Shark Week 2010: "So Overplayed"
Posted: Monday August 2nd, 2010
by
Each year the Discovery Channel runs a week long series of shows all about our favorite underwater friends. Aptly called Shark Week, the promos all offer promises of carnage. They convey a feeling of danger and even go so far as to elicit, or directly depict, fear of going into the water. ANY water. You know, because Bruce from Finding Nemo could jump out of the water cooler at any moment.
This tact has always confused me though, because the overarching message of Shark Week is one of conservation. See, ignorant ideas of what a shark is and does have been tossed at us for decades. In our fear we took it out on the Shark, hunting every variety to near extinction when statistically our odds of dying due to an adverse reaction to antibiotics is higher. And I don't see douchebags speeding their way through the store spearing bottles of Amoxicilin, ripping off the labels to make soup.
I like sharks. I think they're graceful and gorgeous. Sure if they're hungry, agitated, or sometimes just plain damn curious they can do some damage. But ultimately they're misunderstood and in my opinion unfairly persecuted.
Like Shark Week on Discovery, this entire week at GU is going to be dedicated to sharks (and games). The message won't always be "conserve conserve conserve". Hell the message won't always be accurate or fair. But hopefully you guys will see where we're coming from and accept that we're just having a little fun with pop culture.
If you get all noble and want to help the study and further understanding of sharks there are several Shark Week Conservation Partners listed on the Discovery Channel website.
[ discuss ]
This tact has always confused me though, because the overarching message of Shark Week is one of conservation. See, ignorant ideas of what a shark is and does have been tossed at us for decades. In our fear we took it out on the Shark, hunting every variety to near extinction when statistically our odds of dying due to an adverse reaction to antibiotics is higher. And I don't see douchebags speeding their way through the store spearing bottles of Amoxicilin, ripping off the labels to make soup.
I like sharks. I think they're graceful and gorgeous. Sure if they're hungry, agitated, or sometimes just plain damn curious they can do some damage. But ultimately they're misunderstood and in my opinion unfairly persecuted.
Like Shark Week on Discovery, this entire week at GU is going to be dedicated to sharks (and games). The message won't always be "conserve conserve conserve". Hell the message won't always be accurate or fair. But hopefully you guys will see where we're coming from and accept that we're just having a little fun with pop culture.
If you get all noble and want to help the study and further understanding of sharks there are several Shark Week Conservation Partners listed on the Discovery Channel website.
[ discuss ]
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