I don't want to sound naive but this show is so depressing, not because of what man is doing to the earth, I get that pounded at me every day. but I do not think I have seen a joyous moment in the whole show. The beautiful scenery and displays of life the in its natural habitat is uplifting, then to hear moments later hearing Sigourney Weaver saying they are all going to DIE. Come on Discovery, was there a least one happy moment in the entire five years?
This message has been edited. Last edited by: chimp123,
I totally agree. I timed it, and there are barely more commercials than there are constant death scenes! Yes, animals kill each other in the wild to live, but your editors seem to show a death scene every 3-4 minutes, not counting the two commercial breaks every three or four minutes. I love animals and am a nature person. They is much joy in the wild world. Too bad your editors and camera people couldn't see it!
The both of you seem to missed th point of nature. It's not the death of the animal or creatures. It is the pure survival of the species. We as humans slaughter many type of animals on a daily basis for our food chain. The animals of the wild have theirs, no animal dies needlessly in nature. If you can't accept nature for what it is as it was created on our planet for millions of years, than maybe you shouldn't watch the series.
Like I said, I am not trying to seem naive, I know about the food chain and I quite enjoy being on the top of it. I hunt, with a bow no less, and I have watched more than one deer bleed to death because of my aim. So I think I am a little beyond the "I don't want to see the poor little sea turtle get eaten by the big bad bird" naiveté. What I am talking about is if you were to compare this series to Blue Planet: Seas of Life, this series is decidedly pessimistic and morose.
I have to agree there is too much emphasis on predator-prey relationships in this series, and it is depressing to watch. It's concerning that some animals have taken to eating prey they normally wouldn't, as in the sea lions eating penguins, and the lions eating the elephant, both of which were grueling to watch as was the great white eating seals. I saw the first segment of the "Galapagos" series on National Geographic Channel tonight on On Demand and there was much less "eating each other", more on symbiotic relationships and fun, where the sea lions were shown "toying" with the iguanas in the water - much more fun to watch.
This is nature - life and death - both beautiful and terrifying. And to be fair - humans are just as predatory and are the most destructive creatures on the planet. Why is it that you want it to be censored? You are doing a great job of turning a blind eye to reality...that's why genocide goes on around the world while we just sit around doing nothing.This is also why species die off...because of ignorance like this.
Personally I have no big problem with death, I guess I'm one of those people that's just really comfortable with the fact that death and life are not separate entities. I can, however, understand why someone wouldn't want to watch death - because it's scary due to the fact that humans don't face death by coming close to it or seeing it happen around them anymore, so naturally there's more discomfort. Then again, it seems like you're criticizing the show itself for showing this side of nature, which is about 80% of what life is all about. The other 19% is about reproduction, but some people find that just as disgusting as death. This show isn't a bad show for displaying the truth. It may be a bad show for your personal tastes but by no means does that make it worth any less in the long run. One thing that stuck out to me was the scene when an arctic fox (I believe) snatched a baby bird of some sort. It was sad, but then you see that the fox had six pups. The real question is what you want out of the show - fun or education. Because trust me, while there are plenty of cutesy moments in nature, there are a trillion times more non-cutesy moments. But in their own right they are definitely beautiful once you get past the "awww poor ___" and down to the nature of well... nature.
Death is the final phase of life. It is nature. Everyday for an animal is a struggle to survive. They do not have hamburgers placed at their feet on a silver platter like we humans do. Their lives are consumed by surviving and hunting. An animal in the wild must kill everyday to just live, so it is going to be shown on tv, especially a documentary showing the struggles of animals and the environment. It isn't pretty to watch but it must happen. As a human race we are too sheltered from the plights of wild animals. We have been fed shows that edit all the "harsh and bloddy" scenes but these are a part of every animals life, even us humans.
It is interesting how some people just start spouting off before Reading both my posts. I am critiquing the tone of the show, not the fact that things die, nor should I be shielded from it. I can even respect the camera crew’s decision to not help the Polar bear, understanding that these people have a code about not interfering with the cycle of life. I have been watching Discovery’s offerings for years, this series just seems off, maybe it is Sigourney Weaver’s voice, or the producers were depressed or angry, or the camera crews thought we want total nonstop drama, but it is just has this hopelessness about it. When you compare this series to the Blue Planet series you will understand what I mean.
I actually think the series was very beautiful and honest. Yes, I agree that sometimes it was very blunt about saying "In a few years these species WILL die and yada yada" And that scene with the polar bear trying to get food was sad. (Not to mention I felt a bit guilty eating fish that night) But I think it was being realistic and honest of whats going to happen to the animal species. The show was ment to inspire us. To look at our world in a different way and help protect it. If all they said was how wonderful and lively it all is, people wouldn't think anything of the polar bears or the humpback whales. Not saying that there IS anything that we can do for them, but it helps us think about ALL the other species and us as well.
Well said ztef! I agree totally - it's about real animal life and while the tone may have been too graphic for some, it also emphasizes the fragility of the food chain. I hope Discovery replays it again as a marathon on a weekend so I can watch all the episodes.
Referring to your complaint in the tone of the series. It is because the Earth is depleting. All the animals are stuggling to survive. That is why they are acting out of character and hunting things they don't usually hunt. They are desperate now. The aim of the series was not to film endagered species but it just so happened that every species they decided to film was at risk of extinction. So it is a reality that nature is undergoing and we are witnessing it when Planet Earth attempts to flim a random species. It is a great indicator that our Earth is dying. Its not just talk or rumours or something that will happen down the road...it is occuring as we speak and the animals are stuggling to survive. If you complain that it is depressing, it is because our Earth is depressing right now, our lives, nature, forests, rainforests, species, everything, and humans have done this but the message is just not getting accross.
This is nature. It is difficult for animal to survive out there. Nature can be cruel but it can also be beautiful. Animals have their own order and their own systems. They may lose a litter of young but they will have more. They may evict an elder because it was his/her time to go and keeper them around could slow the pack etc.. Carnivore keep the other animals in check so they do not grow to large. Other animals eat smaller prey animals that may damange crops etc they have a reason for doing what they do where man kills each other for no reason.
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