Domesticating Nature for Home Viewers on the Television

This week’s reading involved the portrayal of nature in television, and the idea of being able to bring something as vast as nature to home viewers. It mainly described two different shows called Zoo Parade and Wild Kingdom both of which were hosted by Martin Perkins, and explained America’s fascination with the variety of animals in the world.

One of the most interesting and rather striking points that was raised when reading the article involved the idea of “wildlife conservation.” The manner in which Perkins and similar nature shows attempted to present the idea of wildlife conservation was through presenting to the world certain aspects of nature that would incite awe or interest among viewers. The idea most likely intended for viewers at home to have was that nature needed to be preserved by humans because of its beauty and uniqueness. An example of such a scene that was viewed in class involved the chasing of the polar bear from the helicopter in Wild Kingdom. The polar bear was seen to be in a harsh yet majestic environment and it allowed humans to witness the interaction of an animal in its environment.

However, though Perkins did note the importance of wildlife conservation in creating these television series, the production of the episodes required humans to sometimes interact too closely with the animals and disturb their natural living environment. Back to the polar bear scene, as discussed in class, the bear was running because the cameramen were chasing it from the helicopter. In another instance, the production crew had to force feed a snake with pounds of meat. It is instances like these that counter the overall message of “wildlife conservation” that the show is attempting to bring across because of the fact that some animals are placed under duress in order to create the show.

Yet at the same time, the show still encourages the interaction of mankind with the environment. In one part of “Domesticating Nature on the Television Set,” it is stated, “Scientists would help rescue and sustain the world’s vanishing wildlife for the admiration and pleasure of future generations. They had been, all along, important allies in the production of nature as entertainment.” Here, the text suggests the need to help the animals in the world because they are the ones responsible for allowing nature to be brought to the television set for home enjoyment. In a sense, it is able to reveal the idea that humans and animals are able to work with one another to the over benefit of both species.