Jezebel
domestic disturbances
Posts Tagged “
Animals
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Furry Friends
Wait, you didn't want to look at that bare-assed cow? Well, neither did we. And if we have to, you have to. This isn't some kind of Furry erotica nor is it a PETA PSA; rather, it's the creepiest ad campaign in the history of the world, for a Brazilian web portal. The tag line (there's also a semi-nekkid teddy bear and monkey) reads, "Children can learn many things on the Internet. IG Parental Control. Make the Internet a safe place." One can only assume it's some kind of "wolf in sheep's clothing" warning - but for all their purported concern for children's well-being, this ad agency clearly doesn't care much about the psychological implications for any child unlucky enough to stumble across one of these babies. We know they'll be making a guest appearance in our nightmares tonight. [AdFreak via Ads of the World]
Wild Rides
A lucky koala in Australia survived being hit by a car going 60 mph and stuck in the car's grill for 7 miles until the driver stopped. The eight-year-old male marsupial was named "Ely 'Lucky' Grills" by rescuers, who freed his head from the car's grill with household scissors. The koala was in shock after the accident, but was left virtually unscathed, physically. Unfortunately, going on wild rides without protection can sometimes come at a cost: the koala is being treated for a chlamydial infection as he recovers in an animal hospital. [MSNBC]
Animal Style
Who doesn't like animals in outfits? And altruistic kids, for that matter? This story has both! After hearing of a fatal crash between a driver and a camel in the Negev desert, a Tel Aviv schoolboy was moved to design a fluorescent safety vest for camels. (The green vest, obviously, has a hole for the camel's hump.) While the boy's family has no plans market the vest, they hope manufacturers will take up the idea and help reduce camel-related traffic fatalities, of which there have been ten in the past decade. Presumably because the camels blend into the landscape? [The Guardian]
Winston Light
Winston got weeded! His owner, Rich Juzwiak of FourFour (and, of course, Pot Psychology), has taken the famous, fuzzy feline to the groomer to give him some relief from the summer heat. Check out the awesome video diary and captioned stills documenting his close shave here. [FourFour]
domestic disturbances
Pig In Boots!
Behold: something so cute you could not even have conceived of it. British piglet Cinders (named for Cinderella!) is scared of mud — a condition called mysophobia — and wears two teeny tiny little pairs of Paddington Bear wellies to protect her trotters. Her owners, Yorkshire pig farmers Andrew and Debbie Keeble, say Cinders will be spared from the sausage factory (literally): "She's more of a pet really now and she's going to live a very long and happy life," instead serving as a mascot for the Farm Crisis Network, which supports struggling farmers. We love her. [BBC News]
Animal Magnetisms
These hair hats—hats that look like your hair is styled into looking like an animal's face—by Japanese artist Nagi Noda are at once beautifully executed and retarded. We kinda love them. (Click the hair hat to the left to check out more animal styles.) [Hair Hats via Neatorama]
monkey business
Misogyny Among Monkeys Is "Natural Behavior"
Yeah, Jack Hanna can seem a little too willfully clueless, and yeah, he's on Letterman what seems like every other week, but by god, he and Dave have a good thing going, and I just can't hate the guy — after all, he let me bottle-feed a rare baby Bengal tiger back in 1996 when I was a cub reporter for a national entertainment magazine. Anyway, last night, Hanna — the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo — choreographed a parade of creatures onto the Late Night stage, including some sort of monkey — a guenon — with a love of grooming and a seeming distaste for girls. In fact, if the monkey's manhandling of Letterman's microphone is any indication, we think it's pretty clear where the little guy's gender sympathies lie. Clip above.
