Quote of the Day (Jane Goodall, on Disregarding Advice About Animals)

“When I started out I was told animals needed numbers not names, that mind, personality and emotion were unique to humanity. To me, this was so obviously not the case. A fact anyone with a pet could attest to.”— English primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall (1934-2025) quoted by Michael Segalov, “Interview: Jane Goodall: ‘People are Surprised I Have a Wicked Sense of Humour,’” The Guardian (UK), Feb. 18, 2023

The image accompanying this post, of Jane Goodall visiting the United States Mission Uganda, was taken Apr. 4, 2022, by the United States Mission Uganda.

Movie Quote of the Day (‘Scrooged,’ on Christmas Programs’ Need for ‘Pet Appeal’)

Network president Preston Rhinelander [played by Robert Mitchum]: “Frank, have you any idea how many cats there are in this country?”

Frank Cross [played by Bill Murray]: “No, I don't have those... no.”

Preston: “Twenty-seven million. Do you know how many dogs?”

Frank: “In America?”

Preston: “Forty-eight million. We spend four billion dollars on pet food alone. Now I have here a study from Hampstead University which shows us that cats and dogs are beginning to watch television. Now if these scientists are right, we should start programming right now. Within twenty years they could become steady viewers.”

Frank [trying to hide his incredulity]: “Programming? For cats?”

Preston: “Walk with me, Frank.”

Frank [Whispering to his secretary, Grace, as they leave the office]: “Call the police!”

Preston: “Now I'm not saying build a whole show around animals. All I'm suggesting is that we occasionally throw in a little pet appeal. Some birds, a squirrel...”

Frank: “Mice.”

Preston: “...mice! Exactly. You remember Kojak and the lollipops? What about a cop that dangles string as his gimmick? Lots of quick random actions. Frank, wasn't there a doormouse in Scrooge?”

Frank: “No, but now that you say it... I always felt that it needed a doormouse.”

Preston: “Doormice. Better.”

Frank: “Bingo.”— Scrooged (1988), screenplay by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue, directed by Richard Donner

Many years ago, when I rented this holiday flick on video, its jokes fell flat for me. Maybe I’ve grown more cynical with age, but when I watched this update on A Christmas Carol again on cable TV this week, I thought that it lost its energy about halfway through, but it hit its satirical targets far more often at the beginning.

This scene especially scored. (I have no idea how Mitchum and Murray managed to keep straight faces as they filmed this.) In fact, I think even more people can relate to it now. (While revenues for pet services—i.e., visits to the vet—have been challenged during the pandemic, pet food sales have continued to hold on, at least till recently—especially online pet sales.)

Quote of the Day (James Thurber, With a Vexing Question for the Pet Dept. on a Bloodhound)

“Q. My husband, who is an amateur hypnotizer, keeps trying to get our bloodhound under his control. I contend that this is not doing the dog any good. So far he has not yielded to my husband's influence, but I am afraid that if he once got under, we couldn't get him out of it--A. A. T.

A. Dogs are usually left cold by all phases of psychology, mental telepathy, and the like. Attempts to hypnotize this particular breed, however, are likely to be fraught with a definite menace. A bloodhound, if stared at fixedly, is liable to gain the impression that it is under suspicion, being followed, and so on. This upsets a bloodhound's life, by completely reversing its whole scheme of behavior.”—James Thurber, “The Pet Department,” in The Owl in the Attic and Other Perplexities (1931)

Quote of the Day (George Eliot, on Animals As ‘Agreeable Friends’)

“Animals are such agreeable friends— they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.”—George Eliot, “Mr. Gilfil's Love Story,” Scenes of Clerical Life (1857)

Quote of the Day (Dave Barry, on How Pets Are Like Close Relatives)

“Everybody should have a pet. Pets give you all the love and devotion of close relatives, but you can lock them in the basement for hours at a time if they get loud or boring. The pets, I mean.”—Dave Barry, Dave Barry's Bad Habits: A 100% Fact-Free Book (1993)