As far as Shark Week though, the occasion rattles social media and my Facebook news feed has been infiltrated with both enthusiastic supporters of the programming, as well as those who passionately denounce the yearly tradition. [What you get for being friends with a bunch of nerdy divers and ocean-lovers.] As for me? I see various pros and cons to it all, maintaining a balanced keel.
I had posted a status a few weeks ago after the Shark Week "King of Summer" advertisement left a bad taste in my mouth. I was frustrated (and even angry) with Discovery for reinforcing human dominance over nature. With an ecological education, one learns that the taste for taming nature stems from fear. One realizes that the human quest to conquer wilderness is the underlying motivator that has led humans to rapidly seize, consume, and deplete the world's natural resources. The thirty second video advertisement does not aim to convey this message, but the clip echoes what is wrong with society in the way that we view and interact with nature. Sharks are beneath us. We hold the reins. I will not even delve into the obvious sexism. Watch the video for yourself if you are so inclined.
Moving on. The pseudo science has to stop; please Discovery, I beg you. Scientists have a hard enough time translating new findings for the public light as it is. We don't need to confuse people any further. Megalodon is extinct. Myths are myths, and Shark of Darkness also fits into that category.
For a positive outlook, Shark Week has completely transformed and intensified the global attention to sharks, as well as the grave consequences the ocean will face in their absence. Focusing on the larger apex predatory species, Discovery has shone the spotlight on the perils of by-catch and the practice of shark finning. Ampullae of lorenzini and lateral line are now nearly terms of common knowledge. At the beach, I've overheard children as young as five discussing how if they were to be bitten by a shark, that it was probably just an "exploratory bite" and that the likelihood of a fatal attack was slimmer than being killed by a vending machine. Maybe those kids will not grow up to be shark biologists, but if Shark Week instills a sense of awe and curiosity about the ocean into it's millions of viewers, I can be only gracious.
People are paying attention! In my opinion, Shark Week could definitely focus less on the hype of shark attacks, and producers should put more effort into airing purely educational material. But in the mean time, increasing public awareness is still a positive thing. The 'fear factor' is a notable issue that has plagued large pelagic shark species for hundreds of years and Discovery Channel could do a much better job at dispelling, as opposed to encouraging, this fear. As I said, I do greatly disapprove of many programs that are aired on Shark Week. However, ratings are important for drawing in more people. The profit margin might be Discovery's true incentive, but the whole world is concentrating on sharks for an entire week! If people keep pushing Discovery to improve its programming and to banish pseudo science, positive change will surely engender a long-lasting respect for sharks, the ancient wonders of the ocean. People DO protect what they love, and we clearly love sharks!
"We're transfixed by them, prone to weave stories and fables and chatter endlessly about them, because fascination creates preparedness, and preparedness, survival. In a deeply tribal sense, we love our monsters." - Peter Benchley, author of Jaws.
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