HOGZILLA II - SON OF HOGZILLA: CNN is reporting a story today, out of Alabama, about a kid who shot and killed a 1000 pound wild boar: Eleven years old (the kid). Five shots from a handgun. Chased it for more than three miles. CNN notes that the feat has earned him a cameo in an upcoming film about a slightly smaller beast, slain in Georgia a few years ago.
When it comes to hunting though, many of us city dwellers are pristinely (and contentedly) ignorant. I have contrasting images of the activity in my head, to say the least.
The first, probably, is of De Niro pursuing the big buck up on the ridge lines in The Deer Hunter. The next, inevitably, is some variation of the Dick Cheney / Canned Pheasant / Birdshot-in-the-Grill scenario. The former feels like a primal, noble activity that celebrates man's ancient ties to the land and his struggle to survive upon it. (I know that sounds suspiciously like Ted Nugent propaganda. Just deal with it.) The latter -- including related activities like shining deer with high-beams or shooting them at feeders installed on fenced-in acres of scrub oak and mesquite -- on the other hand... what is that? Thrill killing hiding in the garb of a right of manhood?
Then there is the commercial middle ground, which aggressively muddles the sporting aspect with testosterone. Check out the two promotional clips at the following link, by the folks at Nodak Outdoors. These guys are obviously very good at what they do, and whoever did the sound design for their vids was really smart about making sure the waterfowl remained audible over the speed metal. Freaky fresh explicit harvest action.
By any philosophical measure, this kid has got to feel like the king of the world. (Even if "The Legend of Hogzilla" isn't the beginning of an A-List film career.) Still, kind of sad. I can't get the boar god from Princess Mononoke out of my head.
No comments:
Post a Comment