Sarah Palin accused of breaking countryside rules in TV nature show

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

In her television show tonight, Sarah Palin casts herself as a can-do superwoman of the natural world. She fishes, hikes across glaciers and preaches "respect for the elements" from a speedboat while clad in a yellow cagoule. But the programme has already plunged the Mama Grizzly-in-chief into controversy after a leading conservationist in her adopted home of Alaska accused her of flagrant irresponsibility by fishing too close to protected brown bears.

John Toppenberg, director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, said scenes in an online trailer for the programme appeared to show the former Republican vice-presidential candidate breaking the rules of Wolverine Creek, a famous spot where bears – and humans – come to fish. "It's clear from the video that she violated the guidelines," he said, calling her actions "a travesty".

In a preview of Sarah Palin's Alaska, a part nature documentary, part candid camera of the daily life of one of America's most controversial political families, the former state governor is seen fishing for salmon with husband Todd and family members. She can be seen apparently holding her rod towards brown bears on the river bank, while the party's boat appears to be closer to the bears than guidelines advise. The Alaska department of fish and game says people in a boat must not fish within 30ft of a bear. "It's clearly irresponsible," said Toppenberg. "She is encouraging the violation of important guidelines. Humans can get too close to the bears."

The irony of a right-wing conservative, who boasts of hunting moose and shooting wolves while campaigning for more oil drilling in Alaska, transforming herself into a nature fan for primetime has not been lost on environmentalists.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/14/sarah-palin-bears-alaska-television

---

Sarah Palin and her team come face to face with brown bears.
Photograph: TMZ.com / Splash News

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. I have no intention of watching this 8 part campaign ad

And am repulsed by the commercials.

[Monique1]

2. I am not watching either

Sarah is not my cup of tea - she is a two bit actress.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pattmarty]

12. Yep. If you want to EVER see a pure piece of propaganda, watch this shit.

[lunatica]

42. Sarah Palin loves her Grizzlies on the backs of her couches

This is what she means when she says she respects Nature

[PearliePoo2]

54. She loves her wildlife....

right next to the mash potatoes...
:thumbsdown:

[zbdent]

85. just like she loves turkeys ...

[Can of Whoop-ass]

89. Ouch!

Next to the Big Mac and fries. I know more about Alaska then her and never been there. I sense that in the back of her mind she's always looking for the next spot to stick a Pizza Hut.
Repubs deserve her.

[Ishoutandscream2]

56. God, she's trash

Nasty and disgusting.

[fasttense]

96. The only thing this two bit piece of trailer trash respects is the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR $$$$

[SammyWinstonJack]

115. dupe

[SammyWinstonJack]

116. Mama Grifter. She real good at it, too.

[lunatica]

41. She's not an actress. She's a grifter

A grifter through and through and she'll always be one.

[Sherman A1]

76. Precisely

That is absolutely the best description of her, that I have ever heard.

Well Said!!!:toast:

[glinda]

3. I agree. Total sham to think she has any respect for nature also.

[GoCubsGo]

10. It's a total sham PERIOD.

Anyone who actually thinks she really engages in all those activities isn't paying attention. Nobody does all those things, and still remains perfectly coiffed and clean. Her "adventurous, outdoors woman" image is complete BS, as anyone who has spent any time engaging in the activities in which she allegedly engages knows.

[jmowreader]

53. Come now...

Most people don't take their wardrobe stylist, makeup artist and hairstylist with them when they go fishing for salmon on their husbands' boats.

[dmr]

74. Nor for the children that were on that boat. That's child endangerment!

She is not a good mother. A good mother think of her children first above all else.

[pam4water]

40. I might watch part as a hoot. It's not like a 2000 part ad could get me to vote for her!

[fasttense]

98. The ONLY reason to watch any of this clap trap is to see

The beauty of our largest state, so you would have to watch it with the mute on in order to retain your sanity...lol

[happygoluckytoyou]

72. HEY BRISTOL.... NO BOYS UPSTAIRS!!!! LOL

[osteenq]

87. ...

...

[Drale]

4. Maybe one of those bears will eat her

and make our littles just a little bit better.

