Remembering Steve Irwin

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted by hpb
Wow, didn't realise he was so well known overseas.


That would be an understatement. I doubt there was anyone of sound mind alive in the US during the early 2000s who didn't know "Croc Hunter". They might not have known Steve Irwin's name, but I nearly guarantee you that knew him when they saw him.

He was VERY popular on the Discovery's Animal Planet here, and had a lot of screen time on US late night shows.

Known and loved across a wide range of demographics. Old, young, rural, urban, whatever. Everyone knew him, and a whole lot still do.

 

[hpb]

Sounds like he was actually more popular in the US than here! To be honest I think a lot of Aussies found him a little cringe worthy... he was a bit OTT.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by hpb
Sounds like he was actually more popular in the US than here! To be honest I think a lot of Aussies found him a little cringe worthy... he was a bit OTT.

We've had our share of American conservationists doing something similar. One was Jack Hanna, the director of the Columbus Zoo. He wasn't as flamboyant, but he did a lot with a sense of humo(u)r. Another was Marlon Perkins, the host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. He was very straight-laced, but in his career as a zookeeper he had been bitten many times by venomous snakes.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Kingdom

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
Originally Posted by hpb
Sounds like he was actually more popular in the US than here! To be honest I think a lot of Aussies found him a little cringe worthy... he was a bit OTT.

We've had our share of American conservationists doing something similar. One was Jack Hanna, the director of the Columbus Zoo. He wasn't as flamboyant, but he did a lot with a sense of humo(u)r. Another was Marlon Perkins, the host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. He was very straight-laced, but in his career as a zookeeper he had been bitten many times by venomous snakes.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Kingdom




That Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins was a Sunday evening staple in our house growing up.

On another note, the pirate ship Steve Irwin has been scrapped from what I heard a while back.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted by hpb
Sounds like he was actually more popular in the US than here! To be honest I think a lot of Aussies found him a little cringe worthy... he was a bit OTT.


Americans love a "crazy" person.

The line "This animal is VEEEERY dangerous. Let's go get closer!" might have been more effective than offering free money for drawing audiences in.