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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Well, It wasn't a crocodile that did him in.... but a String Ray barb to the heart...
A fitting end to Steve Irwin who made a "living" harrassing wild animals and spawned a slew of stupid copycat productions. I bet Darwin is gigglin' in his grave. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Oh come on, he was a nice guy. Sorry to see him go. |
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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | I wasn't a fan of this guy to begin with, but when he decided to feed crocodiles while holding his infant son, he went on my official ass____ list. That said, it sucks what happened to him. |
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Location: SE Michigan | The guy was awesome. He really cared about animals and the environment, and worked tirelessly to improve things. He will be remembered for many years by many people. And talk about fearless, some of the stuff that guy did was incredible, but he was very good at it. I'm sure he was at least glad that he went while doing the thing he loved. I'll bet he would have preferred to get chomped by a crock or tagged by a cobra though.
Me and my kids will miss him. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | This is a rhetorical question: What was he thinking of when he tried to ride the back of a stingray?
The answer of course is that he wasn't thinking. Brain shut down happens to best of us, but, damn, that must've been a suprise ... Crickey! indeed! |
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Location: south east Michigan | From what I read he was not "playing" with the sting ray. He might have stepped on or disturbed in some other way. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Sorry fellers, no sympathy from me on this one.
Raise awarness/ save the animals by proving dominion over them?? Would you beat your kids to teach them not to beat other kids? Karmic retrobution, pure and simple. |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | Gotta say I'm falling in the middle. He may have done a lot in the way of awareness and conservation and that's great but some of these people just do plain ol' stupid things. They're wild animals, folks, and they call them wild for a reason. Jeff's right in that Darwin claims another. |
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Location: PDX | I think his heart was in the right place, in that he really did know the habits of the animals. Also he really tried to raise awareness of the environment and animals right to range.
But he took lots of risks. One too many it seems. Oh well, just another death amoung thousands a day.
_____
gh1 |
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Location: Minnesota | There is an old saying that goes "You f*#ck with the bull, you get the horn!" Irwin did a great many things for animals with the money his show earned him, on the other hand, he spent a lot of time harrassing animals in the wild. While there was some educational value in his work I don't think it was enough to justify his tactics (just my personal opinion). You see these kind of accidents quite often though, risk takers who perish in really freak accidents. It's sad to see anyone go, he was very passionate about his work and very knowledgable. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | I think he was a great entertainer. I'll miss him. Dave |
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Location: the BIG Metropolis of TR | Originally posted by DiamondT:
You see these kind of accidents quite often though, risk takers who perish in really freak accidents. ......Grizzly man..... |
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Location: SoCal | He had a 3 year old son. I'm kinda pissed that a 44 year old man would take risks with his life that he didn't have to, and leave a small kid with no dad. Irresponsible. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Like shakespeare said: What fools these mortals be. |
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| From what has been said so far by witnesses he wasn't riding a stingray, he was swimming a meter above it. Divers swim with stingrays often. They have a tank at seaworld filled with them that you can pet and feed (though with barbs removed) but still this shows how docile and calm the usually are. It is almost unheard of that someone would be popped by a stingray while swimming. While wading and stepping on them is another story (I've done that too and was lucky not to get nailed 'cause it was big enough to lift me off my feet). The point is that this was a freak accident the likes of which are hard to believe. The guy did a lot of dangerous stuff but riding in your car to the grocery store is more dangerous than what he was doing when he was killed. Note also that a lot of what he did wasn't nearly as dangerous as it looked. There were a lot of forced camera angles to make this look closer than they were and if you know what you're doing, dangerous animals aren't so dangerous (sorta like dynamite in the hands of a demolitions expert). And, believe it or not, I do have some idea of what I'm talking about having been involved in herpetelogical research and having handled venomous snakes hundreds of times while doing that research (rescued an aligator from a highway overpass while wearing my burger king uniform too but that's another story).
Steve Irwin was a bit of a cheeseball sometimes on TV but he did a lot to raise environmental awareness, especially with kids. His death is definitely a loss. |
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Location: Orlando, FL | Steve Irwin was the real deal. He grew up on an animal park run by his parents so he grew up with crocs. They got a contract with the state to relocate nuisance crocs so they would not be destroyed. He was catching crocs with his Dad at the age of 9. He was a passionate guy who loved the animals and thought that if others could see them up close they would want to protect them. He took over the zoo for his parents and wanted to pass it to his kids one day. He educated and entertained people worldwide.
