WTF Bambi?

6:26 pm · Posted in Uncategorized

Blech. Just, blech. Deer hunting season is pretty much at its peak around here right now, and quite frankly, I’m sick of it all. Why is it legal for a hunter, upon returning from a hunt, to slash open the belly of a dear and field dress him, right there in the front yard? It’s disgusting, and it’s definitely not something I’m ready for my son to be seeing. Hell, it’s not even something I’m ready to be seeing! It’s disgusting, and unfortunately, we live very, very close to a group of these barbaric ‘hunters’ that do that sort of thing. I use the term ‘hunters’ very loosely here, because I would hardly call an old guy sitting on his fat ass in a deer stand for hours on end waiting for unsuspecting, defenseless deer a ‘hunter’. Whatever. What’s worse? Last night after we returned home from dinner, as soon as we stepped out of the car we were overwhelmed by this awful, putrid stench. To me, it smelled like rotting meat…so yeah, my guess is that these ‘hunters’, who have apparently been trespassing on or very near our property, have discarded the parts of the deer that they didn’t want, and now it’s stinking to high heaven. Fortunately, I haven’t smelled it today, so maybe the other animals have done away with the carcass. Talk about wanting to puke. I’m ready for this shit to be over with.

Coincidentally, Dylan wanted me to read Bambi to him the other night. Now, we all know the story of Bambi and what happens to his mother, etc. But this story was a little different in the way it was written. I noticed that the book we have isn’t the same as the Disney version, so it’s a little strange. Nevertheless, we got to the part when Bambi’s mother was shot and killed, and Bambi was left all alone. Dylan proceeded to ask questions about the story, and I felt it was best not to lie to him or sugarcoat what happened, even though it’s just a story. So, I told him the truth.

Dylan: Where’s mommy deer?
Me: …She’s gone, honey. The hunter killed her.
Dylan: He shoot the gun?
Me: Yes, he shot her with the gun, and now she’s dead.
Dylan: *ponders* *shouts at the book* RUN BAMBI!! RUUUUUUUUN!

It’s funny, but sad in a way. At first, I was curious how he even knew what a gun was. But then I figured it had something to do with all of Daddy’s Halo 3 playing. Yeah, come to think of it, I’m sure that’s what it is.

Oddly enough, I wasn’t really counting on having to explain death and dying to my three year old through a classic children’s book, but I figure we all have to learn some time. I don’t think he’s completely grasped the concept of death yet (thank goodness, he’s still so young), but while the subject was brought up through the story, I saw no sense in lying or being all mushy about it. That’s just my opinion, though.

And apparently, according to the author of the book, Bambi was a little incestuous. If Dylan was just a few years older, I know he’d ask about this part in the book, and that is something I’m DEFINITELY not ready to explain to him. Here’s a direct quote from the the story.

“By the following spring, Bambi was no longer a fawn. He was a young stag and had his first antlers. Faline, his pretty cousin, soon noticed how handsome he was. When Ronno tried to go near Faline, Bambi found the courage and strength to fight him off. They locked antlers and Bambi won both the fight and Faline’s love. From then on, he and Faline were often together.”

Does that not up the creep factor of this book just a tad? I realize that it probably doesn’t make any difference in the animal kingdom, but by stating in the book that they are cousins could definitely inspire children who read it to ask questions about that sort of thing, don’t you think? I find it weird because I don’t see how it was necessary to have them be cousins in this book…I don’t recall the Disney version of Bambi being an incestuous little freak, does anyone else? It’s just a little disturbing to me.

Anyway, hopefully this will be my LAST rant about deer hunting and everything related. I’m off to finish up the pot roast we’re having for dinner. Mmmm…it’s been simmering in the slow cooker all day long, so now all I have to do is cook the side dishes and the bread. I’m so hungry!

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