I guess we won’t know for sure until one sues in court. Probably a ball licking dog or Dramatic Gopher’s agent.

Wild animals should not be filmed for television shows because it breaches their privacy rights, according to a leading academic.

Brett Mills, of the University of East Anglia, claims documentary producers are ignoring the fact that animals try to hide from humans, which implies they do not consent to being filmed.

“It might at first seem odd to claim that animals might have a right to privacy,” Dr Mills wrote in the journal Continuum.

“We can never really know if animals are giving consent, but they often do engage in forms of behaviour which suggest they’d rather not encounter humans, and we might want to think about equating this with a desire for privacy,” he added.
[…]
However, Piers Warren, from the group Filmmakers for Conservation, ridiculed Dr Mills’ claims, saying: “How can you say whether an animal wants to be filmed? No animal will understand the concept.”




  1. Improbus says:

    Sweet Jebus, people will believe anything.

  2. Dallas says:

    I’m pretty sure they’re mostly concerned with being eaten. It just seems like they want their privacy.

  3. sargasso says:

    He is a lecturer in media studies, including television comedy and stand-up.

  4. zybch says:

    I think we should just all adopt the Steve Irwin approach.
    If an animal doesn’t want you near it, that animal has the right to shove a poisoned barb through your chest wall and into your heart.

    God I’m glad that idiot is dead.

  5. Thinker says:

    Let me guess, this guy also equates animals with people?? I’m lucky to live in a society that has so few problems that *this* rates…

  6. tdkyo says:

    More info about author from University:
    http://tinyurl.com/274gbk4

    You look it up, you decide

  7. LDA says:

    University of East Anglia, a fine institution(gate).

  8. Skeptic of the AOBCCS says:

    The University of East Anglia doesn’t need any more controversy. Geez, next they’ll be demanding compensation and royalties on behalf of the animals. (carbon based organism credits)

    Al Gore’s will be producing “An Inconvenient Film”.

  9. lynn says:

    Piers Warren, from the group Filmmakers for Conservation, ridiculed Dr Mills’ claims, saying: “How can you say whether an animal wants to be filmed? No animal will understand the concept.”

    I’m an animal and I understand the concept. Possibly some of the other higher primates would, too.

  10. Jorn says:

    Same can be said for alien anal probing…
    “We just don’t understand the concept”…

    …my butt hurts

  11. deowll says:

    If we don’t get any privacy why should the other critters?

  12. Buzz says:

    No.

  13. Maricopa says:

    In other news, Arizona is considering a law to prevent illegal immigration of jack rabbits, sidewinders and other creatures.

  14. Many animals have no problems with privacy. This is because animals have no sense of shame, it’s caused by something else, probably fear, because then the most vulnerable.


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