He died doing what he loved. |
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Location: Sunshine State, Australia | By 'harassing wild animals' he was making the greater public aware of the plight of many endangered species.
ALL of the profits from his TV work and from Australia Zoo went into conservation.
Australia Zoo is only 45 minutes from here. I've been there many times, and although Steve Irwin irritated me, it was always a buzz to get to see him in person. He was a shining light.
I can't believe some of you are saying he deserved it!
My heart goes out to his wife Terry and his 2 little kids - and the extended family that worked alongside him at Australia Zoo.
Steve did a silly thing in many peoples eyes with the kid in the croc pen, but he was a fantastic dad and husband.
We are heartbroken about his loss here in Australia, especially here on the Sunshine Coast.
Wildlife conservation will suffer with his passing. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by moody, p.i.:
He had a 3 year old son. I'm kinda pissed that a 44 year old man would take risks with his life that he didn't have to, and leave a small kid with no dad. Irresponsible. Irresponsible? Hmmm ... Same could be said of fathers who drive while talking on the cellphone, or father who smoke cigarettes, or fathers who let their physical condition run to shit. Irresponsibility comes on many shades of grey. I'm not picking on Paul. Just saying that in my opinion more people in this world should be worried about their own personal codes of responsibility and not pointing fingers at others. Either way, Steve will be missed and Croc Hunter will go down as one of my more memorable TV watching experiences.
Dave |
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Location: NJ | Just a "Statistical" Note:
Total number people that have EVER died from a stingray (this compiled since they ever began recording such things) :
17. |
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Location: Pennsylvania | Some jobs are risky. I was an industrial electrician for many years and have worked on many live circuits up to 480 VAC, and some not-live circuits over 13,000 VAC, and many where at heights up to 100+ feet using lifts. I also use to collect reptiles, and was bitten by a western diamond back rattle snake when i was 19. I spent several days in ICU, and the venom spread to the center of my chest before the anti-venom started working and reversing it. For about an hour, they had the priest there, the paddles charged up, and i could see (and feel) my heart missing beats. The only thing i could do was try and stay as calm as possible, and hope it started reversing in time. When i first got to the hospitol, my hand allready looked like i was wearing a boxing glove it was so swollen. They where not equiped for this type of snake bite, because the snake was not from the east coast. They had to use helecopters and ambulances to find the anti-venom in time, and the pain was so intense that i passed out from it. The last thing i remember was 3 or 4 guys holding me in a chair while the doctor was cutting where the bite was. I broke my other arm loose, swung, and connected with someones jaw, then i woke up in a bed.
I actually made the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Bucks Count Courier Times.
I'm sure Steve knew the dangers involved with his proffession, yet he still devoted his life to it. This is a tragic loss, and my heart goes out to his family and friends.
I am sure he is in a good place, doing what he loves. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Bob...Your post begs the question....
After that experience did you still keep snakes as "pets"???? |
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Location: Omaha, NE | Originally posted by gh1:
I think his heart was in the right place Urp. |
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Location: Pennsylvania | Originally posted by Slipkid:
Bob...Your post begs the question....
After that experience did you still keep snakes as "pets"???? Yes. The day i got back from the hospitol, i handled the same snake. I had to put him in a container to clean his cage out.
I got rid of everything when i got married and started having kids. Plus i was in the army at that time, which made it hard to keep that sort of hobby. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Yikes Bob.
If that were me that diamond back would have ended up being part of cwk2's boots real fast. |
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Location: NW NJ | What Muzza and Tuppy said ... |
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Location: Townsville, Australia | Originally posted by muzza:
By 'harassing wild animals' he was making the greater public aware of the plight of many endangered species.
ALL of the profits from his TV work and from Australia Zoo went into conservation.
Well Up here people feel for the family but most I have spoken with say well what did he expect.
As for pouring his money into conservation I think you'll find that he made a personal fortune and that his Zoo will continue and make even more for his family, it isn't a charity that he developed. He had an act and developed and exploited animals to his own ends and found an extremely lucrative market for it here and in the USA.
I don't say he didn't promote conservation, but many others do more or the same but a lot more quietly and without agitating animals to show how brave and quick he is.
Plenty of people have jobs relocating crocs and it's not to save them being put down, as they are put down only in exceptional circumstances. The law is very stictly policed about this.
He ran the odds and finally got caught, stingrays are skitish and deadly, a teenager died up here in teh past attempting to boat one he had hooked when fishing; wack in the chest as well.
