Quote:
Originally Posted by Seamus Haley
I disagree with your retrospective view of Steve Irwin.
While he was alive I found his antics, violations of various laws, handling techniques, misinformation, sensationalism and ratings driven garbage to be the antithesis of what I would expect out of an intelligent spokesperson for wildlife and conservation issues.
If anything, sensationalism and over the top whacky ratings driven garbage is the epitome of what Irwin stood for and Animal Planet is just continuing to uphold his legacy. In fact, until they show someone else stickingtheir thumb inside a penguin or killing a sea snake by jamming it's skull into a pane of glass, I'd say they have toned things down from the standards he set.
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While I respect your opinion, I still feel that he did alot for the reptile community insofar as education. His handling techniques weren't always the best (where the animal is concerned), but at the same time, he always made it very clear that any "aggression" shown by the animals was an attempt for that animal to protect itself. Never saw him kill that see snake, though.
I feel that his shomanship (which was done for ratings and viewers), was a means to an end. When all was said and done, his message was one of respect and conservation. If it took some antics to get that message out there, so be it. The recent shows I've seen have continued his legacy of showmanship (and yes, sensationalism at times), but have lost the message that went with it.