Steve Irwin Dies

[filkertom]

Crikey.

And that's the only joke on this one.

TV personality Steve Irwin, known around the world as "The Crocodile Hunter", died yesterday after being stung in the chest by a stingray. He was 44.

Yeah, the guy was over the top. He also loved what he did, and did a lot of crazy and dangerous things to find out more about the animal world. He worked hard for conservation and education, and he took many more chances than most of us ever even think about, and he died doing the job he loved. Rest in peace, Mr. Irwin.

Comments

[zachkessin.livejournal.com]

He will be missed. He did a lot of good for the world's wild life. I think he managed to do what he did because we all thought he was a little bit nuts and loved him for it.

[valkyrwench.livejournal.com]

Holy fuck. I was pretty much convinced he was invincible. Damn.

Worked hard for conservation & education: that's debateable.

[gypsy1969.livejournal.com]

It is terrible that he died but I'm not surprised.
Actually REAL animal educators hated him. He spread a lot of nonsense about animals around that has set environmentalists and animal lovers back decades. He took risks and he taught people that it was OK to have exotics as pets. I didn't watch his shows because they made me angry. There are folks in this country now that have to rescue folks from bears, big cats, and poisonous snakes due to his shenaigans.

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I read that last night and it really struck me what an impact he had on people - both positive and negative. I had to stop watching him finally cuz his (on-air anyway) personality eventually got on my nerves but I was always impressed by his energy and his exhuberance. It's also strange since he's my age, but as you said he was doing what he loved and from everything I have seen, he was living the life he wanted.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

he died doing the job he loved

Exactly. And maybe that makes his death a little less difficult. At least it wasn't some random accident like falling off a ladder.

Re: Worked hard for conservation & education: that's debateable.

[zibblsnrt.livejournal.com]

Actually REAL animal educators hated him.

And REAL Scotsmen never put sugar on their porridge!

[morpheus0013.livejournal.com]

The only reason I felt this was tragic at all was because he has two little kids.

Other than that, I thought the guy did about as much harm as he did good in a lot of instances. And, he was annoying.

Re: Worked hard for conservation & education: that's debateable.

[tropism.livejournal.com]

"There are folks in this country now that have to rescue folks from bears, big cats, and poisonous snakes due to his shenaigans."

...So...he took people out into the wild, surrounded them with vicious animals, and left them there to be rescued by other people?

...No?

...Didn't think so. You can't blame someone's stupidity on others.

[ddrussianinja.livejournal.com]

Man, wouldn't that suck?

"Steve Irwin, a man who has almost constantly laughed in the face of the deadliest animals known to man, dies from slipping on a bar of soap."

How anti-climactic is that?

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

Bit like the way Rod Hull (of the Emu) went....
falling off a roof trying to adjust a TV aerial IIRC.

One thing for the man; he aroused passion. People knew who he was, he could be imitated badly and folks would know the target.
Which is an achievement... many folks leave this world as much "John Doe" as they came into it.

Re: Worked hard for conservation & education: that's debateable.

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

And REAL Scotsmen never put sugar on their porridge!
Aye. it tastes awful and rots your teeth.

[skipjim.livejournal.com]

Too bad.

Like him or not his shows were always entertaining. I haven't had the heart to tell my kids about it yet.

Re: Worked hard for conservation & education: that's debateable.

[gypsy1969.livejournal.com]

No-- I can only blame an individual's stupidity on himself. I guess some folks would say that if people are stupid enough to see an idiot make a fool of himself and torture an animal then I shouldn't try to educate them otherwise. But I will tell you that his methods are not approved by the National Science Teacher's Association, nor are they approved by HASTI-- the local science teacher's group to which I belong.

Re: Worked hard for conservation & education: that's debateable.

[gypsy1969.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't know how Scotsmen take their porridge because I'm not a Scotsman. What I am is a science teacher and have been for about 25 years. The problem is the general public believes everything they see on TV and only listens to half of what is said.

[unclelumpy.livejournal.com]

Someone on Fark.com put it best;

"It's always 'just a matter of time'. It's what you do until then that matters."

Re: Worked hard for conservation & education: that's debateable.

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

Engineer for 29 years. Mere grunt in the forces of technology.
And with a faint Caledonian heritage via a maternal grand-uncle from Tayside.
BUT I hae tasted porage wi'sugar, and wi'salt....
FWIW I recall reading a supposed true tale where a downed Scottish pilot in the Far East was given porage by the friendly forces he got to, and treated with suspicion because he didn't salt it immediately!

With regard to the late Mr Irwin I am struck by the sheer number of folks who choose to mark his passing in blogs and forum threads. I don't think Mr Rogers got this much attention. My own view is that it's as much bad luck as anything else; he knew the risks and willingly ran them; but it was misfortune resulted in the barb stabbing him to the heart.

[james-rayner.livejournal.com]

He lived the lives of ten men. And he will be missed.

G'day, Steve.