Posted on 09/19/2006 6:47:53 PM PDT by Mr Rogers
LOL! I'd forgotten about poor old Jim. Marlin always stayed in the jeep or helicopter while Jim had to go wrestle a jaguar or hippo. I just hope Mutual of Omaha gave him a break on his health insurance... ;^)
Good find. His memorial service was a tearjerker even though it was a celebration of his short existence and passion for living. The gumtree song is still going around in my head.
"tormenting it"
Give us all a freakin' break! "Tormenting it." So are you saying that he was the Crocodile Tormenter? Just do us all a favor and tell us the truth. You've hardly, if ever, watched Steve Irwin...because if you had, you'd know that Steve's passion for ALL wildlife -- caring for them, preserving them, saving them was what he was about.
Steve had a natural, learned and instinctive ability to work closely with animals. His desire to get up close to wildlife came from living in the wilderness as a child with his family who were constantly nurturing injured animals. And if you'd given a considerable amount of time to watching him, you would have seen with your own eyes how *uncomfortable* Steve was inside buildings and studios and among the "suits" of L.A. and Hollywood. Steve was *always* more comfortable being out in the bush.
Another reason why Steve agreed to have his animal encounters filmed and shown to a world audience wasn't about fame or an adrenaline rush for selfish reasons or because he was always trying to outdo his every episode. Steve agreed to work with Animal Planet on a world platform because he knew that bringing people closer to the animals would educate hundreds of millions of people as his show has. "Look at this little beauty!" "Ain't she gorgeous!?" "Conservation, conservation, conservation!"
THOSE were his messages NFO. He was a simple man with tons of energy who required little sleep and who was always going, going, going. He was a motivator, and not a tormentor as you'd like others to believe. His endless energy, and his humble persona is what people loved about him. Prior to my then 3 year old finding Steve's show 7 years ago, I would have been perfectly content to live the rest of my life not knowing the difference between an alligator and a croc. But you know what? A subject which was never very exciting to me - learning about snakes and iguana's and wetland preservation, became interesting to watch. Steve drew me in, and I am so much more educated because of the way he presented things. He was funny, he was passionate, he was intelligent, and he pushed himself out of his element to create a platform for the good of wildlife.
There are very few people willing to do that in our world. I'm so sorry you haven't taken the time to become a fan. So sorry mate. It's more your loss than anyone elses.
G'day.
It's funny! I was just thinking this last night for some reason.
I am often teased for being overemotional. I tear up when cartoon fish die. I might cry a little when I hear someone dies. I am likely to be over it relatively soon, though. Steve Irwin was a celebrity death that effected me enough to look at my own life and think, "Why am I afraid to take chances? I could die tomorrow and not really have lived."
The attitude of just looking at nature and experiencing it, is the difference between being able to say, "Hey! I saved a baby bird." rather than shaking one's head and saying, "Too bad that poor thing died alone."
I love it too. The Siamese cats, the guy singing David Bowie songs in Portuguese, Jeff Goldblum's character, etc.
Took me all night to get True Blue" out of my head. I was a bit teary through most of it, but more so when they packed up his truck and drove it off. My two year old hugged me during that. Then clapped because he has heard "True Blue" a few times and really likes the song.
[Steve Irwin was a celebrity death that effected me enough to look at my own life and think, "Why am I afraid to take chances? I could die tomorrow and not really have lived."]
You have just concisely stated what so many people have been thinking but couldn't come up with the words.
I'm not an Aussie - just honoring this fabulous man from Down Under.
I'd like to know which episode you are talking about when you said that Steve was tearing "apart their nests."
And Steve didn't "wrestle" crocs. In fact he has saved them and is instrumental in researching their migration patterns via satellite. His findings will rewrite some of what is known about crocodiles. When Steve is preparing to move a croc, he's used three methods of catching and relocating them; none of which have been sedation or anything harmful to a croc.
http://www.crocodilerescue.com/about_rescue_unit/vanuatu.html
WOW! Great post!
Well, thank you...but it's the truth and I'm just saddened to see so many people jumping forward to bash Steve. I've observed and learned in the days since his death that those who are making disparaging comments about Steve haven't even given his show a chance - if they've even watched a single episode at all.
My goodness, Steve Irwin is as real as someone could be.
The Irwins feel like family to me - just as millions the world over feel, as well.
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