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Morbid Mondays - All That is Wrong With Discovery Channel in one Clip

4/7/2014

Comments

 
Picture

This video from Discovery Channel is inaccurate to say the least, and is horrible PR for sharks...but is a good summation of the downward spiral of Discovery Channel's Programming.  I feel bad even sharing it, but perhaps in doing so you'll know why I disapprove of most of 'Shark Week'.

Here's this week's video breakdown:

  • Title of Video: '18 Foot Shark Attacks Cage / Great White Serial Killer'. First, there's no attack.  A slow swimming shark investigates the cage (probably after hours of baiting and chumming). 

    Next, there's never been a white shark "serial killer" or "rogue shark" despite any myths, stories, or movies.  Even if there had been a set of unfortunate events this title is not good for sharks

  • Opening line from narrator, "Can sharks sense vulnerability in people?".  Barf. Fear mongering.
  • Follow up from narrator indicates that the goal is to lure the shark into an attack, "such as the ones endured by surfers at a beach".  You're trying to simulate an attack?  Comparing a surfer at a beach to a diver in a cage?  Those two scenarios are nothing alike.  Secondly, if this is indeed their goal, where's the outrage that they are attempting teach a shark to attack someone?  I don't think this can be done, but never the less, what a disgusting line.

  • The hosts states that there's a shark down there with a bad attitude.  By bad attitude they mean a shark that actually paid attention to them despite the efforts to chum and bait it into behaving aggressively, while the others stubbornly remain docile despite the crew's best efforts to get "TV worthy footage".  (list continues below video)

  • The host says he needs his head checked for getting in.  Actually there is no danger.  Since my early days of working on a boat in South Africa in 2004 I've probably gotten into a cage for white shark diving over 400 times.  The only potential danger comes in the form of operator or diver error.

  • The host says the ONE SIDE of the cage that is made of clear plexiglass will cause the shark to think the diver is an easy target, as though the animal is so dumb and eyesight so bad that it will be unaware of the the metal bars on all three other sides.

  • Listen to the fake "underwater screams" that are added for dramatic effect.  These scream are played continuously while slow motion footage of the shark biting the float is shown.  Note, the float is bitten once, but the footage is played slowly to drag out the drama.

  • The on-deck screams of "Get him out of there" I assume are fake as well.

This actually looked like a magnificent encounter with a gorgeous shark that was slowly, and rather gently investigating the cage.  

Who knows how much of this drama was added by the producers after it was filmed so I don't know how much to criticize the host.  From what I hear these shows go in and change the final product so that it is this reality TV drama crap... so if you ever see me on a shitty show like this, before you condemn me, write to me, because there's a good chance what you are being shown is not what was set out to be created.
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  • Shark Blog
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      • Sharktoberfest 2018
      • Surfrider Sharktober 2018
      • Surfrider Foundation (San Mateo Chapter)
      • Night Life 2013 "Killer Personalities"
      • 7 Teepees
      • Great White Lies San Francisco Premiere
      • SF March Against the Cull
      • Great White Night 2012
      • Night Life 2011
      • Gentlemen's Club
      • Scuba Squad Divers
      • Sharks and Beer
      • Launch Party / Fundraiser
      • Of Whale and Man
    • FALSE CONSERVATION >
      • OCEARCH >
        • OCEARCH OVERVIEW
        • Internal Damage
        • Fin Damage >
          • Frodo's Fin Damage Timeline
        • OCEARCH's Pregnant Shark Not Pregnant
        • Science...without the Science
        • OCEARCH Videos >
          • Sinking Away
          • Not Stressed
          • Charlie Rose 1
          • Dorsal Fin Damage
          • PAT tags VS. SPOT tags
          • Tagging Options
          • Message to Australia
  • Videos
    • Stupid Things People Say About Sharks
    • Racism and Sharks
    • Connection
    • 360s Drones and Sharks
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    • Guadalupe Cage Dive Guide
    • minioncam
    • Guadalupe White Sharks 2018
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        • Cape Cod Cull
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        • Enterprise Documentary Fund
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        • Film Festivals >
          • Dropbox Links Great White Lies
    • Short Films >
      • Victory Over Sharks
      • Mothers and Children
      • Sentience
      • Elasmo
      • Shark Rescue
      • Balance
      • Shark Affection
      • Purpose
      • To Touch a Killer
      • Swimming In Shark Alley
      • White Shark Behavior: Part 1
      • Connection
      • Farallon Islands
      • Sustainable
      • Fear
    • Quick Bites >
      • Nurse Shark Barbels in Slow Motion
      • Do Sharks Get Cancer?
      • Sydney Harbor Video of White Shark is Fake
      • White Shark Swallows Tuna in One Bite
      • Gentle Biting and Ram Ventilation
      • Hammerhead Love
      • Seal Swims Leisurely Around White Sharks
      • Great White High Five
      • Petting a Nurse Shark
      • White Shark Tail Narrowly Misses Woman
      • Shark Shart ( Great White takes a shit )
      • WSV Preview
    • Elasmo >
      • Elasmo 0
      • Elasmo 1 and 2
      • Elasmo 3
      • Elasmo 3 Short Version
      • Elasmo 4 (Blue Sharks)
      • Elasmo 5 - Great hammerheads
      • White Dream (short)
    • Surf >
      • Surfing With Sharks - Wayne Lynch
      • California >
        • Jetty, Half Moon Bay, 2/16/14
    • The Price of Existence >
      • Criminalizing Natural Behavior
      • Price of Existence Excerpts with Chris Fallows
      • Dr. Neil Hammerschlag Explains Responsible Drum Lining
      • Price of Existence Trailer
      • Global Opposition to the Cull
      • Daniel Wolfe Interview Exerpt
    • Outtakes >
      • Surfer Interview Outtake
      • Avoiding Gansbaai
      • The Bag Boy
    • Samples
    • Videos from Others >
      • Good Vids >
        • White Shark Research in New Zealand
        • The Shark Man (60 Minutes)
        • Baby White Shark Caught
      • Bad Vids >
        • All that is wrong with Discovery wrapped up in one vid
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