Wildlife and the Media

Hello everybody! Thank you for visiting my blog. This post is all about the media's portrayal of wildlife. Like I mentioned in my first post, I'm just learning to get the hang of this blog-writing thing, and you'll see I've started to learn how to use links, so I apologize if I get link-happy. But all the links I've included are very interesting, so enjoy! 

The Media has a huge influence on public opinion about wildlife. This power is sometimes used for the good of wildlife, and other times harms it. For example, the movie "Avatar" used a fictional background to promote conservation of the Amazon rainforests (James Cameron has really taken the issue under his wing) Another great use of media are documentaries, my personal favorites being Disney Nature films. With such a huge fan base already, Disney is a great platform for wildlife conservation efforts. Their latest movie is entitled "Bears" and its scientific accuracy, and heart-warming, family appeal is what nature documentaries should strive for:

One of my biggest pet peeves is the superstition surrounding sharks. If you haven't read any of my earlier posts, let me repeat: sharks do not target people as food, but media has only portrayed them as man-eaters. (Does the movie "Jaws" ring a bell?) The Discovery Channel has been long idolized for their Shark Week series of shows, some of which display fantastic information, but lately they have succumb to the man-eating stereotype. I think that's horrible, because it's not true, and so many people watch Shark Week that it just enforces the lie. While last year's commercial was hilarious and accurate, because sharks eat seals, this year's commercial made me angry: 

Science television has also gotten into a disgusting habit of making "mockumentaries", that is, fake documentaries about fake creatures. For example, Mermaids on Animal Planet. In case anyone doesn't know, mermaids are not real. There has never been any evidence of mermaids ever, but this mockumentary is so well done that the evidence has convinced an embarrassing percent of the public (Another blogger's opinion). Here's a clip and I hope you all think it's as ridiculous as I do. 

Another mockumentary is the show on Megalodons. Yes, they existed at one point in time, but they have been extinct for 2 million years! (Want to know more about them?) This is a clip, and keep in mind, this is not a real documentary, but the show is very convincing:

My message to the media: please, please do not abuse the power you have. You have the ability to make people listen, and you should use that power for good! Talk about something worthwhile, like coral reefs dying or poaching. People rely on you for accurate information, and using their attention to lead them to believe lies (i.e. mermaids exist) is a despicable waste of time. 

My message to you folks: please don't listen to everything you see on TV or in the movies or on the radio. Use your brain. Do your research. Don't go out laying traps for Bigfoot just because Animal Planet has a bunch of lunatics out trying to find him. There are so many awesome animals in the world that we don't need to talk about fictional ones to enjoy wildlife. Want an example? Look at the mantis shrimp. Here's a video on him too: 

Thank you folks for reading, I'm so happy that my blog is getting attention! I look forward to writing more posts soon, so keep checking back!