[cilla4progress]

7. My thoughts, exactly...

[Zoeisright]

27. After one bite she'd be spit back out.

Because she's bitter with a terrible texture.

[Crunchy Frog]

62. Sarah Palin getting eaten by a bear on camera

would definitely get me to tune in to her program.

[AlbertCat]

105. Sarah Palin getting eaten by a bear on camera

would definitely get me to tune in to her program.







Then we could all vote for the bear in 2012.

[SidDithers]

6. K&R...nt

Sid

[activa8tr]

8. Keith Olbermann said it best" THAT WOMAN is ...

an idiot!

[DBoon]

11. anyone who gets that close to a mama bear and her cubs

is an idiot

She is asking to be attacked

[Plucketeer]

23. Wow! Wouldn't THAT be justice????

Ms Pretender, done in by a mama Grizzly!!! THAT I would tune in to watch!

[liquid diamond]

29. I'm sure they had guns aimed at the bears just in case they tried something. n/t

[activa8tr]

31. When we all go "fishing" in bear habitat, I'm sure we all carry two rifles and

some shotguns and 3 network camera crews! Just in case! Just like mama G!

[activa8tr]

30. Put that thing on pay per view and 70% of America would watch! n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

35. The sad part would be that then the bear would end up being killed....

I am at a total loss to understand why ANYONE would admire her...

Altho I tend to agree with Mike Malloy..the male repukes just want to see her naked...

[DBoon]

70. I would morn the death of that bear

Sarah Palin on the other hand.....

[webDude]

39. Awwh! lemme' pet the cubs!

[RSillsbee]

63. No joke

4 or 5 years ago some moron walked up to a grizzly sow in Yellow Stone and touched her on the ass. Rangers screaming at him running up trying to get him to stop, traffic jam on the road behind him. One of the volunteer wildlife guides was the first person to get to him after he did it, she said the bear just stood there. She yelled at the guy that he was right on the edge of death and he just gave her a weird look and turned around , walked back to his car and drove away. She said if there had been a way to ticket him for criminal stupidity she'd have done it.

That said, I ain't wasting my time watching Sarah Palin on TV

[karynnj]

52. True if it were really just Todd and Sarah in a boat

The likelihood is that the team filming it could have ha people hit high powered weapons - who if needed would have responded.

[RSillsbee]

119. Unless the weapon is an M203

It wouldn't stop the bear before it got to the Palins

[AlbertCat]

109. anyone who gets that close to a mama bear and her cubs

Y'know...depending on what lens is used and the angle, the camera can make her look much closer than reality. Shooting a ways away with a long lens squishes up and flattens the scene.

That's how they do that effect where (usually when a character as a devastating revelation) where the character stays still but the background seems to retreat or close in.... They start far away with a long lens and then quickly move closer while changing the focus.... or vice versa.

[DBoon]

123. Is there a special lens that will make Sarah Palin look intelligent?

nt

[24601]

16. Reportedly $1 Million per episode - a real moron. Lords of Kobol,

make me that stupid, for just five episodes worth!

[BrklynLiberal]

36. TLC is that same channel that glorifies that family that has 30 children...er actually 19..

but after 15 kids, who counts any more?.

[awoke_in_2003]

67. they actually have several...

irresponsibly large family shows. It is a disgusting channel.

[BrklynLiberal]

121. I agree.

[polly7]

9. So irresponsible. If that mother bear had gotten startled and followed her instincts

and approached them, she probably would have been shot.

[nolabear]

13. There is NOTHING important to Sarah Palin but the cameras.

Thirty feet? Good God, the limit should be ten times that. Lovely...the bears are habituated to humans so it's a good place for tourists. Being habituated to humans is the road to annihilation for many, many wild animals. And Sarah gives not one gold-plated crap.

I'll also add that what you see is within the frame of a camera shot. I guarantee you there are numerous other boats, cameras and people you don't see, disturbing the animals and polluting the environment. Having done wildlife rehab years back, I can tell you that this is a horrible disrespect for the needs and lives of the animals that Sarah is using for the dramatic background of her Teddy Roosevelt impersonation.

[LiberalFighter]

14. For everyone but Palins should be 10x. For Palins should be 5ft.

And no firearms while she is fishing.

