# that dumbass Jack Hanna **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 19, 2000, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332 "2000-02-19T05:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/1 "2000-02-19T05:31:00Z")
I was just watching Letterman, and they are showing clips of past shows because, as we know, Dave is in the hospital. But one of the clips was with Jack Hanna, a fucking moron who lets wild animals loose, which is no problem for Dave. But when one bites him, he HITS it. I remember seeing him actually slap some big bird because it bit either him or Dave. I hate Jack Fucking Hannah. ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/2 "2000-02-19T05:33:00Z")
PS: Get well, Dave! ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/3 "2000-02-19T07:17:00Z")
## hmm… i agree that jack hanna can be a little clueless at times, but i’m a little reluctant to believe the hitting thing. it’s just i assume something like that would result in animal activists crawling up his butt by the hundreds, and i’ve heard nothing of it. “If anybody wants a sheep, that is proof that he exists.” ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/4 "2000-02-19T07:18:00Z")
Jack Hannah is an ass. I remember some years ago he was in a big feud with Steve Graham, the director of the Detroit Zoo. Graham’s contention, IIRC, was that Hannah was an exploiter of animals who didn’t respect the animals’ sensibilities and their habitation needs. I’d have to say he’s right. Every time I see Hannah on some show, he’s always making fun of the animals or anthropomorphising them or some other such exploitative nonsense. I can’t stand that guy. * * * Leslie Irish Evans [http://leslie.scrappy.net](http://leslie.scrappy.net) ---
**Author:** ![PUNdit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@PUNdit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PUNdit)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/5 "2000-02-19T07:51:00Z")
## Jack Hanna is director emeritus of the Columbus OH zoo. He has a PhD in comparative zoology. His “act” when he is on the talk shows is to be the big bumbling Jungle Jack. It has been shown that interest in zoos goes up when someone like Jack or Joan Embry (used to be the PR person for the San Diego Zoo, I haven’t seen her since Carson retired and I don’t know if she still is) makes an appearance on a talk show. The Columbus Zoo is one of the leaders in breeding gorillas (the other is Oklahoma City.) There have been more gorilla births in captivity over the last 20 years than in the wild. If the mountain gorilla survives as a species, it will probably be because of work of zoos like Columbus and OKC. Did you note that the baby gorilla on the show was born by Ceasarian section, the first ever to be born that way? Jack Hanna may come off on TV as a jerk, but he does know animals. “You can be smart or pleasant. For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant.” Elwood P. Dowd ---
**Author:** ![Jorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@Jorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2000, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/6 "2000-02-19T09:38:00Z")
What PUNdit said. Jacques Cousteau was perhaps the only straight-talking scientist with kid appeal, so any attempts at encouraging youth **and** getting airtime will likely do better with Hanna and that Aussie chap than, say, Thomas Fritts. Besides, I’d be less annoyed by Hanna than… Pamela Lee: hard to take seriously as a conservationist, supported by PETA, yet accepts a gift of boots made from endangered species from Jay Leno on his program last year - significantly worse than the use of fur from ranched, non-endangered critters. Can’t quite call her a hypocrite unless you want to give her credit for wits - but you’d think PETA might have coached her better before making her a spokeperson. ---
**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/7 "2000-02-20T05:58:00Z")
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But he’s an ass. The only thing I think when I see him on TV is that I feel sorry for the animals in his care. I’m all for c-section apes, but this is the PIT! Jack Hannah can lick my hairy ape sack! ---
**Author:** ![Jorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@Jorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jorge)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/8 "2000-02-20T09:46:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Jack Hannah can lick my hairy ape sack! Don’t you mean your pachyderm proboscis ? ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/9 "2000-02-20T23:51:00Z")
I guess Jungle Jack does know what he’s doing IRL, but when he’s on the tube, he acts like a guy you wouldn’t entrust with a _goldfish_, let alone something rare and endangered. On TV, he’s like a cross between Marlin Perkins and Gomer Pyle. * * * \>\< DARWIN \> \_\_ **L\_\_\_L** ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2000, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/10 "2000-02-20T23:59:00Z")
Dave is back in the hospital? Is it related to the bypass surgery? * * * – “it’s all real” “I KNEW IT!!!” O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2000, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/11 "2000-02-21T00:36:00Z")
Sad, this. Jack Hanna did a great job of making animals and zoos a prominent part of glitzy TV, and all power to him for that. If TV is a great wasteland, he helped bring animal issues to the forefront. I think the guy is formidably bright and dedicated, but somewhere along the line mistook media posing for the message. He developed the safari gear dolt, with animals who piss on the talk show host’s head and then got caught in the persona. Make no mistake, zoos are in a ruthless bind for funding and support. Hanna’s high profile hot-dogging may be disdained, but he’s raised awareness and cold, hard cash. But he seems to have let the persona overtake the mission, to his detriment and zoos. Sadly, the gloss has swamped the message. I hate to trash someone who tried to use the media for those with no voice. And that isn’t charity, it’s realism. Watching Eve talk about her beloved film, and having seen myself on TV looking like a demented hamster on meth, it’s hard to condemn anyone who got lost in the hoopla, even for a good cause. Splitting decisions as usual, Veb ---
**Author:** ![BShunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2acd7d/32.png) [@BShunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BShunter)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/12 "2012-01-07T18:17:56Z")
\*\*This moron does not have a PHD the only degree he has is a Bachelor of Arts, from Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio He has honorary degrees which mean nothing.Check your facts before you defend a useless money grubber like Jack Hannah. Education Bachelor of Arts, Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio Honorary Doctor of Science, Otterbein College, Westerville, Ohio Honorary Doctor of Science, Capital University, Bexley, Ohio Honorary Doctor of Science, Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio\*\* \*\* > [@PUNdit](#): > > Jack Hanna is director emeritus of the Columbus OH zoo. He has a PhD in comparative zoology. > > * * * > > “You can be smart or pleasant. For years I was smart. > I recommend pleasant.” > Elwood P. Dowd \*\* ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/13 "2012-01-07T18:29:03Z")
Well, it’s been 12 years, so he’s had time to get at least 3 PhDs. ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/14 "2012-01-07T18:30:30Z")
> [@jab1](#): > > On TV, he’s like a cross between Marlin Perkins and Gomer Pyle. Marlin Perkins - now THERE’S a guy who needs to be Pitted. > [@](#): > > As I sit here safely in the studio, let’s watch Jim wrestle that 15 foot crocodile! Now that I’ve read his Wiki entry though, I think I’m going to take it all back … > [@](#): > > Because Walt Disney had fabricated footage of a mass suicide of lemmings in its film White Wilderness, then CBC journalist Bob McKeown asked Marlin Perkins if he had done the same. Perkins, then in his seventies, "firmly asked for the camera to be turned off, then punched a shocked McKeown in the face. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/15 "2012-01-07T18:35:43Z")
In other news, boy, we sure did dodge a bullet with that whole “Y2K” thing. I had stocked up on emergency supplies just in case, and now I don’t know what to do with them! Anybody want to buy 15 cases of toilet paper? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-dumbass-jack-hanna/4332/16 "2012-01-07T18:37:10Z")
Thank goodness this falsehood was stopped after only 11 years! Welcome to the board, **BSHunter** , but since you’re responding to a thread from early 2000, the discussion isn’t exactly current and some of the people who participated aren’t here any more. So I’m going to close this.