Crikey.

Well, amongst the thousands of blog entries, the posts on websites dedicated to the Mr Crikey, the volumes of data traffic across the internet spiking to near-record levels since 9/11, the flood of sympathy and sadness at the loss of Steve Irwin continues this week. It will continue until Mr Irwin is laid to rest at the funeral which will undoubtably stop the nation (even if his family has decided against a State Funeral). The outpouring of grief across the world has appeard to suprise many, including (by all reports) his family, although I am somewhat puzzled by this statement. Mr Irwin was a larger than life guy, a great Aussie bloke who we cringed at when on US chat shows and the like, "crikey"-ing about the world with a passion so big his body simply couldn't contain it. A large portion of this country, and indeed the known world, never knew Mr Irwin personally. But we feel his loss. Why do we mourn for a man we have never met? Is it some kind of emotional response given that he entered our lounge rooms regularly vie the TV screen? A large portion of this country thought Mr Irwin was a madman. An idiot. Just check out the message boards of most newspaper internet sites if you don't believe me. For everybody claiming he was a great man, there's somebody ready to stick it to him now he's gone. I don't feel like debating the methods he used in his shows, either on TV or in his Australia Zoo park. Dangling his kid in front of a crocdile is hardly a sane thing, but then, Mr Irwin knew the risks. For anybody declaring opinions about the man after he is dead, and now unable to defend himself, its a pretty low act. I never met him personally, but somehow, I felt I knew him well. As, I am sure, are these feelings echoed around the world, such was Irwin's personality.
Much bandwidth and ink has been used since last monday, when the news broke just after 12pm here in Adelaide, although it was fifteen minutes earlier in QLD (I know, I was one the phone to somebody in QLD when the news came thru and listened to their radio report) and all the gushing praise and overwhelming sympahy is starting to get just a little trite, so I'll keep my bit short and sweet.

Steve Irwin was, undoubtably, larger than life. He lived his life, and the life of his family, as big and loud as he could. Australia never quite understood him and his mad fascination for every single dangerous animal on the planet, but we understood what he meant for this country in terms of tourism, and local economy. Americans loved him. England loved him. Heck, the rest of the world capable of understanding him loved him. And now that he's dead, Australia "loved" him. I never knew him, but I did admire him. he brough animals to the world in a new way, and although he didn't go out wrestling a crocodile, like I had assumed he would, he did die doing what he loved most. Not many of us get to go out that way. Rest in peace Steve. Hope there's crocs up there in heaven mate.