SHARK WEEK
RAWR! This past week was shark week on Discovery channel. One of the few times that all of us who love marine mammals seriously consider switching professions. One of the few times where people are rooting for the predator. One of the few times we can laugh at the stupidity of people around wild animals without feeling like traitors.
This year, however, was severely disappointing. Discovery Channel, once upon a time you were a channel for learning and, well, discovery. Now I'm surprised you haven't picked up Jersey Shore.
The shows they did for shark week were all show, little to no learning. In fact, to kick it off, they played a "documentary" about scientists going on the "hunt" for the Megalodon, an ancient shark species thought to be extinct.
Except their scientists were paid actors. Their "shark expert" was a shark filmographer. And their evidence... was staged.
I mean, what the heck!? At least have the decency not to besmirch the good name of marine biologists everywhere, who were watching this saying "this is the least scientifically accurate show I've ever seen."
And it didn't stop there. These shows were all about the sights and sounds and a couple explosions. What happened to educating people on sharks, and also getting to watch some dramatized re-enactments of shark attacks that, oh I don't know, actually happened??
Sprinkled in were some standing favourites of DC, including Mythbusters and River Monsters, and at least those held some science, as much as they usually do, but they have the disclaimers that they are not real scientists and that's not the true point of their shows.
Shark Week 2013, you were a major dissapointment. Not too sure if I'll be interested in 2014.
And I'll stick with my whales, thank you very much.
Speak Loud!
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