Oh no...

[tansyrak]

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20349892-952,00.html

Steve Irwin is dead.

I think everyone expected him to be killed one day, but this is still a bit of a shock.

Comments

[cyrrus25]

Oh man..

I was never really a huge fan of his method of "environmental education", but I always thought he was at least attempting to do some good. I'm actually really rather depressed that he died, which is kinda surprising for me.

I think maybe it's that he -was- killed on the job. Everyone's going to be "I told you so"-ing for the rest of our lifetimes. It makes me sad. I think I'd have liked to see him defy that.

Mostly, I feel very sorry for his family. I can identify with them very strongly, having lived a somewhat similar crisis. I'll be thinking of them during all the media hype more than anything else.

[tansyrak]

Yes, I never really paid too much attention to his antics but in trying to confirm this story (a friend sent me it before it broke in the U.S.) I came across some of the backlash against him in the herpetological community regarding his unsafe behavior. What these people don't seem to understand is that his outrageousness was precisely what made him popular, and while he may not have had the formal education they deemed appropriate, he knew how to get people's attention- a crucial part of conservation and something that academia hasn't been able to do. And he used that celebrity to spread his message of environmentalism to people who would have otherwise not cared. I'm sure that there will be a lot of "I told you so's" and that the more vindictive will even express happiness over his death- they may even hail it a "triumph" of "proper science"- but I think that we've all lost more than we realize

[chikori]

I was never quite a bit fan of his, I guess that's because I'm deathly afraid of reptiles and such. ^^; However, it really is a pity to see him go. As I mentioned in another friend's journal, in a world where there are so many people who want to eliminate, kill, destroy these animals and their habitats, it's wonderful to see someone who want to stand up for them, love them, and do something for them. It's funny... I thought of getting a stuffed alligator/crocodile today... Maybe I will go get one

[tansyrak]

Hmm... I think I might go out and get a stuffed crocodile, as well- I'll name it Steve.

[chikori]

I named mine Crocogator, because I wasn't sure if he was an Alligator or a Crocodile...

[tansyrak]

I never made it to the toy store today. :( I'll have to try again later this week.

[chikori]

You should get one~ I caved in and bought Crocogator, just because he's so soft and cute. T_T But I think I'll bring Mister Turtle to work tomorrow... >____>;

[cyrrus25]

Hey, don't feel bad about soapboxing at all. I agree about the elitist academics. I agree that he was actually kinda smart to use that zaney approach as a way of attracting people to his shows. How else would he get people to listen to what he was saying? Most people aren't going to read some dry academic paper to learn about herps. His approach made sense. My only problem with it was I've met a lot of people who are -more- afraid of reptiles after seeing his stuff. But now, after looking around online, I might have to rethink that judgement. A LOT of people credit him for making them like herps a lot more. Or at least to stop condemning them as evil and vicious.

I really hope his family has a lot of love and support for this. And I hope at last most people can keep from mocking him. I've already seen some pretty tasteless stuff, but hopefully most people can scrape together some semblance of decency. >_<

[tansyrak]

Well, almost everything I've seen- even from people who didn't really like him- has been postive and surprisingly heartfelt. I normally don't pay too much heed when a celebrity dies- people die every day without making the headlines- but Steve Irwin seems to have touched people in a way few among the famous can. I hope that his family can find some comfort in it.

[aeolykanthryma]

Typical. Perhaps I'm being cynical, perhaps just myopic, but I think the negative attitude comes more out of a vintictive attitude regarding the fact that he was recognized for his efforts whereas the clean-cut boyscout academics are merely surnames on an esoteric scientific journal that never ventures beyond the borders of the study area.

You're right - he DID get the message to a wider audience, and educating the general public is key to making any progress in conservation, environmental awareness, etc. Shit, taught me a few things, and gave a good laugh as well. The man will be missed.

Fuck the "I told you so" numbskulls. Their day will come. Maybe.

[tansyrak]

Well, I'm sure that there's some jealousy involved, but in my experience these so-called "intellectuals" are just genuinely oblivious to how the general public thinks and how to deal with them.

I have tracked down some of the criticism herpetologists had for him- he would do things like hold by the tail snake species that were too delicate for that treatment- and while I can understand concern for animal welfare, I'm sure that he wouldn't deliberatly harm an animal.