Ya know I was thinking of letting this one go, but nope, I must comment as this topic has been discussed on this group and on other forums, even non-rocketry forums.
Please visit this link, then come back and read on:
Sep 19, 8:18 PM (ET)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Marine explorer Jean-Michel Cousteau said Tuesday that while he mourns the recent death of "The Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin, he disagrees with Irwin's hands-on approach to nature television.
While promoting his new two-part TV special, "Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures - America's Underwater Treasures," Cousteau called Irwin's death "very, very unfortunate."
He had "a lot of respect" for Irwin, who he didn't know personally, and his "environmental message," Cousteau said.
But, he added, Irwin would "interfere with nature, jump on animals, grab them, hold them, and have this very, very spectacular, dramatic way of presenting things. Of course, it goes very well on television. It sells, it appeals to a lot people, but I think it's very misleading. You don't touch nature, you just look at it. And that's why I'm still alive. I've been diving over 61 years - a lot many more years that he's been alive - and I don't mess with nature."
Irwin died Sept. 4 when a stingray's barb pieced his chest while he was filming an underwater sequence at the Great Barrier Reef. Irwin was 44.
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44 is too young for ANYONE to die, but in my honest opinion, Steve Irwin had beat the odds too many times. I was personally TURNED OFF by his "Jerry Springer" style approach to nature programs. How the *#$^ is jumping on the back of a Croc TEACHING anything to anyone. How about I walk up behind you and jump on your back! WOW we just learned that you don't like people jumping on your back!And I just wonder how many animals have been tortured and killed because kids and some adults see Steve Irwin BOTHERING, molesting, and handling creatures? How many dogs (puppys) had their backs broken when little jr. who after watching Steve *BLIMEY* on top off that Croc! What I saw him do to animals would have some people jailed in this country or even killed! Some animals/owners fight back, and they fight back with deadly consequences!
Some of you are old enough to remember Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom; came on TV right after the Walt Disney show. Now I learned a lot about nature, and their habitats, but not once did I see animals being jumped on, harrassed, or instigated into some 'RATINGS earning' reaction! I have watch scores of hours of Marty Stauffer's, 'Wild America' and seen some beautiful and educational video... never did I see an animal jumped on, or babies dangled in front of hungry wolves or bears; I must have missed that while making a sandwhich! Nature on PBS; yes there are actually good shows on PBS!
Then comes along the 'Crochunter'. Well the name doesn't lend itself to conservation, instead it says, 'wallets, purses, belts, ect.'.
Now I know, I am a REALLY REALLY REALLY a bad uncaring person for being critical and judgemental (we now live in a 'moral relativity' based society). He is dead, so why am I being so critical. His wife, his kids, ... common have a heart! Well I do have a heart, and that is why I am being critical and judgemental. I have a heart for all the wildlife that this guy harrassed and stressed just so he could make a name and a tv show for himself. I have a heart for all the animals who will suffer because a human will emulate what Steve did. What a very negative example to set for human interaction with nature.
I love nature so much, that I LEAVE IT ALONE! I don't visit zoos, as I would NEVER want to be caged. A lot of animals don't breed well in zoos because they are stressed. The environment is faux and they realize this; they miscarry.
So at least 2, 3 if you count the other guy who was BLACK LISTED over on TRF for even SLIGHTLY critisizing Irwin (someone please get that gentlman this posting, because I believed and agreed with him 100%!),
2-3 realize that Steve Irwin was an IDIOT in his approach to nature shows. Steve Irwin was not the 'knight in shining armor' as so many people have been BRAINWASHED into believing! Steve Irwin's LUCK ran out at the age of 44. Well now some animal that he might have harrassed on some future date, will live a few hours, days, weeks, months, years longer because they weren't stressed by Irwin and taken out of their daily toil to survive. It means that energy that they would have expelled/wasted dealing with Steve Irwin, will now be used to avoid an attack and escape, or to lung just fast enough to snag a meal to survive until the next day.We as Human Ape hominids might be morning the death of Steve Irwin, but I bet the rest of the animal kingdom isn't!