Personally I always thought he was a dickhead and promoted a false image of Aussies. |
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Location: Pennsylvania | Originally posted by Slipkid:
Yikes Bob.
If that were me that diamond back would have ended up being part of cwk2's boots real fast. LOL
I could,nt blame the snake. If i did'nt have arms and legs, and someone picked me up by my neck, i would probably try to bite them too... :) |
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Location: Pennsylvania | Originally posted by Hobie:
Originally posted by muzza:
By 'harassing wild animals' he was making the greater public aware of the plight of many endangered species.
ALL of the profits from his TV work and from Australia Zoo went into conservation.
Well Up here people feel for the family but most I have spoken with say well what did he expect.
As for pouring his money into conservation I think you'll find that he made a personal fortune and that his Zoo will continue and make even more for his family, it isn't a charity that he developed. He had an act and developed and exploited animals to his own ends and found an extremely lucrative market for it here and in the USA.
I don't say he didn't promote conservation, but many others do more or the same but a lot more quietly and without agitating animals to show how brave and quick he is.
Plenty of people have jobs relocating crocs and it's not to save them being put down, as they are put down only in exceptional circumstances. The law is very stictly policed about this.
He ran the odds and finally got caught, stingrays are skitish and deadly, a teenager died up here in teh past attempting to boat one he had hooked when fishing; wack in the chest as well.
Personally I always thought he was a dickhead and promoted a false image of Aussies.
I think you are being "way" harsh. |
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Location: CT | At least he didn't get hit by a bus. I think that would have pissed him off. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by brainslag:
At least he didn't get hit by a bus. Like that Jesus guy in the video ... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | Dave,
You are soooo not getting a Christmas card from me this year...
M(wish I'd thought of it first)Woody |
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Location: NJ | ". . that diamond back would have ended up being part of cwk2's boots real fast . ."
At least a guitar strap ;-)
I do believe that Irwin had a lot of genuine love and respect for animals, and he HAD been instrumental in instilling WildlifeConservation (especially in children). But he DID have an annoying penchant for invading the animal's habitat/comfort zone expressly for the purpose of showing off his skills at snatching, grappling, wrestling the animal into submission. Education with an equal dose of grand-standing.
(At least Marlin Perkins had the common sense t'stay BEHIND the camera and used "Jim" as bait . . .)
After Irwin had kind of "done it all" (including that god-awful movie), he and his producers decided to put him in the water, and he was toatally out of his element. He himself admitted that if he ever "went", it'd probably be in the ocean . . .
Shame that he's gone, but admittedly, the only "surprise" was that it was a stingray . . . |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Reasons not to visit Australia...
According to Bill Bryson in his book 'In A Sunburned Country' there are, pound for pound, more ways to die in Australia than anywhere else in the world. (How many countries have lost their leader just 'cos he went for a swim?)
Never saw the show but the question may not be about the mans death, but how he lived so long! |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Tupperware:
Originally posted by brainslag:
At least he didn't get hit by a bus. Like that Jesus guy in the video ...
uhh... maybe not. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Interesting thing that both that Jesus guy and Irwin, had their deaths recorded on video tape. I wonder if they'll put Irwin's to music? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Originally posted by MWoody:
Dave, You are soooo not getting a Christmas card from me this year... That's OK, but please do send one to Standingovation. he deserves to feel the love.
Dave |
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Location: Upper Left USA | OT but sue me:
I got Serge's (and the other guy) CD's over the weekend and gave them some air time whilst doing some house painting. One of them was the Natividad Xmas CD - at 80 degrees in September.
:cool: |
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Location: SE Michigan | I also use to collect reptiles, and was bitten by a western diamond back rattle snake when i was 19. I spent several days in ICU, and the venom spread to the center of my chest before the anti-venom started working and reversing it. For about an hour, they had the priest there, the paddles charged up, and i could see (and feel) my heart missing beats. The only thing i could do was try and stay as calm as possible, and hope it started reversing in time. When i first got to the hospitol, my hand allready looked like i was wearing a boxing glove it was so swollen. They where not equiped for this type of snake bite, because the snake was not from the east coast. They had to use helecopters and ambulances to find the anti-venom in time, Forgive me for sounding like a concerned taxpayer, but I cant help but wonder, who picked up the tab for your little hobby mishap? |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | That's just completely irresponsible ... |
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Location: Upper Left USA | One more reason to move the Factory to western Washington:
No venemous snakes here. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | Yes, tax money can be spent on much more productive things ... I understand I'm paying the US senate, not to do anything about Iraq or to solve the immigration problem, no they are currently debating prohibiting the export of US horses for food. Now that's a productive group of people, adding much value to the US. I'd like to know, as a concerned tax payer, why I have to pay for them.