Horse Shit
Good God. Just moments after finishing 2nd at the Kentucky Derby a few minutes ago, a filly named Eight Belles (seen at far left, she was the only female horse in the 20-horse race) broke both of her front ankles while pulling up, collapsed on the track, and was euthanized on the spot. Did NBC make anything but a cursory mention? No. (Over on the NY Times' "Rail" blog, commenters are somewhat-gleefully discussing the "symbolism" of the race with regards to the Democratic presidential nomination; Hillary Clinton, you see, had her money on the fallen filly.) You really have to wonder about a "sport" in which thousands of majestic creatures are cruelly-bred, overtrained and raced to the point of mortal injury. And all for ego-inflation of a few wealthy owners, the amusement of millions, and, of course, the profiteering of both. [NY Times]
Pigs On The Wing
The huge, inflatable, pro-Obama pig sent soaring over the Coachella music festival during Roger Waters' set of Pink Floyd songs last weekend has finally been found (in pieces) in nearby Indio, California. Reports the AP: "Susan Stoltz found a plastic heap in her driveway Monday, but said she didn't know what it was until she read about the missing pig in the Desert Sun newspaper. 'My kids are going to think I'm so cool,' she said." [AP]
Animal Magnetisms
We just couldn't wait until tomorrow's TGIF picture slot to coo over the three lion cubs making their first public appearance at the Fuji Safari Park in Shizuoka, Japan. The cubs are five weeks old, — still too young to chew meat, and have yet to be named. (Might we suggest Naomi, Linda, and Cindy? Well, that or Clarissa Dalloway, Septimus Smith, and Sally Stephens?) After the jump, video of the winsome trio. (Click on picture to see.) [Reuters]
past fashion
When Animals Attract: Your Cuddly Childhood Creatures
As I've said before, adopting a pet is perhaps the most masochistic thing we humans can do to ourselves. We develop affection, friendship, and unconditional love for our companion animals, all with the knowledge that we will be completely bereft and broken-hearted when we (inevitably) outlive them. But the upside of that total buzzkill (sorry) is that those of us who grew up alongside animals are lucky to have experienced those emotions; through them, we were given the tools to cope with love and loss, specifically, the ability to understand that just because loved ones are out of our lives, the impacts they made remain. So it goes with this month's Past Fashion feature, which focuses on pictures of Jezebel readers and their childhood pets and is jam-packed with warm, fuzzy feelings. (Someone had a kitten named Jezebel! Some of you had farm animals! One girl was lucky enough to have a monkey!) A gallery of the kids and their cute critters, after the jump. More »
Two 12-year old Girl Scouts from Ann Arbor, MI, Madison Vorva and Rhiannon Tomtishen, have refused to go door to door shilling cookies this year upon learning that Tagalongs, Thin Mints and other Troop-approved sugary confections are made using palm oil, which, due to harvesting methods, is not only incredibly damaging to the environment but to Indonesian orangutans. Says Vorva, "We've seen pictures of orangutans set afire and beaten. You really want to reach out and do all you can to help save them." [UPI]
Skip The Shrink
Were the "good old days" better for our brains? A new study out of Scotland says that just 20 minutes of housework boosts your mental health and eases stress and anxiety. In another study, researchers from Norway have found that farm animals are therapeutic for people with mental illness. Patients who worked with farm animals for 3 hours twice a week for 12 weeks showed positive effects on their quality of life and ability to cope. So basically we should all be housewives for Tibetan goatherds or something. Who's in? [UPI, EurekAlert]
clips
Wife Swap: Dad Disrespects, Professes Love For Big Women
On last night's episode of Wife Swap, we got to meet a party animal repo man named Patrick, who pretty much is a composite of every goofy character Adam Sandler has ever played. He burps, farts, howls, has food fights with his children, plays video games, doesn't mind living in a messy home, and party-hops through his neighborhood in a golf cart. After "swapping wives", he ends up with a drill-sergeant type named Michelle whom he despises. He behaves worse than his 5-year-old son around her, insulting her with childish name-calling and repeatedly poking fun at how fat she is. (Note: His wife is just as, if not heavier, than Michelle.) After having an epiphany about his bad manners, he apologizes to Michelle, telling her that since he was 15, he's actually always been into large women. What a guy! Clip above.
pot psychology
