Right, if the tiger really wanted to kill Roy, Roy would be dead now. But trying to help? I don’t buy that for a second.
You know, I never knew that Siegfried’s last name was “Fischbacher.” Now I’ve got Gene Hackman’s voice in my head, yelling “Miss Fischbacherrrrrr!”
I understand the need for some folks to advocate complete faith in animals, and to refuse to ascribe to them any sort of wrongdoing. But Siegfried’s stance on this matter is absurd.
The only way I can understand his view is if there’s a move afoot to put the tiger to death. If he thinks that’s a possibility, I can see him grasping at straws to prove the tiger didn’t attack Roy.
Unless, of course, he’s actually correct. I don’t really have an opinion one way or the other, but the guy has spent his entire life training tigers. It’s just possible he knows what he’s talking about.
My favorite S&R anecdote:
My mom used to go to the big church on Washington Blvd, in Vegas, that is just a few blocks from where “they” live.
She said one sunday, a limo pulls up, and Siegfried steps out, dressed in a white suit with gold crap all over it, and then Roy steps out…* in drag as a NUN!*:eek:
Sorry, had to share!
“Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.”-- Hell if I know!
It’s hard to say what really happened. The first report sheds the news that Roy was “attacked” and he tried thumping the tiger on the head with the microphone. Maybe the tiger got pissed and DID try to cart him off like a mom tiger would do a cub.
Alot of animals are loyal and all the clippings that I have seen of Roy and his tigers they sure do seem like they love him to death and it appears he could do just about anything to them without provoking trouble.
I think PETA went a little too far. They were “faxing” Roy in the hospital for Pete’s sake trying to convince him to retire the cats.
Hello???The guy is in pain. He needed emergency surgery. He is suffering. Do you think he is going to read the fax and make a decison?
He obviously loves the cat. Loving a pet comes with some denial.
I can’t imagine they would put a rare animal like one of their tigers down. I could see them retiring the cat to a rescue org or something, where it’d be well taken care of but not handled unless absolutely necessary, but putting the cat down would be just wrong.
PETA almost always goes too far.
Miller, according to news reports, the tiger grabbed Roy by the arm. When he attempted to make it let go, it latched on to his head.
I’m not seeing a lot of mothering instinct, there.
The tiger first latched onto Roy’s arm, then his neck after being hit with the microphone. I don’t think that sounds very helpful, not the way I think Siegfried was trying to spin it. He makes it sound like the tiger was thinking Aw, widdle Woy few down. I’ll help him up.
If Eve happens by, my apologies for sounding like a certain cow-orker.
Ah-HA! I knew it! They were just loving him. . . to DEATH!
I think I sort of see what Siggy is saying. I find it plausible that if this giant beast really wanted to make Roy his lunch, then Roy would have been spam in no time, despite the fire extinguisher wielding stagehands (who were later summarily fired–how’s that for gratitude!).
I therefore feel it could in fact be the case that the big white pussy cat merely became somewhat grouchy. However, when a tiger becomes grouchy, it’s time for the tiger to get back in the cage or else some hurtin’ gets dished out.
All I know is that our cat Maska must’ve heard about the story. I’ve seen her hungrily eyeing my neck recently.
I don’t think I would go so far as to say
Oops…
I really didn’t go so far as to say it.
I meant, “I don’t think I would go so far as to say that Mr. Tiger was intending to ‘help’ poor Roy.”
I don’t know. These guys obviously know a hell of a lot about handling tigers, considering that there has never been another simiar incident. While it may be a tad speculative to assume that the tiger was just offering assistance to Roy, I have to also believe that the tiger was probably not intending to hurt him. More than likely, something spooked the tiger, whether it be Roy slipping or something in the audience, as some of the news stories have suggested.
And I agree that this PR probably has something to do with them not wanting the tiger to be put down. I don’t think that it should be either. These animals are too rare to be killed for something that comes naturally to them.
As far as grabbing Roy by the head/neck, this is - in canines, at least, and I presume in felines - the normal behaviour of an adult animal to the young of its own species when said adult wants to get said young from point A to point B the easy way.
If the tiger sees Roy as a cub, then it wouldn’t think twice about such behaviour, because it doesn’t know that his head/hide is not as thick and well protected as a bona fide tiger cub.
I am not saying this is the case. I wasn’t there (thankfully), I don’t know for sure what happened.
But I will echo those who have pointed out that these two men have been around tigers the bulk of their adult lives.
You know in the old days, Vaudville had ‘the hook’…and in the 70’s at the Oscars, bands would just start playing loudly to get actors hamming it up off the stage. But MAN, those Vegas boys don’t fool around, do they?
When their own self interest or world view is a stake, some people will convince themselves of nearly anything, no matter how irrational. Some people are also willing to believe nearly any thing if proposed with enough pretense of sincerity or actual sincerity, no matter how irrational.
The tiger was just trying to help Roy? Right!
Holy shit, I thought I was being pitted.
I forgot to ask 2 questions in my post:
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Is the tiger who dragged Roy offstage by the throat going to be destroyed?
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If not, is he free the day of The Oscars…?
Off topic, but I cannot stop myself.
There have been jokes, innuendoes and implications over the years about Siegfriend and Roy’s status as a couple. ( My favorite was a joke about " Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon is a new position by Seigfried and Roy" at the Oscars)
Have they ever come out of the closet?
Here is an interesting account from Steve Wynn, further explaining why he does not think this was an attack. It stands to reason, considering the cat’s actions after the “attack”.
Given that I really know nothing about the behaviour of these animals, I’m willing to give him the benefit of a doubt.