I got a movie title:Snakes in Congress. |
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Location: Townsville, Australia | Originally posted by muzza:
You are certainly entitled to your oppinion, and i'm sure he made a ton of money. Who would'nt want to make a ton of money, and sure he seemed to like being the attraction, but the point is... He seemed very passionate about what he was doing, and had the best intentions for the animal.
I think you are being "way" harsh. Not at all, I could have been far harsher about what people thought of this guy when he was hale and hearty.
Bobc made another point that he relocated crocs to save them being killed; well this isn't true I was pointing out that crocs are relocated as rerquired by law.
As it is not true that he poured all his money into conservation as bobc stated; he might have with but he poured the majority into his production company and privately owned Zoo and some great big boats etc etc. He was no philanthropist.
I think people sometiimes get a bit to precious after a celeb dies and it is non-PC to say anything negative. Or debate his contribution.
And he was a dickhead in my opinion, and that of many others who come from the bush, top end (far noth of Aust), and outback.
And promoting conservation by teaching kids that it is okay to harass and agitate animals seems a bit weird, always did. |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | The subtitle being Turkeys in the White House?
Sorry. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Rick an4340:
I got a movie title:Snakes in Congress. "Based on a true story". |
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Location: Pennsylvania | Originally posted by Brian T:
I also use to collect reptiles, and was bitten by a western diamond back rattle snake when i was 19. I spent several days in ICU, and the venom spread to the center of my chest before the anti-venom started working and reversing it. For about an hour, they had the priest there, the paddles charged up, and i could see (and feel) my heart missing beats. The only thing i could do was try and stay as calm as possible, and hope it started reversing in time. When i first got to the hospitol, my hand allready looked like i was wearing a boxing glove it was so swollen. They where not equiped for this type of snake bite, because the snake was not from the east coast. They had to use helecopters and ambulances to find the anti-venom in time, Forgive me for sounding like a concerned taxpayer, but I cant help but wonder, who picked up the tab for your little hobby mishap?
Now you can use all that money you saved, and buy a new guitar... :D |
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Location: south east Michigan | Snow ski..football...men's league hockey...
Not quite as exotic as petting diamond back rattlers, but still can cause quite a nasty injury.
Once when an insurance agent was getting information from me for a life insurance policy, he asked..."Do you take any illegal drugs?"
"Only when I sky-dive." I said.
I learned that insurance guys don't have much of a sense of humor. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | Irwin was a showman. The problem is that the crocs got played out and and he was looking for new stuff for entertainment on his TV show. So he went to working with animals that he did not have the proper experience with. He liked to live on the edge. With crocs he knew the limits. Apparently he didn't know the limits with this ray.
There's got to be more to the story than what we're getting on the news. I watched the interviews and everyone just said the same thing - it was a freak accident - without providing any real details. Remember this whole event was filmed, porobably with several cameras. I'll bet that if we ever get to see the video, it will be heavily edited so that Irwin comes off looking like a hero. I'm not saying he was a bad guy, it's just that he clearly went over the edge on this one. The only way we'll ever get the "true" story is if one of Irwin's crew has the opportunity to make some big money with an expose'. Even then it's unlikely that the public will ever know what really happened and why. |
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Location: south east Michigan | With all of the cute cartoon animals and TV shows the likes of "Gentle Ben", I think we can forget just how strong nature is.
Last week I was driving to work and saw this very nice golden lab on the side of the road. He was one happy, tail a-wagging, exited dog. When I got closer I saw that he was rubbing both sides of his face on, and rolling around in, a recently dead cat. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Probably working an undercover operation... |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by Mitchrx:
The only way we'll ever get the "true" story is if one of Irwin's crew has the opportunity to make some big money with an expose'... **it happens. Why, when it happens to someone famous, do so many immediately assume there's a cover-up/conspiracy?
Oh right! The entertainment value! :rolleyes: No wonder News Anchors behave like song-and-dance men while the weatherman does standup comedy... |
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Location: Australia | To say he got what he deserved is not only heartless, it's stupid. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Hobie,
I'm with you.
