The Exploitation Of Bindi Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter’s Daughter
When he was killed by a stingray, his countrymen down under, and millions of fans around the world grieved.
Unfortunately, his eight-year-old daughter Bindi Irwin, hasn’t been given an opportunity to grieve or be a carefree child.
When Bindi’s brave little speech about her father at the Steve Irwin memorial service was received with universal praise and admiration, her family realized that the cute little girl was now their meal ticket.
The weight of the Irwin moneymaking machine has been put on her tiny little shoulders.Â
Bindi is the star of a new 26-part nature documentary show Bindi, The Jungle Girl.
Bindi Irwin is in America on a whirlwind tour that involves a gig on David Letterman and other TV shows , an address to the National Press Club and other appearances to promote Australia.
What the hell can a pigtailed 8-year-old girl share with the National Press Club? Is she going to pontificate on how the World Bank enslaves Third World countries?
Steve Irwin’s used his charisma and pluck not only to rake in untold millions, but also to become an ambassador for Australia.
Bindi Irwin’s pigtailed-charm has come to symbolize child exploitation. Her manager claims that Bindi isn’t being overworked, and that she doesn’t have to make any appearance if she is tired or just doesn’t feel like it.
Yeah right!
“Listen Dave, this is Mr A-Hole, Bindi’s manager, I’m sorry but she can’t make your show tonight. Bindi wants to stay in her hotel room and play with her Barbie instead.
Bindi may be a little child, but she senses that her family and entourage are relying on her. She’s a little trooper and would work herself to death to please her family and manager.
I refuse to participate in the exploitation of a young child; I will not watch Bindi’s documentary nor buy any Bindi merchandize for my young nieces.
Possibly related posts...
I write a weekly column for a small town newspaper in Virginia, and I also write for several Web sites. Please leave a comment or send me an email at: rreyes4966@aol.com | More from Robert Paul Reyes
Stumble It!
Yes KVolz, she destroyed the tape. In the age of the Sleaze-Chic when flashing a pussy is barely shocking, Terri Irwin chose to act with decency.
*****
There had been speculation that video footage of his death – caught on camera as he was diving to make a documentary about Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef – could eventually end up on the internet.
The Queensland state coroner said the only remaining video tape had been given to Terri Irwin just before Christmas.
“The footage has been the subject of widespread media interest and it was wholly appropriate that we took all possible steps to ensure something of such a personal and tragic nature did not fall into the wrong hands,” Coroner Michael Barnes said in a statement.
“This is in line with the wishes of the Irwin family.”
Last year, Terri Irwin ruled out showing the video in a television interview, saying: “What purpose would that serve?”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6229757.stm?ls
Australian authorities last week said that they had completed an investigation into Irwin’s death and, to ensure it is never made public, destroyed all but one copy of a tape showing Irwin’s death.
The incident was captured by the documentary crew of “Ocean’s Deadliest”, the Discovery wildlife special Irwin was filming at the time of his death.
This video was handed to his widow, Terri Irwin, who told TV’s Access Hollywood in an interview being aired on Thursday and Friday this week that she had now destroyed this footage.
“There’s standard protocols for examining certain evidence and that’s no longer necessary,” she told Access Hollywood.
Asked whether she kept the video returned to her, she said, “Oh no, all footage has been destroyed.”
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dailynews/3928199a1860.html
*****
If Terri Irwin was such a greedy media whore, she would had sold the video, yet she destroyed the last copy. This is one of the things that tell me than Bindi is allright.
Did she really destroy the tapes? That is a relief! These days, I wouldn’t be surprised if later on they made a special on the Crocodile Hunter that showed his death. That would be terrible. Death is shown in so many movies, but it is different than a tragedy happening in real life.
There’s a thing I need to say about all this. I think we need to take a chill pill about all this. Children like Bindi Irwin are legion out there. There’s kids in comercials and movies since they existed. Even if we ask ourself some questions about her age, we saw many kids in show business who turned very well. I don’t see Dakota Fanning suffering in any way, don’t you? Sherley Temple lived a good life after her movie carrer and the Olsen twins (kinda) look normal to me.
Let’s not keep out of mind that being a parent is a tough job. There’s tons of persons out there who are good at laying blame on those who don’t raise their children right by some term dictated by them. Unless youu are a sick couple in Seattle trying to turn an mentaly inapt child into a living doll throught Nazi SS surgery, I don’t see how I can lay blame on them.
I don’t know Bindi Irwin. I don’t know her mother Terri Irwin. By this, I can’t lay a judgment on their attitudes and abilities surounding showbiz. What I know is that when Mrs Irwin saw that her child wasen’t griefing the lost of her father, she brought her to a shrink.
***
In an interview in The Australian Women’s Weekly to be published today, Mrs Irwin said she had taken eight-year-old Bindi and her two-year-old brother Bob to a psychologist.
“I don’t pretend to have all the answers,” Mrs Irwin said.
“I met with a psychologist and that’s been a tremendous help for me.
“I asked him if everything was OK, because Bindi has been so happy.
“And he said, ‘Why? Are you worried? That’s what you are shooting for. That’s what you want – a well-adjusted child who can handle a tragedy and see that life goes on’.”
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20796831-5008780,00.html
***
Let’s see it that way; do this is the reaction of a ballanced mother? I would say yes. The idea that she destroyed all the tapes containing the footage of her husband’s death is also a good thing.
Let’s give it a rest, Bindi is allright.