I’m going to go right ahead and admit that I’m not a big fan of the Sixx Sense radio show. I do listen to it most nights on the way to work because I like the music. However I often switch the channel because in all honestly the “Rock Star” egos get to me. Obviously Nikki Sixx has earned his Rock Star status. I didn’t know a lot about his co-host when I started listening but obviously being a music fan, I recognized the last name. Kerri Kasem is the daughter of one of the most famous voices on the radio, the legend Casey Kasem.
Kerri has a great radio voice and I don’t want to belittle her as a radio personality in her own right. However I do take extreme offense to what I heard on the show March 14th. Kerri mentioned she had been getting hate mail over something she had said on air. She read, or at least paraphrased some of the mail. It revolved around her attack of hunters, and their part in the extinction of the Eastern Cougar. That’s right the Eastern Cougar.
Now I have not heard her original rant, and rant was how it was described in several online reports. Apparently she had complained that the hunters drove the Cougar into extinction and just are killing off everything. From her comments on the air about her hate mail, I would think that is a fair assessment.
She attacked those who had wrote in saying that they had not done research and were just voicing their self serving opinions. “This is why I am on the radio and you are not.” she said angrily alluding to her in-depth research into Cougar populations, and the extinction of terrestrial fauna. She then went on to mention how the article she had read said that hunting was involved with the extinction.
It is true that the Eastern Cougar is now considered extinct. It has been on the endangered species list since 1973, and it truly is sad to see another species disappear. However apparently Kerri only read, or possibly only comprehended a part of the article. Wildlife biologists believe the Eastern Cougar has actually been extinct since the 1930’s. It was only on the endangered list because sightings were occasionally reported. Wildlife officials believed but could not prove that these were either Western Cougars who had wandered into the territory, or perhaps escaped captive cats. Scientists have long believed that no breeding population existed West of the Mississippi. Many believe they have been extinct for over 100 years.
The fact that the species has been long extinct does not lessen the sadness of losing another species. I for one, would love to see the cougar and the Wolf reintroduced. Nature needs balance, and cougars are a part of that balance. Like it or not so are humans, and hunters. Hunters did play a part in the extinction of the cougar, but so did habitat loss. A large part of the hunting was due to bounties offered for killing cougars. Bounties were not offered just to pay for hunters to get their kicks but because the cougar was looked at as a menace. It preyed on cattle and pets, and were considered a danger to children. All this is a part of habitat loss. We move into their territory, and they have to go. Would you be ranting the same way if a cougar stole your pet? Would you condemn all the condo builders and business owners in California who are constantly pushing farther into the wilderness?
Which all brings to a point the fact that the cougar is not extinct. The cougar is extinct east of the Mississippi river. Cougar populations are thriving west of the Mississippi. Many wildlife experts believe the cougar will one day, on its own repopulate on the eastern side. Add to this the fact that almost all biologists consider the Eastern Cougar to be genetically identical to the Western Cougar. So maybe extinct is to strong a word to actually be using.
So with all this, how much research did you actually do on the subject Kerri? Your on air rant on the 14th was cut off from a quick remark from Nikki, then went straight to commercial so I have no clue what other facts you were about to present. Facts other than you are a radio personality and everyone else isn’t, therefore you are right. That radio comment is what pisses me off the most. Do you really think because you are on the radio, you are smarter and better informed than everyone else? Better than wildlife officials and yes even hunters? Is the fact that you do research really why you are on the radio?
I am sure you have paid your dues. I know you have studied acting and have worked in entertainment in some way most of your life. I am taking none of that away from you. However your comment begs us to ask, would you actually have your job in radio if your last name wasn’t Kasem?
Please realize being a celebrity does not make you an expert.
No comments:
Post a Comment