Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

As many of you would have heard, Steve Irwin (the "Crocodile Hunter" from TV) was killed yesterday. He was killed by a stingray while making a documentary...

I was saddened at the news, and I know I wasn't the only one. Looking at the Yahoo News most popular news items http://news.yahoo.com/i/964, 3 of the top 10 most viewed news items at the time of posting this were about Steve Irwin. I also checked a little earlier, and then, 4 news items in the top 10 were about him! Clearly Steve Irwin was loved the world over...

The strange thing, in my case, though, was - I've hardly watched his show. I've maybe seen him a couple of times on his show, and a couple of times on "talk shows", and that's about it. Yet, when I heard the news yesterday, it affected me emotionally... And talking to others I know, I wasn't the only one.

Why would I feel like that - when I had hardly even watched his show?

I think it's because... Well...

It's a little like Gordon Alexander writes about in the "White Bread Post" http://www.sowpub.com/story-whitebread.shtml ... where Gordon tells his story of selling plain, white bread... And how he became genuinely enthusiastic about all the things you can do with white bread! That's how he was able to sell out of bread!

The lesson?

You can’t do anything well without enthusiasm!

Steve Irwin was always amazingly enthusiastic about what he was doing... And he wanted to share that enthusiasm with everyone else! I think it was hard not to get caught up in it too!

Just a little post to remember a great man...

and a good lesson we can all learn from him, and remember him by...

- Dien Rice

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

I to watch him very seldom but knew him as a brave and sometime fooless man. But loved by all. Maybe that is it. I don't know but when a man dies it takes something out of all of us. I mean women too.

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

Funny how "nobody" watches him (or admits it!) but everybody "knows" him.

I think you're on to something Dien, though he's not on a regular playlist, he was UNFORGETTABLE.

I was thinking about the Fed Ex ad he did after hearing he was killed. In that ad he pretended to get bit by a venemous snake but "no worries" the serum was coming by Fed Ex... right? No, so he died... in the commercial.

Sadly, he really DID die this time.

He will be forgotten with sorrow may he rest in peace.

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

I think it affects us because he was a genuine person. What you saw what exactly what he was. There was no facade to decipher, no agenda. Just a truly passionate person into his work. And I got the feeling that he was trying to tell us something that he thought was important for us to know.

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

I was reading through some of the 1,000's of postings on MSN...

Very, Very Sad... But he Truly loved what he did and people loved him. How many people can say that about their Lives. He Enjoyed every minute to the Fullest and Moved on doing what he Loved!

If you believe in reincarnation, he'll be Back... If you're like me, We've been here in Life a few times before and we'll be back for more. :)

Steve Irwin will be missed...

http://tinyurl.com/mvsuc

Although I do remember, he took a Big chance with his son when he was a baby. Thank god he was Ok But that one got him Lots of Bad Publicity...

Photo: Australia's crocodile hunter Steve Irwin holds his one-month-old baby ... The stunt drew comparisons with Michael Jackson dangling his baby son over ...

Crocodile hunter slammed for baby stunt
http://evalu8.org/staticpage?page=review&siteid=6243

Phil

A Great Man???
 

Dien,

Frankly, I'm fed up with hearing about Steve Irwin.

He was Not a Great Man, he was just a man, like you, me, anyone. In fact, there are other Men who we will never know, who are Much greater. Men who have struggled their entire lives to raise a family and instill Good values into their children, and as a result, end up with children who treat people well. They do not put on fake enthusiasm everytime the camera is on them, and jump around like they've had too much coffee. Who aren't hypociritcal. And who love their family more than life. And have laid their life on the line to fight in other people's wars in the belief they are doing the right thing by their country.

Just because someone gets a few minutes of TV time does Not make them great.

Onwad.

The poster who mentioned the FedEx ad... it's these kinds of things I dislike about people acting in a way in which they sustain injuries. Christopher Reeve, Steve Irwin. Their lives following their rolls?

Michael Ross

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

I will admit that I've been a big fan of his show for about four years now. I believe he went on U.S. television in 2002 with the Crocodile Hunter, on the Discovery channel. I could be wrong on that date, but I've enjoyed the show for awhile.

My children LOVED him. He taught them things I never could. My children in 2002 were 5 and 3. Now they are 9 and 7 and the thought of his passing hasn't sunk in to them yet. When you see someone on TV, you still think they are here. It will be a sad learning experience for these young people.

I can't speak for everyone of course, but Steve Irwin was a compassionate conservationalist that could hold his own with the TV camera. He made learning about wildlife fun, because that was his life. No apologizes. Just the way it should be.

He will be missed!

Richard

Re: A Great Man???
 

Hi Michael,

People talk about people they know.

And because of the TV - millions of people knew Steve Irwin.

And so they all are talking about him now that he is dead. Just because its getting to be too much - so many people talking - doesn't make the man "not great."

"Untimely" death usually wins peoples sympathies. And the person is elevated to a higher position than he should be (And maybe thats why more people cried when princess Diana died than when mother Teresa died). But that still doesn't make him "not great." It may make him "not as great." But thats a judgement call.

