RE: The Failure of Nature Documentaries: Vilification of Species
I agree that people easily develope such emotions. But I dont like to blame the makers of the documentaries for this. At least not in the vast majority of modern documentaries.
I think the problem lies more in the human nature and the way we think. We always tend to side with the weaker, the underdog. At least as long, as it doesn't cost us anything.
Again I like to draw from observations that I made watching live cams of bird nests. Such footage is not narrated or cut to create a certain mood, its just showing live what happens.
For example, you wont find anything cuter looking than half grown little owlets. Until you see them eat, that is.
Or observing eaglets is also touching, and especially american people seem to have a special relation to them. This relation can get a few cracks though, if you see 2 of the eaglets killing the weaker 3rd sibling, and the parent bird just watches and does nothing.
Yes, its the way nature works. Still its hard to accept for most people, even if they tell themself that.
I agree, I don't necessarily blame the directors and studios that make the documentaries; I understand they aren't setting out with the intention of making a species look "evil" on purpose. And, overall, I love the finished products; documentaries are incredibly important. Like I said, we love a good conflict and that is reflected in our views of the animal kingdom; we are always gonna personify certain species and feel an emotional connection. And as educational as documentaries are, they still have to be entertaining and intriguing enough for us to watch them, and the best way to do that is with the thrill of these natural conflicts. It's hard to find a happy medium between educational animal show and action-packed film, and I think documentaries balance on that line pretty well.