I believe most folks bought into his image as a philanthropic conservationist, but he wasn't. He just appeared to be and the image flourished in people's minds. "Image is everything."
He was an entertainer, who used sickeningly vogue "Reality" and "Extreme" genres as marketing ploys. And who, I'd be willing to bet, statisically, got as many or more kids hassling, strangling and caging critters, as he did getting them to "conserve the environment".
Deserve what he got?
Interesting question, Richard.
If you mean, did I "wish" this sorta thing would befall him? No. I'm not particularly moved however, by the fate of people who die driving drunk or by overdose or who, suffer stress heart attacks prior to their trial for cheating thousands of people for millions of dollars, out of their livelihoods and earned pensions, just cause they could... |
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Location: Omaha, NE | I can't help but think that there are lots of marine biologists out there who are saying (at least to themselves) that he was being exceptionally foolish with his actions. This story reminds me of the tragedy a few years ago when the bonfire preparations at Texas A&M collapsed. I read an interview by someone from the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest who said something like "if those kids had any idea how dangerous logs can be, they would have never been doing that. They were fools for taking such chances."
That's my reaction here. My gut tells me that he didn't really understand how dangerous the ray was. |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | For me, he turned into a fool the minute he walked into that croc pen with his infant son. Regardless how much you trust your instincts and experience, that's unquestionably a fool's move. Endanger yourself for the show (read: cash) all you want but leave your kid outside so he can at least grow up to read what an idiot his dad was. |
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Location: East Wenatchee, WA | I guess the point to me is that there was a loss of life. A couple of kids lost the opportunity to grow up with Dad, a wife lost a husband, parents a child and so forth.
What ever this debate is all about (arm-chair quarterbacking mostly), let's not forget that no matter how much you may be hated by one group, there are still others who are stricken with grief right now over the loss of one they loved.
The same arguments could be applied to any activity deemed dangerous by another person, and when someone dies the "I was right" mentality seems pretty small when so many others have lost a human being whom they cared for. |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | No question, JD, and the loss to the others in his family and friends all makes what he was doing all the more pointless. |
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Location: ranson,wva | our kids liked him but i personaly thought he was a damned idiot..just my 2 cents worth..jason |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | I feel for his family. Whether you believe he lived on the edge for the thrill or the bucks, or just always went too far or not, the undeniable truth is that there is a loss for those left behind.
Rather than idolize or villianize someone for their life and career choices, I would prefer to say a prayer and wish compassion on those to whom he was a person, not an entertainer or conservationist.
Even in my job, I could go to work too tired one day and slip, fall into a running mixer...let's just say it would be bad, and it would be the last time I did anything ever again. Stupid mistakes are what make us human, but to assume that we know why these things happen and can judge another for them IS the height of foolishness.
On the other hand, my 20-year-old sister in-law was driving home the other day, missed her interchange, and obliviously drove 90 miles the wrong way to the far side of Seattle before her passenger realized what she'd done and told her...
...like I said, stupidity is the only thing more prevalent in the universe than hydrogen! I certainly don't want to be purely remembered for mine. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | He had a great deal of knowledge that he willingly shared with many,including those who themselves wanted to try,to be there,yet who did not have the opportunity ....lack of money /skills/physical condition ya name it,to those he brought "His world to them" there are many who are grateful for that , old and young alike ... :) |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Steve Irwin
You had Courage
You showed us how
Hopefully You are there
in the Biggest wilderniss of all
finding a queerie for a new quest
We wish You Best of All
Vico :) :) :) |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Well, whether you liked him or thought he was foolish or worse, one thing is for sure. It sucks getting dead at 44. |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Well put. |
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Location: North Carolina | I think it is a terribly sad thing that a wife lost her husband, 2 kids lost their dad, and a man lost his life. I think what happened to him was a terrible accident. To say he shouldn't have been messing with the sting rays or it wouldn't have happened is correct. It is also true if people didn't over eat they wouldn't die of heart attacks. If people wouldn't smoke they wouldn't die of lung cancer. If people wouldn't drive cars they wouldn't die in crashes. I've seen alot of interviews with people who knew him well that said he was sincere, that his on-screen and off-screen personna was the same. Those who didn't know him well, myself included, don't really have a leg to stand on when we say we know what he was really like or how he really felt. The incident with his baby and the crocodile was , in my opinion, a stupid thing to do. However, everyone I know has done stupid things from time to time, and in my opinion that doesn't make them bad people. They're just regular people doing stupid things. For me, it comes down to the fact that a man died too young, and a family was left without a loved one. If I didn't feel for him and them, I'd be concerned a little about my own humanity. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | Originally posted by fillhixx:
Originally posted by Mitchrx:
The only way we'll ever get the "true" story is if one of Irwin's crew has the opportunity to make some big money with an expose'... **it happens. Why, when it happens to someone famous, do so many immediately assume there's a cover-up/conspiracy?