I think Steve Irwin was a hero for many. Many got inspired by him. And that makes him great in my eyes.

Re: A Great Man???
 

Ankesh,

Thanks for jumping in.

I guess I have higher standards when it comes to declaring a person to be Great.

Michael Ross

Re: A Great Man???
 

Hi Michael,

Thanks for commenting!


I agree with this. Probably the "greatest" people are not publicly well-known figures.


Your comment may or may not be a comment on Steve Irwin. Obviously, I didn't know Steve Irwin personally, so I can only comment on what I've heard, but I've read comments of those who knew him say that he had the same "hyper" personality when the cameras were off.

(Some people are just "hyper" - I once worked with a guy who was naturally "hyper" pretty much all the time.)


Yeah, I don't really "pity" him because he died, or because of the way he died. I kind of think if he was going to die, he would probably want to die along the lines of the way he did. I guess I had a respect for his apparent love and enthusiasm for what he was doing - and how he wanted to share it with others! He was doing that (via the zoo) even before he was doing it through the TV cameras... Just with the TV cameras, he was able to "share his enthusiasm" with a much wider audience...

- Dien

Re: A Great Man???
 

Ah - thats definately true.

Because I do hold the mushy sounding notion that greatness lies in everyone.

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

I've posted rather extensively on the FIB board about this but I think sharing one aspect is important regarding the way he died.

Everyone is making Steve out to be this big, brave, macho, man and, in some ways, he was. Unfortunately he was also foolhardy...and paid for it with the ultimate sacrifice. What worries me is the fools who will follow him in the pursuit of the Stingrays for their own 'I can do what he couldn't...see?' stupid reasons. They'll be as surprised as Steve probably was when a stressed life form uses the only defense they have left when pursued and crowded to the point they feel threatened.

The BBC did a nice article on Steve's death. In the section, "It probably felt threatened" you can read exactly how the events took place and what the Stingray's actions and situation before the attack were. Here's the link to the article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asis-pacific/5314918.stm?ls

There is no point in suffering unless we learn something from it. That is especially true here. Environmentalists, in their enthusiasm, often don't stop to think of the effect they have on other life forms and the very environment they seek to exploit and protect. This otherwise peaceful life form was pushed to defend itself and you see the tragic result. For all we know there were two deaths that day: Steve and the stingray who had been pushed too far and possibly stressed beyond recovery.

I find it interesting that folks don't seem to understand that stress kills...not just people but other life forms as well. Even trees respond to the cutting of other trees near them (true fact)...so why wouldn't a crockodile, gator, or stingray...or any other life form... be stressed when pursued for whatever reason or handled by one who could logically be considered a predator upon them?

We need to be more sensitive to other life forms and the effect we have upon them. That is Steve's final contribution to our understanding: his death can raise our awareness of the effect we have on other life forms and the risks involved on both sides.

Sandi Bowman

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

If he was such an ordinary person why has his death affected so many people?

Reminds me of that book 'How to win friends and influence people'.

Someone always has to come out of the woodwork...
 

Your Thoughts...

'Crocodile Hunter' exploited animals, critic says
Feminist author Greer says 'It’s no surprise that he came to grief’
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14694683/

Phil

Re: A Great Man???
 

In which case, the Power of the word is diluted and is as effective as declaring a person to be Human. As in, there goes Steve Irwin, a Human Being.

And also, if used for one person, we should thus use it for all people, all the time as well. And again, the Power of the word is diluted to virtual nothingness.

Michael Ross

Re: A Great Man???
 

The cameras may have been off, but there was still an audience to play up to.

I image a guy at home eating cereal. He pours the milk and fills his bowl. He bumps the bowl to the the edge of the cupboard top and exclaims, "CRICKEY! That was Close" in his Trademark manner. I think not.

You've seen that Quarantine ad he did? That exemplifies what I am talking about. It exudes fake enthusiasm, for the camera's sake.

I'm not saying he wasn't enthusiastic about what he did... just that there was a heavy dose of Fake enthusiasm when the cameras/audience was around. That's all.

Michael Ross

Re: Someone always has to come out of the woodwork...
 

I think Steve Irwin got close to animals to make his show more exciting and to bring his message of conservation to a wider audience.

The interview Andrew Denton did with Steve Irwin a few years ago on "Enough Rope" is a good insight into Irwin's character.

Transcript: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/...s/s1732743.htm
Video (part 1): http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/...ip=steveirwin1
Other videos aren't up yet (but should be later this week)
Enough Rope website: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/default.htm

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

any loss of a young life is sad IMO

as far as him being a great man, we all are aren't we? all in own own unique ways ;)

I can appreciate Steve Irwin for the awareness he brought to the animals he "played" with, an awareness and appreciation that could translate to them escaping extinction.

I once read a quote from him saying "we'll save what we love" --I guess that was his place in life --teaching millions to love and help save animals, even the scary ones. For that I salute the man --rest in peace Steve Irwin :)

Heidi

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

I usually appreciate and TRY to understand your posts, where you're coming from and all. On this one...it just reeks of jealousy. Pathetic. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, thoughl

No matter what, Steve Irwin was a good man, making a living in a great way (like many here might hope to do), doing what he loved. What's wrong with that? It's not his fault, that now, people are saying hero and whatever.

