In Love with the Honey Badger

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

In Love with the Honey Badger

I am putting this in humor because of the video, "The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger (original narration by Randall)" embedded below, which is hilarious, but I think I really resonate with this animal on a primal level.

The video tickled me (I was researching what makes videos go viral for Internet marketing when I came across this thing), so I looked up Honey Badger. I had never heard of it.

Here's the Wikipedia article: Honey Badger.

From the article:

The honey badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as the ratel, is a monotypic species of mustelid native to Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species, instead bearing more anatomical similarities to weasels.

. . .

The honey badger possesses an anal pouch which, unusually among mustelids, is reversible, a trait shared with hyenas. The smell of the pouch is reportedly "suffocating", and may assist in calming bees when raiding beehives.

. . .

Little is known of the honey badger's breeding habits.

. . .

Honey badgers are intelligent animals and are one of few species capable of using tools. In the 1997 documentary series Land of the Tiger, a honey badger in India was filmed making use of a tool; the animal rolled a log and stood on it to reach a kingfisher fledgling stuck up in the roots coming from the ceiling in an underground cave.

. . .

Honey badgers are notoriously fearless and tough animals, having been known to savagely attack their enemies when escape is impossible. They are tireless in combat and can wear out much larger animals in physical confrontations.

. . .

Because of the toughness and looseness of their skin, honey badgers are very difficult to kill with dogs. Their skin is hard to penetrate, and its looseness allows them to twist and turn on their attackers when held. The only safe grip on a honey badger is on the back of the neck. The skin is also tough enough to resist several machete blows. The only sure way of killing them quickly is through a blow to the skull with a club or a shot to the head with a powerful rifle, as their skin is almost impervious to arrows and spears.

That last stuff almost sounds like a metaphor for me!

(As to the first, some people would like to think I have kinship with the weasel... )

Anyway, here's the video. This is one of the funniest narrations of animal life I have come across.

Enjoy. This thing really is one hell of an animal.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4r7wHMg5Yjg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Michael

[9thdoctor]

This is one of the funniest narrations of animal life I have come across.

What a hoot. “Honey Badger don’t care, Honey Badger don’t give a shit!” It sounds like something you might say when you’re arguing with your significant other.

[BaalChatzaf]

At first I thought Honey Badger was a porn film actress.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Selene]

At first I thought Honey Badger was a porn film actress.

Ba'al Chatzaf

She is. Her appearances are in the Beauty and the Bestiality Series playing on the PETA Porn channel where you can have your pussy and eat it too!

[BaalChatzaf]

At first I thought Honey Badger was a porn film actress.

Ba'al Chatzaf

She is. Her appearances are in the Beauty and the Bestiality Series playing on the PETA Porn channel where you can have your pussy and eat it too!

Yucch! But funny.

Edited July 30, 2011 by BaalChatzaf

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

It occurred to me that the video went viral because the goofy narration sat on top of a sound dramatic story structure.

1. Establishment stuff. Shots showing the hero honey badger and what it does (hunts animals, digs holes, walks backward, etc.). In this preliminary part, there is a near miss incident (with the bird) that does not relate to the story, but does cause interest. This reminds me of how action movies often open with an incident unrelated to the rest of the story just to establish the characters and spark immediate interest.
2. Introduction of the arch rival. The deadly snake.
3. Episodes with unexpected angles. These involve what the hero does but with new elements, like with the bee hive.
4. Plot twist. Other animals feed off its leftovers, making the hero seem stupid for doing all the work.
5. Final conflict with arch rival. Setup with deadly snake (at night at that!), fight, total defeat and total recovery of the hero.
6. Postlude. Hero goes off into the sunset (metaphorically speaking) to continue other adventures another day.

Wow. That just poured out of me without too much thought.

This reverse engineering stuff is fun!

Michael

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Here's the video with the original narration.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/c81bcjyfn6U?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Still one badass animal.

This is "prime mover" level animal.