I certainly feel sorry for Irwin. I does suck to die at 44. However, his death cannot be compared with a tragic fatal accident that happens to someone in normal daily life or work. We've all seen people who engage in "extreme" activities. The thrill is the flirting with disaster that is part and parcel of the activity. Some people live for that stuff. Some people make a buch of money by filming it. The monetary aspect adds an incentive to take the risk.
I'm don't think that Irwin deserved what he got. I'm sure that every known precaution was taken. **it does happen, but it happens a lot more when you purposely put yourself in a dangerous situation. You take your chances, you pay the price.
R.I.P. to Mr. Irwin. He was OK in my book. He certainly left his mark on society. Hopefully something will be learned and gained from his tragic demise. |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | I don't think there's any reason in the world to show a film of a man about to die.
None. |
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Location: Parrish, FL | I’ve spent more time than most in, on , and around the sea, sailing between the Chesapeake Bay and Trinidad/Tobago over a 2 year time period. We (wife, kids 10 &11 at the time, and I) dove and snorkeled at every opportunity in waters from Florida, the Bahamas, and throughout the Caribbean. Along the way we encountered lots of critters that would have hurt you bad given the chance. Animals like barracudas, sharks, rays, eels, and innocuous looking sea urchins.
The cuda’s are mostly bark and will back down if you swim towards them. The important thing is to not corner them or wear ANY jewelry in the water because they will ‘strike’. Most of the sharks are just curious, but we always got out of the water (calmly) when they were around. The rays and skates are some of the seas most graceful animals, but the only way to get close to them was to come upon them unexpectedly.
I don’t know what Irwin was doing at the time the accident, most likely marveling at the beauty and grace of the undersea world. It is very easy to be seduced and let your guard down.
All I can say is that this was a tragedy. I have never watched any of his programs so I can’t comment on the exploitation that did or did not exist. Regardless, anytime someone is lost unexpectedly, it affects those close to that individual. Give the guy a break and give the family the respect they deserve at this time. Steve died doing ‘what he does’. Seems to me there are worse ways to clock out. |
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Location: Houston, Texas | Originally posted by Weaser P:
I don't think there's any reason in the world to show a film of a man about to die.
None. I don't know, I actually think it would be educational to some degree. I think that if they showed it up to the point of where he was struck it would be fine. Showing him struggling or anything after that would'nt be right, but part of why he did what he did was to show how animals react when agitated. If you don't see how fast an alligator or crocodile can move you might not think it possible. And while I do think he lacked some common sense at times, most of what he did was educational and probably has kept alot of stupid people from messing with dangerous animals or at least getting hurt by them.
I just can't get that FedEx commercial out of my head though. :rolleyes: |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | Originally posted by Weaser P:
I don't think there's any reason in the world to show a film of a man about to die.
None. I agree, but I don't think that the film should be destroyed. It should be preserved but not publicly shown, at least not for now. In 20 or 30 years, who knows, maybe then, maybe never. I'm sure his kids are going to want to have the film. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I think there is plenty of film available for the kids to see their father.
I don't think they would want to see this one.
I hope it gets destroyed. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | The kids should decide if they want to see the film once they are adults. It would be wrong to have the film destroyed. I'm starting to think that there may be news that it was destroyed just to end some of the public interest in the story, but that in reality it will be secretly preserved.
The crew appears to be very loyal to Irwin and it's unlikely that any of them will say much more than what has alrealdy been told. The film is something valuable, but not for public "entertainment." |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | I'd have to disagree. Would you want your kids seeing you go like that? I'm not sure it's their decision to make. Maybe Irwin's wife should be the deciding factor but I know I would never want my kid(s) to see that even if they wanted to. Either way, definitely not for public consumption in any way. |
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Location: south east Michigan | It's just to risky that it will end up on YouTube.
Destroy it. |
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Location: Upper Left USA | I stayed out of this because I can see all of the negatives that have come up will become a reality on the internet.
I do agree that Steve Irwin's personal level of allowable risk was higher than should have been. I see that in the Industrial Trades all the time. It usually leads to injuries and accidents.
