Penguin Politics

[Pangloss]

ABC News' Jake Tapper ran a hillarious story last night about attempts by both extremes in American politics to use the Disney movie "March of the Penguins" to further their political agendas. The written version of the story may be found here:

 

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=1203358&page=1

 

At first the penguins were adopted by conservative groups, which extolled their monogamous virtues, and even put them up as an example of Intelligent Design. But then the New York Times and others from the political left came forward and pointed out that there's been a same-sex penguin "couple" (two males) at Central Park Zoo for years -- they even raised a "foster child". This has, predictably, lead to left-leaning groups using the penguins for their own propaganda.

 

But the funny part is that this season apparently one of the "gay" penguins has taken a female mate!

 

When politics are applied to nature, arguments can become pretty slippery.

 

Hear, hear!

[john5746]

Would be funnier if they were trying to use Seagulls as their mascot. Seagull management - get it? Oh well...

[Pangloss]

Mine!

[AL]

I don't get Medved's comparison of March of the Penguins to The Passion of the Christ. The article seems to suggest it has something to do with family values? Huh?

[AzurePhoenix]

So... if the movie was about lions, the polygamists would have hijacked it for their agenda? These people are idiots. Why don't we just make a documentary highlighting the beautiful traditions of parthenogenisis among whip-tailed lizards? Males suck! It's in the animal world, so it must be a politically vallid argument!

[Aardvark]

Males suck! It's in the animal world, so it must be a politically vallid argument!

 

As an Aardvark it seems perfectly obvious that using the animal world as a basis of observation and learning would be of great benefit to the human species. Most animals have a lot more sense than most humans in my biased and partial opinion.

[swansont]

At first the penguins were adopted by conservative groups, which extolled their monogamous virtues, and even put them up as an example of Intelligent Design.

 

 

ID, eh? So the same conservatives that argue that if evolution is right, then humans are "just animals" and could then act as such, are now anthropomorphizing animals' behavior. Gotta love the irony. Gotta hate the stupidity, though.

[AzurePhoenix]

As an Aardvark it seems perfectly obvious that using the animal world as a basis of observation and learning would be of great benefit to the human species. Most animals have a lot more sense than most humans in my biased and partial opinion.

I'd be the first to agree entirely, but that's not what they're doing. They just say, hey, here's a bird we don't even care about anyway that shares some of the values we want to push on others! If this one bird does it, it must be the one true path! I know, I'm being a bit rash, but I loathe political propaganda.

[Mokele]

OMG, the penguins are right, I must live according to the morals of other animals! My GF and I will immediately follow the high moral example of the parasitoid wasps by injecting our young into a living organism so they can devour it from the inside, saving the vital organs for last, until they burst forth from the hollowed-out yet still living body of their host.

 

You must all follow our righteous moral parasitoid path!

[AzurePhoenix]

I was actually considering following the path of the mantis, no matter how reluctant my boyfriend might be....

[Aardvark]

I was actually considering following the path of the mantis, no matter how reluctant my boyfriend might be....

 

What a way to go!

 

Seriously, if everyone had 3 foot long tongues then the world would be a much happier place.

[Douglas]

Seriously' date=' if everyone had 3 foot long tongues then the world would be a much happier place.[/quote']Hmmm, half the world maybe...