I wasn't going to blog about the late Steve Irwin. Everything that can be said and more is already bouncing around the net as is.
My thoughts changed driven entirely by anger when I read the following by the writer Germaine Greer. I don't really have an opinion about her as I really don't know enough about her apart from the usual mixed commentary about her relevance. I will say she seems to have got angrier and more full of herself as she's got older, but that's usual for anyone with a paid-for-voice.
What really pissed me is the article she wrote for The Guardian:
That sort of self-delusion is what it takes to be a real Aussie larrikinExcerpt: "...The animal world has finally taken its revenge on Irwin, but probably not before a whole generation of kids in shorts seven sizes too small has learned to shout in the ears of animals with hearing 10 times more acute than theirs, determined to become millionaire animal-loving zoo-owners in their turn..."Why the fuck would anyone feel it necessary to critise the guy as some kind of a sick newspaper-eulogy?!? It's bad enough that these fuckers Worldwide are jumping on the band-wagon, using the death as a sales tool but to use the incident as a chance to push some bullshit agenda is reprehensible. If Mrs Greer was nearly as important as she believes then she should be above this kind of cheap cash-in but nope, she aint. In her defense (to play the devil's advocate of a sort) she does mention:
...Irwin was the real Crocodile Dundee, a great Australian, an ambassador for wildlife, a global phenomenon... but once you get through the entire slab of written sellout cash-in it becomes obvious that it was a disengenuous facade. An intro created to set you up for a fall. Elevating the man slightly at the start to make the fall later in the article that much greater.
All personal opinions of the man aside, he was a great supporter of wildlife, a larger than life character and a complete family man. He was a role model of integrity and drive. Something we could do with more of.
Here's an article that shows the sort of bloke he was and how he'll be missed by all sorts for more than just his fame or TV show:
Steve Irwin saved my life, says diver.
quote for the day:"I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it. "
"I believe that education is all about being excited about something. Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message."
"Every cent we earn from Crocodile Hunter goes straight back into conservation. Every single cent. "
- Steve Irwin