Michael

[anthony]

That excellent American author on African themes of the mid -20th century, Robert Ruark, titled a novel "The Honey Badger".

The 'ratel' as it is known here, is notorious - apparently - for ripping straight into a man's groin, when confronted.

The novel was about the protagonist's wives who shared this proclivity, metaphorically.

(I seem to recall Ruark himself had misfortunes with women.)

Tony

[caroljane]

That excellent American author on African themes of the mid -20th century, Robert Ruark, titled a novel "The Honey Badger".

The 'ratel' as it is known here, is notorious - apparently - for ripping straight into a man's groin, when confronted.

The novel was about the protagonist's wives who shared this proclivity, metaphorically.

(I seem to recall Ruark himself had misfortunes with women.)

Tony

I was going to mention Ruark! Did you read Uhuru? So passionate, so realistic, I've never forgotten it. And Poor No More. He could really write.

[anthony]

That excellent American author on African themes of the mid -20th century, Robert Ruark, titled a novel "The Honey Badger".

The 'ratel' as it is known here, is notorious - apparently - for ripping straight into a man's groin, when confronted.

The novel was about the protagonist's wives who shared this proclivity, metaphorically.

(I seem to recall Ruark himself had misfortunes with women.)

Tony

I was going to mention Ruark! Did you read Uhuru? So passionate, so realistic, I've never forgotten it. And Poor No More. He could really write.

Carol,

And how. I read them all, I believe. Another was "Something of Value" - about the Mau Mau war against the English in Kenya.

(From a Kikuyu proverb Ruark quotes - "When you give up the old ways for the new, make sure you are gaining something of value." Roughly. I loved that proverb.)

Ruark was born in North Carolina, and died in London age 49, in 1965. Alcoholism was likely. (I just checked.)

A huge loss.

Tony

[caroljane]

That excellent American author on African themes of the mid -20th century, Robert Ruark, titled a novel "The Honey Badger".

The 'ratel' as it is known here, is notorious - apparently - for ripping straight into a man's groin, when confronted.

The novel was about the protagonist's wives who shared this proclivity, metaphorically.

(I seem to recall Ruark himself had misfortunes with women.)

Tony

I was going to mention Ruark! Did you read Uhuru? So passionate, so realistic, I've never forgotten it. And Poor No More. He could really write.

Carol,

And how. I read them all, I believe. Another was "Something of Value" - about the Mau Mau war against the English in Kenya.

(From a Kikuyu proverb Ruark quotes - "When you give up the old ways for the new, make sure you are gaining something of value." Roughly. I loved that proverb.)

Ruark was born in North Carolina, and died in London age 49, in 1965. Alcoholism was likely. (I just checked.)

A huge loss.

Tony

Yes, I think I have mixed up Something of Value with Uhuru. It was the white hunter who lingered in my memory, his indelible character and ultimately tragic story. A frightening character in many ways but understandable. Creating him was a true literary accomplishment.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Well, it finally happened.

Honey Badger has sold out to Madison Ave.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/y-e4vu_wL-M?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[GALTGULCH8]

Et al,

I am glad that Robert Ruark's Something Of Value came up here.

As I understand it the British took away the meaningful things which the Mau Mau valued such as their spears and shields but continued to engage in a manner showing their disloyalty to their own professed moral code, e.g. attending church and cheating on their wives.

The Mau Mau observed this hypocrisy and rose up.

The moral here is that Objectivism is the body of ideas which ought to be offered in order to get those with irrational theologies to give them up.

[Selene]

Et al,

I am glad that Robert Ruark's Something Of Value came up here.

As I understand it the British took away the meaningful things which the Mau Mau valued such as their spears and shields but continued to engage in a manner showing their disloyalty to their own professed moral code, e.g. attending church and cheating on their wives.

The Mau Mau observed this hypocrisy and rose up.

The moral here is that Objectivism is the body of ideas which ought to be offered in order to get those with irrational theologies to give them up.

Edited October 1, 2011 by Selene