[Bluzmann57]

15. I was going to say maybe the bears should have eaten her

But after some consideration, I decided that they don't want to be ill either.

[onehandle]

17. Nature Show? Cash cow and propaganda tripe is more accurate. nt.

[Turborama]

21. Yep, couldn't agree more. I wish I could have changed the title to that, but unfortunately can't n/t

[Maestro]

18. Brown bear or grizzly

the real "mama grizzly" would literally have Palin for lunch. Not knowing the regulations of her own state regarding interactions between bears and humans does not surprise me on single bit. TLC and Discovery should be ashamed for tapping her to showcase this beautiful land. She is about as ignorant as they come. Hopefully the producers of the show have an ulterior motive, showing her for the idiot that she is.

[AzDar]

19. I'm guessing that nails-on-a-chalkboard voice of hers serves as some sort of

natural bear repellent. Certainly repels me...

[patrice]

20. It's not irony, because one assumes a superiority that BLESSES any exceptions you care to make.

This IS the authoritarian mind-set.

[alp227]

22. Well, it's Sarah Palin...

Considering her political record of covering up corruption this shouldn't be a surprise.

[lynne]

24. While I'm no fan of Sarah's or the show -

- how the devil do you violate "guidelines"??? They're just suggested guidelines - not laws.

Just another excuse to flash her pic and another excuse to make her a DU topic. Frankly, DU is as bad as the media at keeping her front and center.

[handmade34]

26. "guidelines" exist for a reason

a responsible person (esp celebrity) would uphold guidelines and most likely highlight them to encourage healthy behavior.

That being said, I neither watched the program nor am at all interested in it.

[DeltaLitProf]

73. Why we DUers keep her front and center

We all know it would be a godsend for her to win the Republican nomination. There'd be a Democratic sweep back into Congress.

[naaman fletcher]

83. I hope one of the bears eats her,

but it's impossible to tell from that picture how close she really is, although maybe it's clear in the show that of course I did not watch.

[RSillsbee]

120. Well said EOT

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

25. I refuse to even watch the channel that it is on

Until it is gone. And if it cycles into continuous repeats, well, goodbye Discovery Channel.

[Proletariatprincess]

28. Sara Palin's voice is horrible...I can't stand to hear it.

Even if she was interesting and was saying something profound and worth hearing, I couldn't stand to listen.
I know that I am a crank about voices, but I don't understand why people who choose public life don't get voice training. This applies to progressives too.....there are some I can't stand to listen too. Cindy Sheehan is one. At least with Cindy I can read her columns and like what she has to say, but her voice just grates on me.
Men's voices can be irritating too, but they usually aren't so shrill sounding. I find too, that it is not always the timbre of the voice as much as it is an affectation of speech....like ValleyGirl...yeech! Although, I have noticed that that particular affectation is heard less these days...thank goodness for that small improvement!

[TuxedoKat]

32. I agree

Maybe it's just me, but for some reason her voice seems to have gotten more shrill the last two years too. I can't stand the sound of her voice either.

[activa8tr]

33. Her voice was probably always that shrill, but she probably had a voice coach when

they paraded her around as if she were a serious candidate for VP.

Nothing shows the level of stupidity of the Republican Party in the 21'st century more than the pick of Sarah Palin for VP.

[Proletariatprincess]

50. If she had a voice coach, she didn't learn much...lol.

[XanaDUer]

44. Thank you

I described her voice on another thread a few days ago - some weird amalgamation of Alaska/Great White North/Valley Girl. ESPECIALLY that line in the commercial for this stupid TLC :wtf: show where she declares something like 'I'd rather be out here being FREE.'

Ugh.

[awoke_in_2003]

68. that part of the commercial...

almost made me puke.

[Raine]

78. I can't abide that screech of hers

it literally hurts my ears :cry: she sounds like a smoke detector. x(

[BrklynLiberal]

34. As long as it makes for a good photo op, she could not care less...even if the

bear ends up being killed because it killed someone who crossed its path, following her asinine example.

[Name removed]

37. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JJW]

38. Aerial Sniping

In what session do they show the Palins' aerial shooting wolves and clubbing their cubs?

