"The animal world has finally taken its revenge on Irwin, but probably not before a whole generation of kids in shorts seven sizes too small has learned to shout in the ears of animals with hearing ten times more acute than theirs, determined to become millionaire animal-loving zoo-owners in their turn."
So says Germaine Greer, feminist Australian writer and academic, upon hearing the news of the death of famed "Crocodile Hunter," Steve Irwin. Wow! I wonder if she might be able to lighten up just a wee bit in her old age.
If you know who Germaine Greer is, you won't be too surprised at her hyperbolic response to Irwin's death. She is the author of the best-selling 1970 book The Female Eunuch. The premise of the book was that men hated women and that the traditional suburban, consumerist, nuclear family repressed women sexually, rendering them the female equivalent of eunuchs.
Whatever. It was the kind of stuff that became the standard-issue rhetoric of radical feminism. The Female Eunuch is now seen as little more than an anachronistic knee-slapper. Suffice it to say, Greer, now in her declining years, is a malcontent and an iconoclast who decided, for whatever nonsensical reason, to turn her venom toward the chief icon of the cable television channel Animal Planet. She's not exactly your mother's Germaine Greer anymore.
"What Irwin never seemed to understand was that animals need space," Greer said. "There was no habitat, no matter how fragile or finely balanced, that Irwin hesitated to barge into, trumpeting his wonder and amazement to the skies." So, whenever some bumbling human is killed by a vicious croc, venomous viper, or other deadly but noble creature of the wild, it is due to the human's own arrogance and/or obnoxiousness.
The funny thing about Australia, though, is that there are deadly or dangerous creatures almost everywhere. Maybe the people should all just am-scray and let Australia be the world's first human-free, continental animal preserve. (Except, of course, the Aborigines, who instinctively know how to be in perfect harmony with nature.) "Every creature he brandished at the camera was in distress," Greer continued.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mistress La Spliffe
Ugh. I read this. That sententious woman struggling to maintain her own flagging notoriety could care less about animals; Steve Irwin was super-pro-Howard and it bugged her so much she had to drop all this venom the day after he dies.
Steve Irwin bugged the shit out of me but his public role was so much more useful than Greer's over the past decade there's no comparison. She hasn't had anything useful to say about feminism in ages so I guess it's no wonder she's on this trip now. Wasn't her last book about why women should embrace their inner pederast?
2 - Peter J
I've read a few (very few) threads denegrading Steve Irwin's livlelyhood.
I don't understand why or what gets into these poor, lonely souls. What I can tell you is that they're not going to brighten up your life. I could almost pity them but they're not worth the emotion.
It's best to just ignore them. They'll slither away to annoy someone else.
3 - dotz
I cannot believe this ignorant womans rants, she is pathetic to degrade the memory of such a sweet and caring man. Especially with his family dealing with such a devistating loss. It is sad when someone spits such venum at someone who dedicated his life to animal conservation is spoken of so harshly. She is pathetic and the absolute shame here is she was not the one who was in the water monday and stabbed, but guess she could not have been jabbed in the heart she doesn't seem to have one. I hope the the Irwin family does not have to hear about this nasty persons comments and can find peace in all this greif I am sure they are feeling. I truely will miss mr Irwin and his excitement and joy he brought to everyone and the humans and animals alike lost a great man.
4 - Karen H
Im sure she really wished she never said a word against Steve Irwin.
This is the downfall of Ms Greer.
Mark these words, she will be a hated figure, a laughing stock in Australia and all over the world.
Sick lies she wrote.
Germaine seemed to spout venom for a deseased person, he wasnt a MURDERER for go sake.
Steve's popularity has now soarn, sorry GG . Stop the jealousy now, hes dead love, although he will be a bigger icon in Australia than you can ever imagine.
sweet revenge
5 - Sister RaySister Ray
Crocodile tears of bitterness. If she was so worried about his alleged mistreatment of animals, she should have spoken up while he was alive to hear it.