I enjoyed the guy's zest for life. I'm glad he went out doing what he loved to do. I am sorry for his Wife and family that it had to be so soon.
No doubt that Fox and You Tube will have the full story before long.
Stuck in my head are things like "What a fabulous specimin! Good thing we saw it before it saw us!"
A Toast and a moment of prayer for Steve Irwin! |
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Location: NJ | y'might as well destroy the Zapruder Film while you're at it, then . . . |
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Location: south east Michigan | Apples and oranges, Cliff. |
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Location: NJ | But fruit, nonetheless . . . |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | Yeah, c'mon Cliff. That's like comparing PT Barnum with, well, PT Barnum, I guess. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I find this " What to do with the Video" question very interesting.
If Steve wouldn't want his children to see it, why would he take the kinda chances he took in the first place, while being filmed? I think it's well documented, he was aware of and even talked about the possibility of getting killed.
I also think it's interesting how selective we are about viewing death. U.S. mass-media shows dead Iraqis, Jews, Lebonese etc, but rarely ever US Soilders, not even coming home in coffins.
Again this is not to inflame anyone, honest, but it seems we don't deal with death very well, yet there's NOTHING more certain in our world.
If he died loving what he did, show it. Wouldn't that be a lesson as potent as any other he was teaching?
Wife and kids or not... they don't ever have to see it if they choose not to.
Death is a fact of life, no matter how you go. We shouldn't hide it or from it... when we do, we are always less prepared for it. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Okay...apples and horses.
There is just no reason for that film to be treated as an historical artifact.
Does the world have a "right" to see it?....no
Would be of some benifit to the human race to see it??..no
Should it end up on YouTube?....no
Should it be saved for his kids??? No...hell no.
I guess maybe that I think there are drawbacks to this age of limitless information. |
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Location: south east Michigan | "How we face death is at least as important as how we face life.....Don't you agree lieutenant?" James T. Kirk
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This thing about being grateful that someone died "doing what they loved" needs a second thought. Given the choice, would Mr. Irwin have jumped in the water? Would Sonny Bono strapped on the skis that day?
Personally, I'd prefer not die doing what I love to do. I'd rather live and do it again tommorrow. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Certainly words to ponder...
...even if delivered by an over-cooked ham. |
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Location: NJ | ". . The reason "Trekkies" can do that Vulcan "hand-sign" so well is because their fingers are stuck together from jackin' themselves off so much . ."
- Artie Laing |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | is THAT why I always hit ther "er" and "re" kerys at ther samer timer!? |
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| No, that's the hook. |
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| I enjoyed his "Ausse" antics for the first year or so then he just started getting old.
After the Kid thing, he looked more and more like an Ass Clown to me every time I saw him on the Tele. I am sure many of the locals from Down Unda found his character hard to deal with. He was a drama queen and a 200lb HAM about many of the camera scenes.
All in all the guy may not have been some peoples cup of tea but he loved what he did and If I could pursue my passion, which has once again become Music, in the way he pursued his Wild Animals..... Well then, I tip my hat to the guy. He was smarter than me.....(Although I know that's not saying much). Now that he's gone I think I'll miss getting to watch him do some stupid over hyped up Daanga.... Daanga.... croc wrestleing fest with the rest of the crew from Clown College.
My Kids thought he was the best so that's worth something... To have a flick of a tail that hits you in the heart be your end... Man he did not have a fighting chance, now we all deserve at least that. It's kinda like being a pro musican and having a string break that goes through your eye and into your brain instantly killing you. It's all part of the job. But Dam!!! Ya know?
The flame that burns twice as bright I guess!
Randy |
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Location: SE Michigan | It's pure speculation, but I'd wager that Steve would want people to see the film, if for no other reason than to teach people what can happen when you slip up around a dangerous animal. But it shouldnt be shown this soon, maybe a year from now would be OK.
And I also agree, it only would need to be seen up to the point where he takes the hit, that's the message that some people need to get. The aftermath shouldnt be shown. |
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Location: Long Island, NY | What we don't know is what kind of antics he was doing right before he got hit. He could have been blatantly stupid for the camera . . . or not.
