"When I talk to the camera, mate, it`s not like I`m talking to the camera, I`m talking to you because I want to whip you around and plunk you right there with me." "I believe that education is all about being excited about something. Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message." - Steve Irwin. 7 years ago today, the world lost a legend. I was 14 and I remember being home from school when a little bulletin ran across the bottom of the TV, because his death was that big of a deal, that they ran a news bulletin about it across the bottom of all channels and I remember my mom switching it over to the news to hear the story. I remember thinking, there is no way, “confirmed dead”? No he’ll be alright, because he’s Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, right? I remember bawling my eyes out the whole rest of the day because my idol, the guy I wanted to grow up to be, was dead. In the following years I have watched this man’s passion and efforts fade away from the very audiences he tried to reach. The channels that once aired his show have become a joke. His message about spreading education in order to fight all the ignorance has been lost. Today media has gone from helpful and educational to ‘what’s best for the ratings’. Shows that use fear mongering and spread misinformation are all that are shown on once great channels such as Animal Planet and Discovery. Instead of shows like Crocodile Hunter, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, and the beautifully put together documentaries on wildlife… we have shows like Fatal Attractions, a show that depicts exotic pet owners in bad light, making all of us who own something not cute and furry look like we’re trying to ‘own and control a piece of the wild’. The incidents that are portrayed on that show are greatly exaggerated and only depict a small fraction of the exotics community. Not everyone who owns a tiger is keeping it in their NY apartment. Not everyone who works with venomous snakes is free handling them. Then you have ‘documentaries’ such as Man Eating Super Croc, which does nothing but make a crocodile who was only living as a crocodile should, out to be a murderous monster, out to grab your children and pets from the water’s edge without any remorse. I used to look forward to Shark Week, until it became a joke, and yet another vessel for spreading fear and false information. If Steve were still alive today, I wonder how he’d feel about these so called educational shows that have taken over the many channels of Discovery Network? I wonder how he’d feel about the python hunts that Florida keeps placing into motion? I wonder how he’d feel about the attacks on the exotic pet keepers community and all the recent legislation that is working to completely ban anything that’s not a dog or a cat (yet)? I wonder what he’d have to say about the increase of rhino poaching and the extinction of now two rhino subspecies within 5 years? I wonder what actions he’d take on the efforts to end shark finning? How would he feel about the sensationalism of rattlesnake roundups? I wonder what he’d say and how he’d contribute to ending all of these things… I think he’d be shaking his head. I think he’d be incredibly sad to see how much his message has faded from the best possible hosts for it. The world could sure use you back Steve, especially now when we need a strong voice to say what needs to actually be said and for someone to start spreading the right message again.