6 - Tracy
You say it all better than I can. Germaine Greer is an intellectual snob. Nothing more, nothing less. She failed to mention that Steve Irwin built up Austrailia Zoo into what it is today, and spent vast amounts of his earnings buying up huge areas of land for conservation. Not just in his home country either.
She was last heard of here in the UK when she got humiliated on 'celebrity' big brother, and walked off the show. All that after panning reality TV.
She set out to shock. The most shocking thing about her misguided tirade, was her uncompassionate timing. She didn't wait for his body to go cold, before she got the typewriter out. All for publicity and attention.
Some one tell her, her 70's orientated views and opinions, the whole feminist blockade are dead to the world these days. No one cares about it any more. She is as insignificant as bell bottoms, tank tops and butterfly collar shirts.
My heart goes out to his friends, family, wife and kids. Let them mourn in dignity and peace. Shame on her, and other so called 'animal lovers' like her.
7 - cp
I thought Irwin was a bit of an idiot at times but overal the guy was just doing what he loved and died what he loved doing. Overall he was an OK type of guy ....but for this FEMALE DOG (Germaine Greer) to come on TV and mock someone who just died is inhumane... Did she Think of Irwins' Family the pain and suffering they are going through at the moment before she opened her "DIRTY HOLE" and her verbal shit flew out.... I think not. If she claims she is so educated and a "KNOW IT ALL" she would have not even gone on TV or Radio behaving Like an Animal they way she did....GREER IS JUST A WASTE OF WHITE SKIN which needs to be fed the the alligators. She makes me Sick to my stomache. RIP STEVEN
8 - Lisa
Hey, I agree with Germaine Greer. Think about it; everything this dude did was in the name of ENTERTAINMENT and for SHOW. He always made sure a camera was filming everytime he encroached upon some wild creature's territory. If you get entertainment out of that, YOU'RE SICK!! So what if he "built up" the Austrailian Zoo; that in itself is a horror for wildlife; how would YOU like to live the rest of YOUR life in a CAGE??? And about "pitying his poor grieving family", "CRIKEY"!! They knew all along what the dude was doing was dangerous and deadly!!! If they all were so d@#$*& concerned about wildlife, why didn't they invest more time and money into rescuing abandoned, helpless animals? No, because that is not "TV quality" or "Entertainment Worthy." Give me a break. Dude got just what he deserved. I hope they air his "death video" on the comedy channel. I'll be watching, and get a great laugh, mate.
9 - Joe Milanese
germaine greers' comments concerning great Austrailian and International Wildlife Conservation icon Steve Irwin mean nothing because her knowledge on the subject of wildlife conservation, wildlife and ecology amounts to nothing. Her ignorant remarks about screaming in the ears of dangerous reptiles demonstrated her total lack of knowledge. These dangerous, venomous snakes DON'T HAVE EARS. Obviously this withered old clam has embarked a fair way down the rocky path of dementia.
We can only be thankful that with all of the fierce, dangerous, poisonous, venomous, toothy creatures that Steve-o encountered on a daily basis, in his brilliant career, he never encountered even one that would attack for no reason. Thankfully he never had to save germaine greer, although I do personally believe that someone should put together a team of brave Aussies to tranqualize and relocate this withered old clam to a place where she could be closer to the rest of the withered old clams, possibly at the bottom of the sea.
10 - jeleen
Germaine Greer is correct. May have been insensitive on some level to say it now but he IS "the" news because of his death and people do comment and give opinion on the news. Like it or not, that is just human nature. And when you stick yourself in the spotlight and make an idiot of yourself (prior to his death), you are giving license for people to dislike you. Besides, no one on this planet has adoration from 100% of the rest of the humans here - that is just insane. Germaine has a right to her opinion as do others who disliked him.
Surely it's sad for his family. But he knew better or he should have known he was going to break their hearts like this one day with the risks he took. That was his choice and their burden to bear then as the reality is now. Sadly, it's the kids that will suffer most. But again that was his choice, what he wanted to risk for them or he wouldn't have taken those risks in the first place.
