he pursued it?
I will give you one whole dollar for each and every person that now gets killed by a stingray piercing them through the heart, but I warn you, it's not a get-rich-quick scheme.
Honestly, (if you couldn't tell from my words) I wasn't concerned about the people. I was concerned about the Stingrays, and all the other creatures.
And...duh....
12 September 2006
http://tinyurl.com/jklnk
SYDNEY - Fans trying to avenge the death of popular television wildlife star Steve Irwin may have killed as many as 10 stingrays and cut off their deadly tails, a conservationist said Tuesday.
Post a Comment
<< Home