Reply #41: Those hushed shows DIDN'T WORK [View All]

[Xithras]

Here's the deal. Everybody can agree that cute, cuddly looking animals like kangaroo, koala, and panda need to be saved because they're CUTE. We like them, and so place a certain intrinsic value in them. Like it or not, that's how the human mind works.

But how do you convince somebody of the intrinsic value of a 15 foot man eating crocodile? A lethally venomous snake? A predatory shark? How about a poisonous scorpion? Irwin recognized that these animals deserved the same respect and treatments as cuddly koala's, but that they weren't getting it because they were perceived as "monsters". A dead crocodile was seen as a good thing, and nobody questions the eradication of a Mamba den. Irwin realized that the ONLY way these animals would be protected was to get people to care about them. He wanted to show people that these animals were just animals, like any other, and that they deserved protection just like any other.

The problem was that the "hushed nature shows" are only watched by nature lovers, who were generally already on his side. He needed to appeal to a wider audience if he wanted to start changing minds. Were his methods always the best? Not at all, but it's indisputable that his methods got people to WATCH THE SHOW. Once they started watching, the battle was 90% over. He never showed fear of the animals, never injured them, and always focused on educating the viewers about the life and habits of the animal, its importance to the ecosystem, and how the image of the vicious beast was incorrect. He changed hearts and minds around the world, and most importantly he removed the fear and instilled respect for dangerous wildlife in an entire generation of children. Children who respect animals are FAR more likely to grow into adults who work on and support efforts to protect them. Irwin wasn't worried about the opinions of the 50 year old naturalists, he was more interested in maintaining the interest and opening the mind of the 5 year old nature lover. Irwin's shows caught the imagination, and opened the minds, of far more children than Wild Kingdom ever did.

Nobody can seriously doubt the value of that contribution. Irwin will be missed.