Irwin was crude, brutish and unneccessarily "in the face" of every animal he ever encountered. All for the glory of the camera and for the big bucks. Watching him was an exercise in tolerance, to withstand his moronic and brutal attacks on innocent animals that really would have rather been left alone. Revolting every time I saw him.
Besides his wildlife attacks which he sold to the world as conservationism (gullible world), he encouraged every juvenile idiotic tendancy in immature, illogical, impressionistic people all over the world. How many other people will go too close to these wild animals because "they saw Steve do it" and lose their lives or limbs? What is the point or the good in that? He could have easily showed how to observe from a distance and do good for animals without wrestling them or teasing them.
Animals in the wild do not need humans to encroach upon them, threaten them by being too close, wrestle them or dominate them. We already do enough of that encroaching with the negative impact we have as we continue to overbreed and overpopulate the world, taking away their territories and then expecting them to just go away so we can live peacefully there where they lived for centuries before us.
It may be a sad day for some that this man is gone but it's a lucky day for the animals that he will no longer be around to torment them. And lucky for those of us who did not appreciate his mean-spirited oafish approach to wildlife advocacy.
11 - bill
I believe that the animals which used by Irwin was lucky because for some moment had not the enormous stress of survive in the "jungle" of wild life. For some moment for example a small lion had not the stress if an older lion eat it, because as you know if there is hunger older lions eat younger alive. And be careful not only older male do it but also older female. That is wild life. Only an absolutly idiot could ever said that Irwin stressed the animals.
12 - April
It sickens me about Germaine Greers comments on Steve Irwin, my children learned alot about wildlife and conservation from this man and his show, obviously she knows nothing of what she talks about, I bet she is the type that kills squirrels at her bird feeder and snakes in her yard. Every living thing on this planet has a purpose, not sure of hers though
13 - Carol
Ms. Greer is a waste of air. How bitter and hateful to launch a personal attack on a man who never said a bad word to or about her. I would suggest she was raised by jackals to be capable of such ill-mannered behavior, but then that would be an insult to jackals!
Steve was boisterous and enthusiastic! He brought positive attention to animals that traditionally got a very bad rap in the press. If you disagree with his antics and how he earned his living, well, the time to express that has passed. It is the height of cowardice to attack someone who cannot defend themselves.
14 - R.A
HOW DID DIZ HAPPEN.
15 - Bonnie
It saddens me that we have people such as this lady in our world spouting off such hateful things for our children to hear. Thank God there are people in this world like Steve who have a heart that doesn't stop giving. Everyone seems to think he did what he did for money and fame. Do these people know that he lived a very simple lifestyle? He gave a MAJORITY of the money he made back to his passion....wildlife. He bought thousands of acres of land in Australia just so the habitat of these animals would be safe. A majority of the animals that live at Australia Zoo ARE rescued animals. People, if you want to bash someone do your homework first. I hope my son grows up to half the passion, heart and enthusiasm this man had for life, his family and for wildlife.
16 - George of the Jungle
Germaine Greer may very well be an intellectual snob, but Steve Irwin realy was more or less a reckless buffoon. I never liked the way he handled (bullied really) animals that just wanted to be left alone, all seemingly to show off for the camera and to show he was the dominant species. I think it's important for some independant observers (not his close friends) to view the death tape to see if he was, in fact, crowding the stingray to where it felt threatened and lashed out.
17 - GARY MOORE
GERMAINE GREER IS AN INSENSITIVE,CLASSLESS,HEARTLESS, INDIVIDUAL,EAT UP WITH SHEAR JEALOUSY,AND BITTERNESS,SHAME ON YOU !!!! YOUR TIMING SUCKS AS USUAL !!!! YOUR PATHETIC TO DROP TO SUCH LOWS,GET A LIFE,AND GET OVER THE FACT STEVE MADE SOMETHING MEMORABLE OUT OF HIS LIFE !!!!YOU WOULDNT BE MENTIONED ,OR EVEN MISSED FIVE MINUTES AFTER YOUR DEMISE,MUCH LESS KNOW THE TASTE OF SUCCESS,AND FAME AS STEVE IRWIN DID !!!