Boycott this travesty.

[texastoast]

124. I truly despise those limp-rodded hunters who shoot animals from a plane

How weenie is that.

They would be laughable but for the carnage they cause.

And for Palin to enable them is just beyond the pale.

And for the Americans who think Palin is just dandy, you make me fucking sick, and I will tell your children how stupid you were.

[XanaDUer]

43. Too close to the bears?

good. Maybe they'll eat her useless ass.

[BlueStater]

47. No. I wouldn't want the bears to get sick. N/T

[XanaDUer]

48. Yeah, they'd probably puke her up

nt

[ixion]

45. Ms Failin is an idiot

'nuff said.

[jayfish]

46. I think his whole thing is going to turn out to be...

fake. I saw the preview, or whatever it was, and it looked fake as hell. The was no shot that included the Palins and the bears in the same frame. The pictrue in the O.P. Looks fake as well. Really, would you put it past her?

[Tx4obama]

49. Now TLC owes the Democratic candidates 8 episodes of free airtime to make it fair. n/t

[xfundy]

51. Hasn't this turd been polished enough?

To quote The Simpsons, when the advertising mascots came alive, "Just don't look!"

[BREMPRO]

55. This is Bush's faux cowboy rancher branding redux.

LOOK she's just like you! she hunts, she fishes, she doesn't know or follow the rules, and endangers wildlife! SOooooo qualified.


Bush said the other day in an interview- " i don't get to Crawford as much as I'd like BECAUSE I HAVE SUCH A BUSY SCHEDULE"

So now that you are not PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, (easy job), you have LESS TIME to GO TO THE RANCH?

RIGHT.

Faker

[lunasun]

59. but it is all so cute anf folksy just like Bush and not like that elitist snob

who sits in the White House now. You betcha - she will win the hearts of idiots more and more these next 2 yrs.
and those idiots vote

[Skittles]

65. LOLOL

can you believe how many Americans fell for his fake cowboy routine? HE IS AFRAID OF HORSES.

[rasputin1952]

90. He's also afraid of his own shadow...

he's a serious coward and will always be a serious coward.

[awoke_in_2003]

69. actually...

it is part 3 in the trilogy- Reagan, Bush, Palin

[hughee99]

57. Is it clear from the video? I can't tell if she's within 30 feet and neither can he,

but I'm sure Palin welcomes the free publicity it will provide.

[Divernan]

79. At one point their skiff was less than 10 feet from the bear (and shore)

It was beyond dangerous and irresponsible, and demonstrated that neither she nor Tahd, nor whomever was directing the show, have even a basic understanding of "bear-watching". I understand it was also in violation of state law, which requires people keep at least 30 feet away from bears.

Having done some "bear-watching" in the Colorado Rockies and in Alaska, I'm here to tell you that bears move VERY fast, and several of the bears could have been atop the Palins' boat in a matter of seconds.

[hughee99]

118. I'm not disputing the danger of bears, but it can be tough to tell the difference

between 10, 15 and 50 feet on camera based on the shot above where one is in the foreground and the other is in the background. Yes, we are all very concerned for the safety of Palin and her husband (:sarcasm:) but it sounds like this guy is doing far more to give her free publicity than any actual problems it may cause her.

[druidity33]

58. arghh... as much as i hate to admit it...

zoom lenses have a tendency to squash perspective. A wildlife expert doesn't necessarily know how cameras work... in this case i think she's a lot closer to 30 feet away than he thinks. Mind you, i still think 30 feet is too close to a bear with cubs.

I'm certainly not gonna watch the special to see for sure, but from this one picture, i'd say she's clear.

maybe i'll check the link for other photos... maybe not. waste of time. just don't care enough...

:)

[Turborama]

60. I can't watch it but, if we're just going to go by that pic, we don't know whether it's stationary..

...or if it's moving forward.

[thereismore]

104. Agreed. She's still failin'. nt

[6000eliot]

61. I'm so tired of having to turn off those fucking commercials!

Why can't I avoid this creature?

