tomorrow's new absurdity;

Why David Attenborough and Africa is so totally cool?!

I never really put much of my writing material on my blog, because I am trying to keep it based on my fashion loves and my general pathetic longings with silly item purchases. But, I've decided that perhaps a little article wouldn't go amiss. So y'know if you have some spare time, don't fear the clothes will be back soon, give this a gander. This is written for Warwick University's The Boar by little old me. Yeah, yeah I know.

Yes folks, the BBC have managed it again. The people of the nation have already begun to fall into the slump commonly diagnosed as the ‘January blues’. After an exceptionally lethargic, glutton-filled Christmas and the impending horror of overdue essay deadlines and exams, what better form of epic escapism than our very own national treasure: David Attenborough. Whilst we battle the usual winter misery and head back to the hustle and bustle of our ‘concrete jungle’, Attenborough’s husky, dulcet tones narrate a much more distant jungle: Africa.

It’s his infamous narration that has made him a British icon and after working for over 60 years at the forefront of wildlife documentaries, it’s no surprise that yet another of his programmes has become an instant success with over 6.5 million viewers on the first night. I feel I speak for all of us when I say that David is the extra Granddad we never had, his boyish passion, jovial face and plodding determination epitomise his British-ness and have led to his longevity as a presenter. So every Wednesday at 9pm, we tune in to see our favourite, friendly grandfather’s creation; one which, I dare to assert, is truly magical. Sorry, I know, but I’m a sucker for a baby elephant or a comic meerkat. Aren’t we all?

From the Atlas Mountains in the North of Algeria, to the fiery Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, the jungles in the Congo and the expanses of the turbulent Atlantic Ocean in the West, Attenborough’s latest masterpiece is a programme 4 years in the making. It took 79 expeditions, was filmed in 27 different countries and a monumental 6,500 malaria tablets were consumed. Both educational and amusing, the sheer cinematic beauty and magnificence (even if perhaps hyperbolised by Attenborough in his narration) allows us all to be sucked into a new dangerous world, where all amateur photographers and biologists alike can experience a visual orgasm.

Littered with humour, sadness and pure enjoyment, both the cleverly orchestrated musicality of the episodes and Attenborough’s narration, I believe, are pure genius. Attenborough has been plagued with criticism in his last few series for indulging in anthropomorphism, the personification of the animals. I, however, believe his friendly narrative voice is necessary for the success of the clips, merely emphasising that animals are surprisingly human in their temperaments. This is seen best in the interplay with the Black Rhinos. Highly endangered and serene, these massive animals have been written off in the past by experts, as solitary, aggressive creatures; but Africa is able to dismiss these incorrect beliefs. For the first time, this wildlife documentary is able to explore their most intimate night –time interactions and the rhinos are found to be both comical and endearingly flirtatious. Under the stars, one male rhino lumbers over to a nervous, unsuspecting female, dangling a pair of antelope antlers over his nose, much like an flamboyant form of ‘peacocking’ on a drunken night at Evolve. This time he’s in luck however, and his outlandish display wins him a few precious moments of naughty cavorting. Unfortunately for her, he turns out to be a disappointment and what’s a girl to do, she pulls the sleep card. As David Attenborough well points out, ‘a girl can only put up with so much’.

Perhaps most fitting about Attenborough’s first episode, Kalahari, is the fight between the giraffes. Much like a scene from a Wild West movie, the old bull swaggers onto the scene chewing on leaves from the surrounding oasis, waiting confidently as a young female is spotted. Then, out of nowhere, a young buck arrives beginning the old rival stake-down for the glory and ownership of both the filly and the much needed water. Whoever loses will be exiled…sound familiar? John Wayne’s got nothing on these guys. The clever slow-motion footage captures the grace and power of their extraordinary necks, as they thwack each other with such force that they both crumple to the ground like intoxicated students devoid of balance after a heavy night at Pop. The old buck wins, seeing off the pretender, who lies as if dead, for a good few minutes. Attenborough has wizened over his years, but he can’t hide the approval in his voice of the older guy’s victory. Much like the giraffe, Attenborough remains at the top of his game and isn’t going to give up just yet. Watch this space.      

TA-DAH