Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id SAA08120 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 23 Jul 2001 18:36:21 +0100 X-Originating-IP: [209.240.220.151] From: "Scott Chase" <ecphoric@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: RE: sidents Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 13:33:17 -0400 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <F274byAU9PngadGzbxn0000437c@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 23 Jul 2001 17:33:17.0607 (UTC) FILETIME=[8F2E8B70:01C1139D] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk>
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
>Subject: RE: sidents
>Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2001 11:20:45 +0100
>
>Jaws the revenge did indeed have the ludicrous plot device whereby old Mrs
>Brody decides to get well away from the shark threat once and for all... by
>moving to the Bahamas (I'd of thought Las Vegas might have been a safer
>bet).
>
Nah, if the vengeful roboshark could wind up at Sea World in "Jaws III" it
could probably manage to make its way to a Vegas swimming pool somehow.
Perhaps it could tunnel through underground and lurk waiting for Mrs. Brody
to take a dip. I don't know if there are anyaquariums in the Vegas area, but
if so the shark could easily get itself captured and transported their for
exhibit where it would wait for the fateful day when Mrs. Brody decided to
pay a visit.
>
>We see her get on the plane with a nervous backwards glance
>(presumably just making sure that the old great white hadn't been able to
>get a seat in economy),
>
What's the pay scale for a roboshark? After previous movie and employment at
a Universal Studios attraction ride I'd imagine the shark could afford first
class.
>
>and then see her plane land, and at the same moment,
>a fin appears in the bay. That's right a great white has kept pace with a
>jet aircraft.
>
Hmmm...
>
>IIRC correctly, some American comedian did a whole routine at Montreal's
>comedy festival on how bad this film was.
>
>'Killerfish' was pretty good, but the best of this kind of film is John
>Sayles' 'Alligator', now pretty true with the one in central park's lake...
>(or was it just Hillary taking a swim?).
>
There's lots of evil animal films out there. Sharks, piranhas and barracudas
aren't the only ones. There was that movie _The Edge_(?) with Alec Baldwin
and Anthony Hopkins which featured a nasty bear with a taste for humans.
Would there be exploitation of prepared fears here? Maybe a general fear of
the unknown or uncontrollable situation. I'm not sure of whether we have
prepared fears for snakes. If so these appear weak enough to be overridden
by experience. Maybe snake enthusiasts get some adrenaline kick out of
tapping upon their tendencies to fear snakes by handling them. Snakes seem
to be popular pets.Handling one might not be much different from the rush of
jumping out of a perfectly good airplane with a parachute strapped to your
back, since we could supposedly have prepared fears for heights. I hate
heights, but snakes aren't as much of a problem for me. I'd rather be near
(perhaps not handle though) a rattlesnake than be looking over the edge of a
cliff or tall building. If given the choice between handling a rattlesnake
and jumping out of an airplane...
I'm not too fond of swimming in the ocean. The psychoanalytically inclined
might say the ocean in "Jaws" represents the vast expansive depths of the
unconscious and a shark would be like a repressed memory or complex lurking
around waiting to overtake us if we decide to bathe in the shallows
(dreaming?). I would like to think I have a healthy and quite rational fear
of getting chomped by some shark which just happens to be cruising around
the shore for food. I digress.
The Animal Planet network has lots of shows featuring dangerous animals
which aren't as far-fetched as the last installments of the "Jaws" series.
The "Crocodile Hunter", "O'Shea's Big Adventure" and "Jeff Corwin
Experience" are but a couple. There's another show which I can't recall the
name of on Animal Planet, but it had three people (two guys and a girl) who
would do really stupid stuff like swim with alligators and sharks. One of
these people (Manny?) is on MTV's show "Jackass" once in a while. One
episode had one of the "Jackass" regulars swimming with a hammerhead, but
having dead fish strapped to his body.
The possible memetic consequences of a show like "Jackass" boggle the mind.
Hopefully getting locked in a port-a-toilet full of excrement as it gets
turned over does not catch on as a fad.
I have seen my fair share of alligators. A lake at the center of one of my
old neighborhoods had alligators living in it. I distinctly remember seeing
one which had crawled its way into a storm grate underneath the road near my
house when I was young.
Gators are the mascot of the University of Florida and have had other
impacts on Florida culture. If I'm not mistaken gator wrestling is a local
tourist draw. Let's not forget "Elvis" a regular cast member on "Miami
Vice".
Ah, the cultural implications of our interaction with animals. It spans from
movies about killer sharks to university sports team mascots.
Then there's dolphins and manatees and all them cute cuddly creatures...so
many avenues for further discussion.
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