I loathe anthropomorphism, or any kind of wet sentimentality about animals. Not only is it demeaning to the animals, it pushes humans into a sickly, soft-brained second childhood, where they decorate their desks with bad watercolours of kittens, and place obituary notices in pet magazines, pledging that they will meet their deceased mutts "at the Rainbow Bridge".
On the other hand...
aaaaawwwwwwwww....
18 comments:
Awwwwwww, look at the beautiful tiger cubs!
Ahem.
Speaking of anthromorphism: "Orang utan" in Bahasa Malaysia and Indonesia is derived from "orang hutan" (i.e., "people [of the] jungle")... :)
There's a line between dressing-up-dogs syndrome and finding animals cute. The cute thing is a coded biological response designed to encourage adults to protect their young and not just see them as vunerable and easy to mug. Probably. I'm sure I read that in a book somewhere. A book with no pictures.
But the tigers start to eat meat at three months.
Can't someone tell them that meat is murder?
i think you should put that picture on the cover of your new book, it's very Radiohead.
i refer to my dog as a potato. does this make me 1. soft, or 2. a vegemomorphist?
probably both.
Awwwww - I love orangutans, with their red hair and glum expressions - oh wait, that's anthropomorphism - Bad blogger...
Aw?
It made me think 'Eurrrgh'.
it's the look of ecstasy on the orangue's face that makes it. he's is RIGHT on the verge...
Well, considering that was just a holding measure to negotiate a short period of writer's block, that provoked a healthy variety of responses, dinnit? Normal service will be resumed anon.
btw, I once went to a zoo a couple of hours outside Bangkok that had two Rotweilers, a tiger and a pig in the same cage. They all seemed fairly happy, although the pig had what looked like a fairly serious lovebite on its arsecheek.
We saw a report on the BBC news about it, and Molly found it cute ... until I ruined the moment by pointing out that tigers are unsociable meat-eaters and at some point instinct would kick in and the tiger would take the ape's head off with one paw movement.
Wonder if they'll put that on the news?
Nice headline on your post!
i've a place next to the safari park with them babies, plan to go and have a cuddle this weekend. you gonna call me names?
have a good weekend, tim!
To assume that an animal could be demeaned by anything that humans do - isn't that a form of anthropomorphism? I really don't think the dog gives a toss as long as it gets fed and sheltered and allowed to feel part of the pack.
Well that was cute. So was "perineal spunkmuppet" --
Good luck on your book.
Oddly, just as I read this, the BBC was advertising Crufts. Apparently it's 'the show dogs dream about'. If that's not sickening anthropomorphism I don't know what is.
If anybody's worried about the orangs, they'll be separated from the tigers at three months. That's when the cats get all Shere Khan.
Elizabeth: Dogs do dislike being dressed as bees. I know this for a fact.
Corin: Don't get me started on dog shows. I think every owner who has a dog's tail docked for non-medical reasons should have an equivalent percentage of his/her body removed at the same time.
I so agree on the anthropomorphism, Tim! I was only saying as much to Oz the other day as he tried to get out his Seaside Shirt so we could watch Tom & Jerry in comfort.
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