Free Dippy
This is Dippy the Diplodocus — though whether anyone called him that before he was embroiled in controversy is a matter of, um…controversy. He’s been in London’s Natural History Museum since 1905, a gift from Andrew Carnegie to Edward VII. He was moved into the Wal*Mart greeter spot in 1979, where he has delighted and inspired school children for 35 years.
And he’s coming down.
The Museum is having a bit of clear up and the issue with Dippy is, he ain’t real. He’s a painstaking plaster cast (or as one Independent writer put it its ‘very existence is a malicious lie’) of a diplodocus skeleton that was dug up in Wyoming in 1898. The original is in Pittsburgh.
Haha, just kidding! The real reason is, they’re replacing him with the skeleton of a blue whale because gaia and shit.
The change is part of a ‘decade of transformation’ planned at the museum by its director, Sir Michael Dixon.
Explaining the decision, Sir Michael said: ‘As the largest known animal to have ever lived on Earth, the story of the blue whale reminds us of the scale of our responsibility to the planet.
Blahblahblah…challenge the way people think…never been more urgent…under threat…species and ecosystems are being destroyed…poignant reminder…make a real difference. Boo! Phooey! Bring back the plaster dinosaur!
There’s a hashtag and shit, but it’s hard to turn an ecowarrior. Dippy is doomed.
Posted: January 29th, 2015 under animals, britain, history, personal, science.
Comments: 15
Comments
Comment from Timothy S. Carlson
Time: January 29, 2015, 11:06 pm
GRRRR. Freakin’ eco-retards…
One of these days, these little bastards are going to come up with some *glorious* plan to “reverse all of the damage mankind has done to Mother Earth”. Then they will raise money – lots of it, via donations and not-so-voluntary taxes. Then they will finally implement their plan.
*snap* lights out. Everyone go home.
Our little blue marble is going to look like a burnt cinder when they get done.
Comment from Steamboat McGoo
Time: January 29, 2015, 11:51 pm
” ‘As the largest known animal to have ever lived on Earth, the story of the blue whale reminds us of the scale of our responsibility to the planet.”
I’m sorry – maybe I’m in a bad mood or something – but a smarmy-assed comment like that simply cries out for a loud and succinct “blow me”.
Comment from QuasiModo
Time: January 30, 2015, 12:52 am
I’ll take dippy if they don’t want him anymore…he’d be great in my back yard :+)
Comment from Davem123
Time: January 30, 2015, 3:26 am
A telling quote about Sir Michael from Wikipedia:
“The appointment of Dixon at the NHM is noteworthy in its marking a break with tradition in which the Director has been an eminent practising scientist.”
Why do I get the feeling that Sir Michael just flew back alone in a private jet from the Climate Change Conference in Lima?
Comment from Jeff Gauch
Time: January 30, 2015, 5:21 am
Gaia, save me from your followers.
Comment from mojo
Time: January 30, 2015, 5:29 am
Care to be insulted on the government dime? Ok, here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/01/27/remind-you-someone-share-these
That’s how the WH sees the great American unwashed. Really.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: January 30, 2015, 8:39 am
Jesus christ that’s insulting, mojo.
Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: January 30, 2015, 12:34 pm
Wow, Mojo, just wow.
I’m sitting here muttering to myself:
“Someone is going up against the wall, motherfuckers Citizen
I just wonder if it’s going to be them or me……
Shakes fist feebly at the sky
Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: January 30, 2015, 12:45 pm
I suddenly found myself musing about what those cartoons would have looked like if they had been done by the leading cartoonist of the day when I was 20…
http://feelingmyage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ffcheadphones.jpg
Comment from Anonymous
Time: January 30, 2015, 3:24 pm
I would merely note, mojo and Some Vegetable, that they stand behind the Blue Wall and laugh. And the Only Ones do WHATEVER they are told. As long as that paycheck keeps comin’ in. Nothing more than a Praetorian Guard in the very worst sense of the term. They exist to protect their Masters, their Brothers in Blue, and to generate revenue. Nothing more.
Oath of office to the Constitution? We don’t NEED no steenkin’ oath.
Comment from mojo
Time: January 30, 2015, 5:31 pm
Ah, Fat Freddy’s Cat. The good old days.
“Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope.” — Franklin
I used to have a bunch, but they were deemed “unsocial” or something by She Who Must Be Obeyed.
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: January 30, 2015, 9:03 pm
I bought Uncle B the complete set of Fat Freddy’s Cat one Christmas. In modern reproduction, but they are (or were) still out there.
Comment from Uncle Badger
Time: January 30, 2015, 9:05 pm
Ah, Some Veg – thank you! My favourite cartoon character – evah!
Comment from JuliaM
Time: January 31, 2015, 7:58 am
Dippy is one of the first welcome sights to greet me as I enter the Museum. It’ll be hard to see him go, and even harder to know that it’s at the behest of an ecomentalist… 🙁
Comment from bad cat robot
Time: February 2, 2015, 12:14 am
Well, you can’t expect them to have the Feature Entry Exhibit something humans can’t possibly be blamed for killing, now can you?
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