D and I obviously had too much free time on our hands last night--we ended up watching the ABC Primetime "news" series called The Outsiders. We caught the series last week too, where they followed 4 Amish teenagers in their year-long journey to decide if they would leave their family and religion or if they would stay. It was agonizing, but very informative.
Last night --- not so much. More like ridiculous bordering on horrifying.
It was about people who adopt monkeys as children. That right there ought to tell you something, but I will elaborate in case some of you had better things to do and missed this fabulous piece of journalism. My favorite line in the show was that the owner had "all the demands of a 2 year old toddler" with this monkey or, as they referred to her, "daughter". I laughed out loud. Clearly these people do not have daily dealings with a 2 year old toddler because bathing, feeding, diapering (yes--sigh--we are unfortunately still in diapers) and playing are barely scraping the surface. I wondered where the whining, the talking back, the flat out temper tantrums, and the picky eating played in. I watched as the "mother" locked her "daughter" in her cage when she was done with her. Hmmm . . . I don't know too many people who would approve of that kind of treatment of a human 2 year old.
Besides the aspect of cruelty to animals, which could have an entire post of its own, something much more than that was missing. Maybe a monkey can grow attached and show its human "parents" something akin to love (though I didn't see a whole lot of evidence of that in the show). But nothing can compare to watching a child grow and develop--to see them learn and look at you with joy and pride as they try something new; to hear them speak their first words (especially as the words begin to form sentences like, "I yub you Mom"); to watch them gain bits of independence and to express their emotions. A monkey cannot be a child.
I felt that it was another example of Satan twisting something ordained of God (children and family) and creating an alternative that will always leave the person feeling an emptiness.
Oh, and the brutal attacks that come later are just a bonus. :)
7 comments:
I saw this too, sadly this is summer programming. My thoughts.... i am pretty sure that those people who treat their monkeys like children are suffering from one or more social and emotional disorders... this is my professional diagnosis, I mean are they serious?
Since we only have 2 channels right now, I did catch about 10 minutes of this last night. It was bizarre and disturbing. I was especially turned off by the professionally staged photograph of one "mother" with her "son," Alex. Of course, she couldn't have her own child. She was too busy motorcycle racing. You can't have it all! The Amish episode sounds interesting, though. Wish I'd caught that one instead. And most of all I wish we had Fox tonight for "So You Think You Can Dance!"
So sorry I missed that one! That sounds so bizarre. I wonder how they would do with potty training "twin" monkeys. I just finished and have some good stories to tell (ps. the twins will be 3 in Sept so don't feel bad about still having one in diapers). :)
I lock my kids in their rooms all the time as punishment. Does that count?
These people must be suffering from an illness because they are nuts! I saw a few minutes of this and then turned it off. I really liked the Amish story last week but this, I agree, was just right out of Satan's handbook. Plus with a monkey you miss out on the glorious teenage years and who wants to miss that :>
Wow. That is really sad and entertaining all at the same time. I wish I had been able to see it.
How are you feeling? How is the packing coming along?
We only saw the previews and Mark commented that before long people will be wanting to marry their pets. Not long ago Dr. Phil had a lady on who treated and called her little dog her son.
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