[Skittles]

64. maybe she'll get close enough where the bears can, er

pleading the 5th

[applegrove]

66. Her most ardent followers just feel sorry for her whenever she 'gets into trouble'.

They end up more bonded to her than ever no matter what the gaffe.

[janet118]

71. Even the ad for the show is beyond irritating

Sarah Palin (in her loudest, screechiest, fingernails-across-chalkboard voice): "How come we can't ever just be satisfied with TRANQUILITY?" - from Sarah Palin's Alaska

Auurrrgh!!

Why does the media keep aiming cameras at this person? Why do the media reviews I've seen/heard ignore the essential banality and phoniness of this self-serving political infomercial? Why do they say Palin is "entertaining"? Why do they keep telling me how "fascinated" all us Americans are with this cretin? Am I not an American? Then, how come every time Palin opens her "flippin'" mouth and emits some inane tripe, I feel like ripping my ears off?

[cartach]

75. I can hardly wait

until she gets tired of Todd and has an affair with a bear. I think that's what this fetish of hers is going to lead to.

[No Elephants]

77. Laws are for Democrats. not for Mama Grizzlies. Die, endangered bears!

[BlueMTexpat]

80. The Learning Channel (TLC), as it exists today, is anything but.

After Discovery purchased TLC in the early 90s, programs were "jazzed" up, and while it remained focused primarily on instructional and educational programming through much of the '90s, it began to air shows less focused on education and more themed towards popular consumption and mass-marketing toward the end of the 90s and has literally gone nuts since then in a quest for higher ratings. O Brave New World of unfettered capitalism!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TLC_(TV_channel)#History

Here is a list of its programs, many of which are truly sick, IMO. http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/tv-shows.html

She Who Quit is a once and future grifter - and nothing else but. But she is aided and abetted in her grifting by too many people who should know better.

[Enthusiast]

81. I refuse to watch it.

Besides, she talks like an idiot and her voice actually hurts to listen to.

[Hubert Flottz]

82. Rules are for "Little People"

I'd hate to see the bears get sick but I'd tune in if they ate Sarah.

[activa8tr]

86. Which rich rhymes with rich woman said that, Imelda Marcos or

one of the New York City rich women?

A brown bear eating a Mama Grizzly, that would be news!

[mwb970]

84. What an idiot she is. My God.

I'm going to see if I can go my whole life without seeing an episode, or even a clip, from this program, despite my interest in Alaska. (I won't count the pic in the OP.) It will be a sacrifice, but I'm determined.

[RoccoR5955]

88. She shoots wolves from helicopters, doesn't she?

That should tell you volumes about how much she cares about nature.

[rasputin1952]

91. Looking at that pic, and the limited knowledge I have about bear

behavior, I can tell by the way the bear is standing/looking, ears up and eyes focused, that sow, (female at water's edge, not female in skiff), is assessing a possible threat. A Brown Bear can be very dangerous, and depending on the threat level to the cubs in particular, will charge w/o hesitation. In just a few bounds, she could be tearing that boat and it's contents to shreds. If there is someone out there with a rifle, a wounded bear is far more dangerous and if they kill the sow, they will have orphaned the cubs...just wondering about any "logic" behind this.

On another level, I find this whole thing little more than Palin produced idiocy...another excuse to keep her in the public's eye.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

92. If she can't fish within 30 feet of a bear

she may be ok. It's hard to tell from the picture how close she is. But she may be beyond that.

A brown bear can more very quickly, so I'd bet there's a shooter nearby to stop the bear if it moves in the right direction. Sarah may be stupid, but she's no dummy.

I missed the show, and plan to continue to miss it in the future. I wish her well in the 2012 Republican presidential primary.

:hi:

[paparush]

93. Hopefully she studied at the Timothy Treadwell school of bear / human encounters.

Nom! Nom! Nom!

[madrchsod]

94. and the ever expanding dead weight Bristol is stilling winning....

the palin`s are a blight on society.....

[Javaman]

95. I refuse to watch palin porn. nt

[olegramps]

97. Sarah the Alaskan Grifter is the epitome of today's typical Repukian.

[annm4peace]

99. I watched and the longer I watched this more she showed her trueself

I was flipping channels and came across this show. The longer I watched the more and more she appeared as an immature and ignorant person and her husband is no better. I hope that came across to people who have followed her.