18 - Angeni
If there's anything worse than watching an animal tearing another animal apart, it's the 'human' animal doing the same thing to a tragic victim. Of course, if he hadn't had a penis, Germaine Greer likely would be showing all the compassion she could muster today.
I've worked with animals most of my life and Steve Irwin was a god-send to many of them who were misunderstood and hated. His method was to gain peoples attention and this he did.
With the hundreds of animal shows on television, he found a way of getting people to watch and learn more.
Sadly now, his foundation, Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, could possibly suffer with his loss and so too, will the many animals he brought knowledge about to kids big and small.
19 - bill
I watched ANIMAL PLANET two days before, a all day tribute to Steve Irwin. There I saw that 90% of the corcodiles that he catched (in order to take them in his zoo) had serious wounds (had been mutilated by other crocodiles). Yoy must be very idiot to accuse Steve Irwin that he provoked stress to the animals.
20 - ben
lisa - have you ever been to australia zoo?
I have; I went there expecting it to be depressing like Taronga zoo in Sydney with cages etc. But I can honestly say that the animals there seemed genuinely content and well cared for. it is a much more natural environment than most zoos and looking into the animals eyes you can see that there was no fear or pain. And they were all really healthy and in good condition.
Irwin did make a lot of money out of his exploits but so much of it was reinvested in conservation. If you love animals then there are much more suitable people and organisations to level criticism at than this guy who I think tried his best to promote fearsome animals, which are normally veiwed with repulsion, in a positive light.
21 - sarah
I doubt very much that GG has ever saved a single animal in her life. Irwin has rescued and relocated hundreds of native reptiles, birds and mammals over the years out of his own pocket.
GG is in fact a self confessed pederast and encourages others to do the same so I really don't think she should have any right to pretend to care about the welfare of the children that look up to this deserving guy.
She is trying to get some publicity out of Steve's death for herself. How tasteless.
Its a good thing she hates Australia so much because according to the general population she's not welcome here and hasn't been for a few years. If she ever comes back I hope she gets what she deserves - public humiliation
22 - STM
Why would anyone pay any attention to anything Germaine says? Seriously, she is a cantakerous, ego-driven old fart whose great contribution to 20th-century pop culture is making a whole generation of women feel guilty for marrying, quitting work and having children.
Paradoxically, her REAL contribution to society is not having made any personal addition to the human gene pool.
Who's really interested in what she thinks anyway? ... does she really have anything worthwhile to offer? The female eunuch, indeed.
She now lives alone in a little house in rural England. Her main day-to-day contact in recent years has been with her dog. No-one else really wants to be friends, and vice=versa, by all accounts.
So more poo on yer shoe, Germs.
At least Irwin was trying to sell something useful: conservation; unlike others, who have nothing to sell but self-opinionated claptrap and worn-out ideas.
Please, Germs, stay over there. Australia's a wonderful place, especially since you left, and it's even better while you remain 10,000 miles away on the other side of the world.
23 - POTClover
Greer is an insensitive, malcontent, evil, horrible woman. She has no sense of pity whatsoeve. She is so not welcome back to the Gold Coast. She knows nothing. How could she attack Steve Irwin after
he died, when he cannot defend himself?????!!!!! She is such an evil twisted coward.
24 - Sara
If the world were fair, Greer would be the one stung by the stingray.
25 - Anna
I don't understand why people said he liked to "show off" for the camera. He wanted to be filmed so viewers at home would have a better understanding of animals people would normally hate (as someone said before me)Honestly, if he really was trying to "show off" then no one would have watched his show and he wouldn't have been as respected as he is.