August 11, 2010 by
So, I’ve been watching a lot of Discovery Channel (uh, last week was Shark Week- duh.) and Animal Planet. I’ve come to the conclusion that nature is really cruel and sometimes super gross. I mean, I definitely still love nature and I really love being out in it I just don’t want to see it that close anymore. This is one of those “ignorance is bliss” moments.
Take the female Praying Mantis. She takes a lover- then afterward decapitates him. She chews (or chops or something) his head off! And it’s like, sheesh, he can’t have been that bad. Also, I can’t figure out if he knows it’s coming or not. Like does he know that after the sex he is going to DIE? Because if he knows, well then fair play. But if he doesn’t…something about it just seems wrong. Because, why does he have to die? Can’t she just hit it and quit it? Why death? Nature is confusing and brutal.
She is EATING her lover!! I bet they didn’t mention that on her eHarmony profile.
I also saw this episode where a small lion-like creature ( I wasn’t really paying attention to the name) attacked this really pretty seemingly defenseless bird. And it’s like- hey you big jerk lion pick on someone your own size and leave the pretty bird alone. But then right after that they showed that pretty bird murdering a snake or something and so I guess it wasn’t that defenseless.
Is anyone else really worried about the circle of violence in nature? No one? No? Just me? Fair enough. And I know it’s nature and we aren’t supposed to really mess with it and just let it be but maybe there could be like etiquette classes for animals where they learn that is isn’t nice to brutally murder each other. And also you could teach them how to serve tea because that would be a pretty amazing trick.
So- I think I’m sort of done with watching these shows because they just make me feel really sad about the state of the world. It just seems like if praying mantis couples, who seem like they have everything going for them, can’t make it then no one can. Alas.
