Irwin Croc-ed
“SHOW my death on TV,” announces the front page of the Star.
“Even if a big old alligator is chewing me up I want to go down and go, ‘Crikey!’ just before I die. That would be the ultimate for me.” So says Steve Irwin, TV’s The Crocodile Hunter.
Sadly for Steve, he never did get to be munched by an alligator and had to settle for being speared in the chest by a Stingray, creatures the Sun calls the “pussycats” of the sea.
While cat owners eye their moggies with a newfound respect, we look forward to seeing Steve’s death throes on the magic box. The camera did keep rolling as Steve swam “too close” (Mirror) to the ray at Batt Reef off Queensland, Australia.
And now the images will be broadcast. Who needs the news anchor discussing her “overbearing” sister-in-law when you can have a presenter being killed LIVE! on air. TV outtake shows will have a field day. Now this is entertainment.
We will watch thorough knitted fingers, tying not to puke as Dennis Norden and presenters of hilarious TV bloopers and burps shows try to extract a laugh from their viewers.
But before that treat, a pal of Steve’s remembers the man. “Steve died doing what he loved best and left the world in a happy state of mind,” says John Stainton. “The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist. His last words would have been, ‘Crocs rule’!”
While not the “Crikey!” Steve dreamed about, “Crocs rule!” is nonetheless a pretty decent last utterance, even it might well have angered the ambitious stingray. Perhaps the cry of “Crocs rule but stingrays should get their chance to govern” would have saved the animal enthusiast?
We can only guess what Irwin was thinking. And that’s no easy thing given that, as the Mail reminds its readers, he once thought it a good idea to feed chickens to a crocodile while holding his baby son under one arm.
That incident caused “an international outcry”, compared as it was to Michael Jackson dangling his own son over a balcony.
But let us not dwell on the negatives. Steve left us “sadder but wiser,” says wildlife expert David Bellamy, writing in the Sun.
Steve left us with the Elseya iriwni, a new species of snapping turtle discovered by Steve and named in his honour. He left us with a new perspective on stingrays.
And above all Steve left us with some entertaining and ultimately shocking TV footage. And for that the world of showbusiness salutes him…
Posted: 5th, September 2006 | In: Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