She has no respect for nature and that came across also. I could only handle about 15 minutes of it.

[Love Bug]

100. Rules for for the little people! n/t

[Ticonderoga]

101. Too bad

It wasn't a hungry Grizzly Bear in the picture.

[Marnie]

102. She edangered lives.

Not only did she put Piper's life in danger, should the bear have charged the boat, seeing it as a greater threat to herself and her cubs, but in introducing additional threats, multiple boats with cameras, and chattering people, but Palin distracted the mother bear from the real threat to the cubs by the other bear and she could have been left the cubs unprotected.

So much for Sarah's maternal instincts. Any one with concern for the cubs would have backed away and allowed the mother to concentrate on warning off the real threat of the other bear. On the other hand Sarah is easily distracted from the need to care for her own children, so I guess this situation could be expected.

People with cameras, need to remember that a camera's lens, to an animal, looks like a huge staring, treating, predator's eye and can stimulate all sorts of fight and flight reactions. After all a big eye means a big animal with a big eye.

It also doesn't say much for TLC team for not knowing Alaskan regulations, and for not caring about the safety of the mother and her cubs.

Oh yeah and the safety of Piper.

Of course the crew probably had some rifles for protection, so what was the plan if momma attacked Sarah to protect her cubs. Kill momma bear to save a dime a dozen wanna be politician and leave the cubs to die?

Brilliant Sarah. A real encyclopedia of Alaskan outdoors life.

We are remembering aren't we that Sarah wants bears and wolves killed off so she can have more elk to hunt?

[PearliePoo2]

110. excellent post

Sarah WolfKiller could care less if the cubs were orphaned because of her recklessness. It's all about her and always will be. She should be charged with wildlife endangerment.
I believe her bounty for severed wolf paws was to boost the tourist caribou hunting guide business.
She has cronies that make lots of money guiding imbeciles on trophy hunts. She sees wolves as a threat to Caribou herds (bullshit) and the profiting of her friends in the hunting business.

[sweetapogee]

122. why

didn't you offer your professional services to TLC for this production? Your knowledge would be a real asset to them.

[texastoast]

103. Not watching

I'm disgusted with Discovery, and I haven't been watching it either.

So, yoo-hoo, advertisers, you are wasting your money.

[moonbatmax]

106. NORTHERN OVEREXPOSURE

'nuff said.

[Overseas]

107. K&R. Glad to see her hypocrisy exposed. //nt

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

108. i just realized what's missing in that picture...

Where's Trig?!?!? :shrug: Seems like every photo-op she is in, she is toting Trig.

[PearliePoo2]

114. You will be seeing less and less of Trig

I believe as he is getting older, he is becoming an unruly and unmanageable two year old and NOT useful anymore as her prop.
I saw a video clip where she picked him up and he started arching his back and flailing his arms wildly. THAT spoke volumes.
It doesn't help that he is a Downs child and Palin so far, has not gotten him the things that he needs (hearing aides and glasses for example). He is being abused by those aids being withheld...in fact,it borders on criminal.

[PatrynXX]

111. even Fred Bear wouldn't be that dumb

no not using his name but Sarah Palin is like the sexist male that she really is.

[AlbertCat]

112. Don't these people WORK?

or do they just fish and complain about the neighbors all day long?

[Jefferson23]

113. Sadly, her fans will love her even more for this. They care about

conserving anything, respecting anything at all?

The Thuglican party that loves her would not give a damn, they'd likely applaud her.

[LynneSin]

117. Seriously, if you want to see the 'Real Sarah Palin Alaska' then why not....

showcase that cesspool called Wassila where urban sprawl has poisoned the lakes surrounding the city.

[deaniac21]

125. Just wait until DuPont moves in!

[classysassy]

126. With Sarah and Bristol on the tube

I will be able to read a good book.

[melm00se]

127. I don't know

who was in greater danger: the bear or Palin.

a brown mama bear with cubs is not exactly something that I would want to be within a 100 yards.

[HuckleB]

128. Goodness, but she doesn't know the first thing about Alaska.

:wow: