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radegundYesterday, the Oyster and I went to Dublin Zoo with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jane_the_23rd as part of her birthday celebrations. And it was enormously cool, and lo, there was a BABY ORANG UTAN, which was one of the cutest, shaggiest little animals ever in the history of ever. (Actually, it's nearly a year old. But still exceptionally cute.)
Anyway.
The baby went over to its mother and began to feed. Jane and I squeed more than somewhat and showed Oisín the baby having mama-milk. Another family joined us in watching, and then the following little illustration of entrenched gender assumptions played out:
Mother Orang Utan: *nurses*
Baby Orang Utan: *suckles*
Radegund, Jane, Oisín and Other Family: *ogle excitedly*
Mother Orang Utan: *yawns briefly, displaying long, brownish teeth*
Mother of Other Family (to children): Look at the teeth on him! He's been eating too many sweets, that fellow!
Jane and Radegund: ...
Mother Orang Utan: whatevah
Baby Orang Utan: *switches sides and carries on feeding*
Sigh.
jane_the_23rd as part of her birthday celebrations. And it was enormously cool, and lo, there was a BABY ORANG UTAN, which was one of the cutest, shaggiest little animals ever in the history of ever. (Actually, it's nearly a year old. But still exceptionally cute.)Anyway.
The baby went over to its mother and began to feed. Jane and I squeed more than somewhat and showed Oisín the baby having mama-milk. Another family joined us in watching, and then the following little illustration of entrenched gender assumptions played out:
Mother Orang Utan: *nurses*
Baby Orang Utan: *suckles*
Radegund, Jane, Oisín and Other Family: *ogle excitedly*
Mother Orang Utan: *yawns briefly, displaying long, brownish teeth*
Mother of Other Family (to children): Look at the teeth on him! He's been eating too many sweets, that fellow!
Jane and Radegund: ...
Mother Orang Utan: whatevah
Baby Orang Utan: *switches sides and carries on feeding*
Sigh.
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-02 04:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-02 05:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-02 06:15 pm (UTC)*appears to have done so anyway*
The Orang Utans, cute as they are, were definitely the only animals in the zoo who made me very sad because somehow, it seemed like they were actually aware of their circumstances.
Impossible to ignore the cuteness of the baby Orang Utan, though. That is just a painful level of cuteness. Except that The Oyster is actually the most adorable creature on the entire planet. And I'm including otters.
That was so much fun! Must do that again. Did you also know that yesterday was the zoo's 175th anniversary?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-02 06:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-02 09:36 pm (UTC)In other words:
.....?!
I mean, I have long been reconciled to the fact that Some People Are Very Stupid (and even accept that this doesn't mean that they aren't people) but this is just....
......?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-09-07 11:37 pm (UTC)