As the channels that we were unauthorizedly getting through our ultra-basic cable hookup disappear (goodbye, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, FX, VH1), my love-hate relationship with Animal Planet grows ever more intense. I believe that I have already mentioned my embarassingly emotional reaction to "Animal Cops," which kept me up until 2am last night the better to be traumatized by the animal hoarders, the "bait dogs," and the rectum tumors.
Now I am watching a show about "bad" animals. They do this all the time on this channel, with the judging. Right now at this moment they are chiding elephant seals for fighting, when all the elephant seals are doing is being elephant seals to the best of their ability. In recent weeks I have been treated to a countdown of the world's "grossest" animals, and a "who's the scarier predator: hippos or crocodiles?" faceoff with an actual points system. I do not know what is with the smarmy. Do people respond to this? Does it make them feel better to think about the poor oral hygeine of the monitor lizard?
Posted by hilatron at May 1, 2004 01:36 PM | TrackBackYe gods. Hilatron, take two Nickelodeons and call me in the morning. And you think I'M weird for watching news on WGOP, er, WMUR-TV.
Posted by: Doombot at May 1, 2004 02:35 PMOur small blue bird, on the other hand, can be very bad. He knows he has to stay in his cage when the windows are open-- and now as it gets warmer open windows often must be-- so he's developed this tactic of diving into his seed cup and spewing seeds all over the bedroom. Seeds on our toothbrushes, seeds in the bed, seeds in the sock drawer... you can imagine. He also does this thing I can't describe very well but is his birdy way of dragging a metal cup against his cell bars. I wish there was some way to explain to him that his good behavior will mean more time out of his cage-- do you think animal planet can help me?
Posted by: tree at May 2, 2004 07:23 AMComcast is doing the same to me, those dirty bastards. So I'm kind of latching on to Cartoon Network.
Posted by: EV at May 2, 2004 10:41 AMAnimal Planet's tough, man. On the one hand, you got your Jeff Corwin, which can be nice, but then you have things that LOOK like they're going to be all cute and then they go to hell.
Case in point: was having absolutely horrible morning a few months ago and decided to watch "That's My Baby", thinking that no show about a little baby animal could be anything but comforting AND THEN THE BABY OTTER WAS STILLBORN. I cried for about an hour.
Posted by: nikita at May 3, 2004 01:37 PManimal cops is not good to watch late at night. or really, at any time. but it does make you lavish more love and attention on your creature, so i'm sure that does some good in the world. sigh.
one of my neighbors have a pitbull that i'm pretty sure he rescued or adopted from a rescure org... because she has no eyeballs. none. NONE. NO EYEBALLS.
animal abusers should be.. i don't know. something terrible.
Posted by: j at May 4, 2004 09:59 AM