Lauren Sodano
As contributor
As commenter
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Saddest Theme Week Ever
Great post. You are spot on in making the distinction between humans' and animals' perceived right to privacy. We are quick to protect people who are vulnerable or voiceless, but we rely on animals' seeming lack of understanding (and inabil ... -
Capture/Kill, Capture/Televise
The clip of the texting man's close call with a bear was meant to elicit a laugh at the guy's expense, but it made me feel only sympathy for the bear. The suburbs are encroaching on animals' habitats. The footage of exotic animals taken dow ... -
At Whose Expense?
Thanks for your response. We're rarely happier than when we're comparing our cats to other species (e.g., "My cat thinks he's a dog," or, "Watch my cat speak/sing/smile/stand/surf..."). I wonder if it has something to do ... -
Seems About Right
That was my reading, too: after dinner, the cats retire to the drawing room to gossip while the chimps have a cigar and play a few hands of chimp poker. ... -
Great Question
Dogs have a longer history as respectable human companions than cats have enjoyed. I haven't seen many early examples of anthropomorphized dogs, short of C. M. Coolidge's Dogs Playing Poker (ca. 1903) and Disney's Goofy (1932). Most dog pos ... -
Blackfish Screening
It appeared to be a self-selecting audience of people who knew what they were going to learn and regarded this education as necessary. One viewer stood up at the Q&A to endorse boycotting SeaWorld, Marineland, etc. Another audience member, pursuing fu ... -
Timely Critique
Your post is timely, given that the documentary Blackfish is gathering momentum, prompting audiences to question why they turn to captive animals for entertainment. When I saw the film, I found myself silently ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the first few minute ...