It'll be a while, if ever, that the public gets to see the film. |
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Location: North Carolina | Absolutely no valid reason for the film to be made public. None. Nada. Zilch. It wasn't an assassination, a terrorist attack, or natural disaster. It was an accident in which someone lost their life. To have it be made public under the guise of "public education" when in fact there are those who simply find entertainment value in the tragedy of others would be, in my opinion, shameful. Morbid curiosity in someone else's death seems a little weird to me. Someone said that death was a fact of life. That is certainly so. So are bowel movements, and I have no wish to see those on film, either. |
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Location: Chehalis, Washington | Absolutely agreed on that one. It poses an unusual question when an accidental death is caught on film, but I firmly believe that there are many things that just don't need to be seen. Either destroy it, or turn it over to his wife for her discretion on what to do with it. After all, it really should be in her hands anyway if it's going anywhere. |
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Location: Houston, Texas | Actually, I think either his wife or someone in his family has said that it was Steve's wish that it be made public, and probably will at some point in the future.
So, if you don't want to see it, don't watch it, but I bet you will. |
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Location: North Carolina | You would lose that bet. |
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Location: south east Michigan | Did Steve have the time to make that decision???
It would be creepy if he anticipated such an end made those wishes known ahead of time. |
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Location: Houston, Texas | He apparently made that known often and instructed the camera guys to keep shooting no matter what. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | If it's true then he did appreciate and anticipate that he could die from some of the stuff he was into.
Watching the film will be each person's own choice, but I'll bet that the film won't be destroyed even if the news carries stories that it was. There's a few copies, at least, already out there.
Simply becasue of the money potential, at some time in the future an edited version of the film will be made public. |
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Location: Budd Lake, NJ | I agree with BigBear--one of the things our quest for information has done is to assume that famous people and their families have no rights to privacy. If my husband had been famous enough to have his death scene recorded for posterity, would I have wanted to have had to relive it over and over through the media just to satisfy someone else's so-called "right to know"? It was difficult enough just being there.........whoever said "Time heals all wounds" obviously wasn't wounded too deeply. Just my very small two cents,
Karen |
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Location: Houston, Texas | Karen, I firmly believe that the decision to make it public or not should lie with the wife and family. The public doesn't have a 'right' to see it, I just don't see anything wrong with showing it if they want it to be seen. |
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Location: closely held secret | Time wounds all heels. |
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Location: Houston, Texas | And Karen, if showing a documentary of the long slow death of my brother would keep just one person from becoming a druggie and alcoholic I would want it shown. |
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Location: Tennessee | one of the things our quest for information has done is to assume that famous people and their families have no rights to privacy. I firmly believe that the decision to make it public or not should lie with the wife and family. Ergo, the Earnhardt law in Florida. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | It was meant to be a documentary,documentaries are meant to be seen/heard,it is not compulsory ,but we all have the right to see and hear it is up to each individual to decide if something can be learned,documentaries are tuitive tools,I did not even know that animal existed,now I do,thanks to that documentary,I would never condone the destruction of tuitive material ! ! |
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Location: Scotland | Originally posted by The Wabbit Formerly Known As Waskel:
Time wounds all heels. Mr Wabbit, are you a Nick Lowe fan, by any chance? |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | I wondered if I was the only one who caught that. I probably should've known better... ;) |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | But the again...learning can be a funny business :eek: :D |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | then :rolleyes: :D |
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Location: Hicksville, NY | Being in the learning business, things can get absolutely funny ...
Mr. Irwin might be (at times) annoying, but I do admire his efforts to educating the public about wildlife and conservation. I will admit, that I have shamelessly taken information/knowledge that I had learned from his videos, and incorporated them into my lessons in the classroom. |
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Location: Omaha, NE | Originally posted by V-elite:
but we all have the right to see and hear it What precisely do you mean by that? Do you mean, for example, that if the owners of that footage choose to destroy it, you believe you could petition a court to get an injunction to stop them?
Personally, I believe in property rights. Someone (probably the production company) owns that footage. Its their call. I would like to think that they would respect the wishes of the family, whatever those wishes may be. But ultimately, the owners of the tape make the call.
I also suspect that, compared to the stylized death scenes we are used to from Hollywood, this one would probably be pretty tame. Real deaths are rarely very dramatic. |
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Location: south east Michigan | quote:
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Originally posted by V-elite:
but we all have the right to see and hear it
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No....we don't. |
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Location: Copenhagen Denmark | Hi there omaha,I agree with you ,(personally I believe in property rights...and the rest of your post )but to answer your question:When tuitive material is available then it is up to each&every individual to learn from it,that is what my post was about :) |
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WTF OT ....CRIKEY!!!!