Too much is being made of his death. He lived life like he wanted to, did what he did. Too late to over analyize things now. Doesn't matter, and quite frankly, I don't think he would care about our opinions and the media attention it is getting. Then again, I can't speak for him (or anyone else can, but they try to, especially now that he cannot speak for himself).

Richard

'Tain't Necessarily So . . .
 

Let us harken unto the definition of great (as applied to a person). Here's one I found:

"(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation"

While one could argue about attainment or character regarding the person in question, certainly the reputation he achieved in his field places him in the "great" category. Or at least moderately "great" if such a thing is possible.

Not that it's important whether or not he or anyone else is remembered as a "great" man. I doubt very much that he cares about that at the moment.

Personally, I liked the man and I enjoyed his style. And for me, that pretty much expresses why I think of his death as a loss. He was just a guy, like the rest of us, true . . . but the fact is that he went out and achieved something in his life.

Regardless of one's opinion of Steve Irwin, his style, or what he did or did not accomplish, the man DID something with his life. That makes him "great" in my book!

[He could have spent his life watching TV and drinking beer . . . like millions of Joe Six-Packs . . . in which case, none of us would be talking about him, and likely very few, if any, would consider him a great man in any way.]

---- Hugh

Re: 'Tain't Necessarily So . . .
 

Hugh,

Thanks for expressing your thoughts.

He DID something. THAT makes him great - if we use the shown definition of the word. In which case let me also add... his Doing resulted in a Creation... which would also make him worthy of rememberance. For it is a sad fact, the vast majority of people Never Do anything that amounts to much, create anything of value or importance, and certainly never add to the human knowledge pool. The vast majority add nothing to the human existence but additional beings.

In which case, Dien's PhD means he added to the human knowledge pool stuff that wasn't known before. As a result, he likewise would be a Great man, would he not?

Michael Ross

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

Richard,

Thanks for your thoughts.

Would you point out how my post "reeks of jealousy"?

Michael Ross

Greatness and Relativity
 

Seems like greatness is relative . . . Einstein may have been a great man as a physicist, but lousy as a father (don't know that, just using it as a hypothetical). And certainly, one's concept of who is or is not great is a personal thing. Steve Irwin touched many people and turned off some. "Great" to some, a "jerk" to others. As I said, I liked him, his style and what he did with his life . . . so I can only say, again, he was great in my book. He was obviously great with animals . . . I remember seeing him calm down a nervous rattle snake to the point where the snake was comfortable with Steve holding on to its tail. The man could definitely get in touch with those "lesser beings". (And here, some would say he was a crazy fool for doing that . . . but to me, it was "Wow, this guy knows how to communicate with a wild snake and calm it down." It was actually an amazing thing to see, with Steve explaining what he was doing and how the snake was "feeling" as he calmed it down and became its friend.)

So, yes, I'd say Dien would fall somewhere in there on a scale of relative greatness. [Probably just a notch below Einstein : ) ] In any case, I think he's great for his contribution re this forum!

---- Hugh

Re: Greatness and Relativity
 

Hugh,

Thanks for raising something valid.

Steve Irwin, a Great Showman.

Conclusion, Niche Greatness I can accept...

Gary Halbert, a Great Marketer

Bill Myers, a Great Product Developer

Etc.

Michael Ross

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

How many times have we heard the advice....

“Figure out what it is you love to do and figure out a way to get paid for it.”

Steve Irwin had a passion since his childhood and figured out how to take that passion and turn it into a multi-million dollar business.

At the same time, he didn’t let it go to his head because his other passions were being a great husband, a great father, and a great son. Unlike so many other celebrities, he stayed out of trouble and remained one of the good guys. The type of guy to respect and admire.

In my opinion, he was a GREAT man!

Anyone that has ever watched him on Letterman, Leno, Oprah, or any of the many talk shows he was on could see that. He was every bit as passionate about talking about his family as he was talking about crocks or snakes or anything else.

Personally, I learned a lot from the guy and so did my son. He filled us with knowledge and presented it in a way that made it really fun to learn about. I have much more respect for wildlife since watching Steve. Pretty much everything my 6 year old son knows about wildlife, he learned from Steve.

He was a great guy and he will be missed.

Jim

Re: Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter"!
 

Jim - Perfectly said. Thanks.

Remembering Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter" ABC one-hour special Wed Sept 27th!
 

For those interested in Steve Irwin...

AMERICAN news queen Barbara Walters has scored an exclusive TV interview with Terri and Bindi Irwin.

The one-hour special will be aired in the US next Wednesday (September 27) and should reap huge ratings for ABC as Irwin, through his Crocodile Hunter documentaries, was a much-loved TV star in America.

And I'm sure the special will be syndicated world wide through other television networks...

Walters to interview Terri, Bindi
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...2-1702,00.html

Phil