Happy 1/2 Birthday
After yet another two days of jury duty (which I’ll post about later on – frankly I’m still cooling down), I’ve had a lot of time to read and think. One thing I thought a lot about was Butterstick. I’m a nice girl, I swear. But, I just do not like the pandas and not because I have anything against the small bear, but really as a critique of the media coverage it (and other animal news) receives.
So today as I was waiting in my jury room, reading the Washington Post Express, there’s a nice little spot for the six month birthday of Butterstick. A six month birthday news alert. We don’t celebrate half birthdays for humans and a panda gets a 4 inch by 4 inch square in the Express?
The bear is cute, undeniably. I just don’t understand the coverage.
I think the media frenzy makes sense if you think about how Tai Shan is a safe topic in this touchy town – a non-partisan non-political Washingtonian icon, if you will.
And obviously, a lot of it has to do with the fact that so few panda cubs survive birth in captivity. It is a big deal for zoology/biology/etc. That’s the reason for celebrating the six month mark. Most don’t make it that far.
There’s also the fact that 6 months old means another 6 months of ticket-only viewing, then a year past that till he’s shipped away. Think of it as a 1/4 through-with-you celebration if you prefer.
Who cares about Pandas?!? When the National Zoo gets Polar Bears, that’s when I’ll start heading there more than once every 5 years. I’ve been to the National Zoo like 5 times and EACH time the pandas just sit there doing nothing. I’ve been the Baltimore Zoo 3 times (now closed I think) and the Polar Bears cracked me up by doing the back-stroke, hitting each other, and playing with their bear toys! Up with Polar Bears, down with Pandas!
Took a loooooooong lunch in the hopes of seeing Butterstick. He was asleep out of view and ma and pa were sleeping far from the walkway. Oh well.