I’m always amused when birders fret about the way “the others” see us. In a new article in the Vancouver Sun, a Vancouver Island birder with a bit part in “The Big Year” muses that the movie may produce a more positive public image for birders.
I’m amused because I don’t think that birding has a public image. Those as yet unbitten by the bug don’t spend their time thinking about the rest of us and our curious hobby; ask the person on the street what she thinks about birds and birders, and she’ll look at you like you’re insane–not because you’re a birder, but because you’ve stopped her on the street to ask her such a bizarre question.
I suspect, too, that the enthusiastic extra hasn’t actually read the book on which the movie is based. It’s a good book, often funny, but I’d never say tha the light cast on its principal figures is anything but a black one. We’ll see. My prediction is that it will be a very good movie (at least the parts of it with Steve Martin–never heard of the other two principal actors), and that it will have as much effect on the “public perception” of birding as, say, a movie about crocheting or Studebaker collectors might.
What do you think?
Well. Robert and I often share a grin about a friends’ Christmas soiree. Fun house party, lots of folks who knew each other from various places and ways over the years…
We said our farewells and as we departed, we made our way through a small group we’d not had the pleasure of meeting. As we passed, one of them smiled, nudged her partner and murmured,”Mmm, who are they?” He replied without missing a beat, “Oh. Those are the BIRD people!”
…And then there’s my mom. She seems to think we wash in khaki. + don’t get her started about vests and bins and hats……
I actually saw a vest I envied on my Tuscany trip; Marlene gave me the url, which is http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/New_Travel_Vest.shtml . Normally I wouldn’t be caught dead in such a thing, but I’ve got so blasted many gadgets nowadays….
I largely agree. Most people I meet seem to react with a positive attitude and with mild curiosity; as if they’ve heard of people like me but never really met one. Perhaps some are humoring me a bit. A few find the activity inexplicable but don’t really seem to think the worse of me. In other words, there’s not really a big image problem as far as I can tell, except that birding doesn’t have as high a public profile as some would like.