“Steve was so close he could not get away, so if you can imagine it - being right beside the ray and it swinging its spine upwards from underneath Steve - and it hit him.”
Kind of says it all. The guy got a little complacent and bammo, that’s all she wrote.
This story is totally wrong! This same friend of Irwin’s that they quote in the article saying he pulled the barb out of his chest, was featured tonight via phone on Larry King Live (or some other CNN show I was watching). The reporter asked this friend the question about Irwin pulling the barb from his chest and the friend said that this was NOT TRUE and he was very offended by the reporter even asking such an absurd question. Just thought I’d share this w/ you.
I watched this guy filling in for Anderson Cooper last night ask Stainton if it was true that Irwin pulled the barb out of his chest before going unconscious. The guy got all pissy, called it “rubbish,” and then said he was offended that he’d even ask that question. He also went on to say that he can’t watch the videotape; it’s too hard. But a few outlets are now reporting that he did indeed pull it out, and Stainton was even quoted as saying that not only did he watch the video, but Irwin did in fact pull out the barb. What gives???
“It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest), and he pulled it out and the next minute he’s gone,� Stainton told reporters in Cairns, where Irwin’s body was taken for an autopsy.
“It’s getting just a little weird. They ridiculed Saddam, and he was deposed. They depicted Mel Gibson as a deranged sado-masochistic anti-Semite, and … well, now we know. They took on Tom Cruise, and he went down the Paramount plughole. So this script from 1999 was always a little unnerving . . . .”
I have to say one thing about Steve Irwin’s death. It must be a really slow news week, because I can’t comprehend why we are going into Day 2 of headline coverage of the Crocodile Hunter being dead.
While I thought the guy was entertaining and respected what he did, I’ll point out that Mother Teresa didn’t get this kind of attention when she died. There are a lot of people who have changed the lives of thousands if not millions of people who die all of the time and they never get this kind of attention.
I think my wife summarized it best. I told her that the Crocodile Hunter was dead. Her response was, “That’s sad. I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. The guy was kind of an idiot.”
Mother Teresa didn’t get this kind of attention when she died
Mother Teresa had the misfortune of dying at the polar opposite of a “slow news week” … if you’ll recall, she died literally just a few days after Princess Diana died, so the media was already pretty much completely saturated with famous-person-death coverage. Even so, Mother Teresa in fact got probably much, much, much more coverage than the Crocodile Hunter (and rightfully so, duh). Had she died during a normal news cycle, it would have been even more.
Very harsh, Mad Max. To answer your question about why this is getting so much attention, I think it’s very hard to grasp when the death is of someone so full of energy and life; seems unrealistic that someone like that is gone. I personally have too much respect for someone that loves their children and every creature that walks this Earth to ever consider calling them an idiot.
This is an archived post. Comments are closed.
To leave a comment on a newer post, please visit the homepage.
September 4th, 2006 at 9:56:46 pm
“Steve was so close he could not get away, so if you can imagine it - being right beside the ray and it swinging its spine upwards from underneath Steve - and it hit him.”
Kind of says it all. The guy got a little complacent and bammo, that’s all she wrote.
September 5th, 2006 at 12:06:37 am
This story is totally wrong! This same friend of Irwin’s that they quote in the article saying he pulled the barb out of his chest, was featured tonight via phone on Larry King Live (or some other CNN show I was watching). The reporter asked this friend the question about Irwin pulling the barb from his chest and the friend said that this was NOT TRUE and he was very offended by the reporter even asking such an absurd question. Just thought I’d share this w/ you.
September 5th, 2006 at 1:50:52 am
Yes, I heard the same thing as Lisa. John Stainton was the friend who talked on the phone to the reporter.
September 5th, 2006 at 4:32:29 am
Steve has gone through a lot yet we’ll never know if it is time for us to leave. He will always be remembered. Such a great loss!
September 5th, 2006 at 5:35:17 am
Can’t wait for the Daily Show coverage.
September 5th, 2006 at 8:20:50 am
I watched this guy filling in for Anderson Cooper last night ask Stainton if it was true that Irwin pulled the barb out of his chest before going unconscious. The guy got all pissy, called it “rubbish,” and then said he was offended that he’d even ask that question. He also went on to say that he can’t watch the videotape; it’s too hard. But a few outlets are now reporting that he did indeed pull it out, and Stainton was even quoted as saying that not only did he watch the video, but Irwin did in fact pull out the barb. What gives???
September 5th, 2006 at 8:21:21 am
Sorry Lisa, I didn’t read all the comments before posting! :)
September 5th, 2006 at 8:32:33 am
From MSNBC:
“It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest), and he pulled it out and the next minute he’s gone,� Stainton told reporters in Cairns, where Irwin’s body was taken for an autopsy.
September 5th, 2006 at 10:47:37 am
I heard on the radio the Prime Minister has offered a state funeral to the Irwin family. Any chance that’s true? I bet he’s buried in his khakis….
September 5th, 2006 at 12:48:36 pm
The Curse of South Park:
“It’s getting just a little weird. They ridiculed Saddam, and he was deposed. They depicted Mel Gibson as a deranged sado-masochistic anti-Semite, and … well, now we know. They took on Tom Cruise, and he went down the Paramount plughole. So this script from 1999 was always a little unnerving . . . .”
http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/09/the_curse_of_so.html
September 5th, 2006 at 11:35:49 pm
South Park has made fun of virtually everyone, so it stands to reason that some people would end up croaking or going down in flames along the way.
September 5th, 2006 at 11:45:44 pm
I have to say one thing about Steve Irwin’s death. It must be a really slow news week, because I can’t comprehend why we are going into Day 2 of headline coverage of the Crocodile Hunter being dead.
While I thought the guy was entertaining and respected what he did, I’ll point out that Mother Teresa didn’t get this kind of attention when she died. There are a lot of people who have changed the lives of thousands if not millions of people who die all of the time and they never get this kind of attention.
I think my wife summarized it best. I told her that the Crocodile Hunter was dead. Her response was, “That’s sad. I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. The guy was kind of an idiot.”
Yes, he was.
September 6th, 2006 at 12:21:43 am
Mother Teresa didn’t get this kind of attention when she died
Mother Teresa had the misfortune of dying at the polar opposite of a “slow news week” … if you’ll recall, she died literally just a few days after Princess Diana died, so the media was already pretty much completely saturated with famous-person-death coverage. Even so, Mother Teresa in fact got probably much, much, much more coverage than the Crocodile Hunter (and rightfully so, duh). Had she died during a normal news cycle, it would have been even more.
September 8th, 2006 at 4:55:17 pm
Very harsh, Mad Max. To answer your question about why this is getting so much attention, I think it’s very hard to grasp when the death is of someone so full of energy and life; seems unrealistic that someone like that is gone. I personally have too much respect for someone that loves their children and every creature that walks this Earth to ever consider calling them an idiot.