And, of course, the animal rights activists are up in arms about the baboon being called a foul name, because... well, they're up in arms about anything that involves animals, basically. If not the cussing, they'd have been up in arms about the zoo being featured at all.
Bowmanville Zoo was at the center of a controversy recently when their aged elephant was euthanized due to illness. And probably about a hundred more controversies before that because a) it is a zoo, b) it's kind of a small zoo, c) it provides animals for movies and d) it trains animals to perform tricks. Honestly, I've never been to this zoo, and I've never much followed the controversy behind it. I am not going to go read a hundred million stories to try and form a basis for an opinion on the zoo, that is neither here nor there as far as this blog is concerned. The zoo may or may not be a good zoo, I would have to visit it before I would pass judgement on it. There are over 800 comments passing judgement on the zoo here if you are interested in reading them.
In the video, the man quite clearly says the bad words when the baboon jumped off a pony(or fell, or was pulled, or whatever). He does not strike the baboon, he does not yank on the baboon's leash, or even raise his hand. Hell, my voice has portrayed more anger when trying to force my dog to poop in the rain than the handler(who is also the zoo owner) used when he called the baboon a name. What people are up in arms about? That he said the foul words, not on live TV, but TO A BABOON!!!
Oh no, that poor baboon is going to grow up to be a criminal because he was obviously traumatized by verbal abuse!! He'll need therapy!! Medication!! Long term victim's support!!! Because he was called names he didn't understand in a happy tone of voice?
Animals do not generally understand human speech. They simply don't. They may learn basic words, like sit, or stay, or fetch. They can sometimes distinguish between their ball and their bone, and they know what the word walk sounds like and that it's always followed by going outside... but they don't understand the words, nor the meaning behind it. It is beyond their level of comprehension, despite all the credit that the animal rights activists give them. Provided you say something in a happy tone, the animal doesn't care if you called it by its name, by another name, or said a naughty word.
It's true, go try it on your dog now. In the tone of voice you normally reserve for the word "treat", call him a "poo head". Does he get upset? Is he obviously shamed? Or did he get excited because of your TONE rather than the words you used?
What a slippery slope we are on when people are calling for "justice" for an animal called an admittedly foul name. Who among us hasn't gotten frustrated at their animal and used foul language? Heck, my dog's regular nickname is "s**thead", he doesn't seem to mind at all. We call him this because he once tried to sniff the butt of a dog having a bowel movement, and *gasp* got poo on his head. Does that mean my dog is abused? Should he be taken from me because I regularly call him a nasty nickname? Is he horribly mistreated and should I not be allowed to own a pet because I call him words that have no meaning to him?
Look at all the abuse, he's got a tie on, and he's in a box, and the box is too small... so abused and neglected, poor mutt.
Wait, can I call him a mutt, is that verbal abuse too?
If we start claiming animals are verbally or mentally abused, where does it stop? Am I an awful person if I call a rabbit who dumps their food dish an idiot? Should people with Tourette's be banned from owning animals? Is it abusive if you direct the insults at the animal, or do you just have to cuss in their presence to offend their sensibilities?
People are so quick to jump on the "abuse" bandwagon anymore, that many people have begun to fear owning animals, because they are afraid they will do something wrong. This whole outrage showcases it quite readily, people are not angry about the cuss words being said on a morning news broadcast, they're upset that the cuss words were directed at a baboon. It is okay for children to hear these words, but not if they're directed at an animal.
And who among us has not cussed in the heat of the moment? Who is not guilty of calling their animal a nasty name when they've done something wrong? Or cursing at fellow drivers because you are FRUSTRATED. Foul language has its place, and I can agree it is not on a live news broadcast. However I don't see calling a baboon a f'n c**ksucker as abusing the animals. An unfortunate slip of the tongue and definitely something that should not have been broadcast, but I am sure the baboon survived the ordeal, and has suffered no long term ill effects.