PETA'S DAN MATTHEWS: GO "GHOULFRIEND"!

Dan Matthews was just interviewed by Tucker Carlson on why PETA disapproved of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. Dan let Tucker's rotten republican no-rhythm ass have it! It's the top video on MSNBC.com, but if you are like me and are too simple to download the necessary programs to view it, here's the transcript.



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And the outrageous backlash against "The Crocodile Hunter." Why PETA
says Steve Irwin's death was "no shock at all," and it gets uglier.

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And finally the reaction by some animal rights activists, following the
death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin that deserves an explanation

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he represented a movement towards nature
protection. And I always liked that abut him and I think at least most
Americans that I know picked up on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARLSON: Of course not everyone shares the sentiments of that crocodile
hunter fan. PETA, in fact, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals,
has branded Irwin a cheap reality TV star. The group's spokesman, Dan
Matthews, says Irwin's death last week by a stingray comes as no shock,
considering that Irwin made a career, as Matthews put it, of
antagonizing wild animals.

So how could an organization that wants to be taken seriously, that is
PETA, publicly celebrate the death of a human being? Let's ask the man
who said, Dan Matthews, himself. He's the PETA spokesman. He joins us.

Dan Matthews...

DAN MATTHEWS, PETA SPOKESMAN: Good afternoon.

CARLSON: Why in the world would you appear to gloat over the death of a
human being? That's repulsive.

MATTHEWS: We are not gloating. You have kids, don't you?

CARLSON: We have been through this before with PETA.

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: I am not going to get into my personal life with you. So what's
the point?

MATTHEWS: OK, well, anybody out there who has kids, every wildlife
agency in this country has a really tough job trying to convince people
to not harassing wildlife. Steve Irwin's show went against the advice of
every wildlife agency, not only in this country, but around the world.
His message was really, to go in, disturb animals, harass animals, and
be on TV about it. If you compare his show to Jacques Cousteau, it's
more like jack ass than Jacques Cousteau. He was not a wildlife advocate
in the sense that Jacques Cousteau and Jane Goodall and Diane Fossey
were. He went and disturbed these animals. That's why I think anybody
with a brain would not be surprised that swimming down a stingray would
result in his death. It's a tragedy.

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: I don't know if you're a marine wildlife expert. I doubt it.
But as far as I know, it was surprising that he was killed by a
stingray.

MATTHEWS: Well, it is surprising...

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Stingrays are very gentle animals. They have to be provoked to
attack like this. So what we are saying is that the intelligent message
to get from his death isn't oh, what a great guy, but instead to just
leave the animals alone. His whole career was made on harassing
wildlife.

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: What do you mean harassing wildlife?

MATTHEWS: Have you ever watched his show?

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: ... jumped on animals, jumped on snakes, jumped on
crocodiles...

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: I don't know how much time you spend in the great out of doors.
I suspect not a great deal. But animals spend their lives...

MATTHEWS: A great deal.

CARLSON: I'll take that on faith though. It's not obvious by the way
you're talking because in fact animals spend their lives bumping up
against things and eating each other. So, the idea that if you pick up
an animal, you're somehow harassing it, as compared to what?

MATTHEWS: His whole TV show is based about invading an animal's habitat,
jumping on an alligator, wrestling an alligator, taking a snake with a
stick out of their dens. It's just not the same kind of thing that true
wildlife advocates advocate.

CARLSON: True wildlife advocacy...

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Anybody that takes a look at his record.

CARLSON: That's the problem with PETA. OK, look, you have people that
love animals who have a lot of animals like me, who spend a lot of time
with animals. I'm a perfect candidate for a PETA supporter. I would send
you money, except you hate people and that's what makes me dislike PETA.
That's why I don't send you money. Because you don't stop...

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: You mock people who get killed. You made fun of Rudy Giuliani
when he got prostate cancer.

MATTHEWS: We're not mocking people.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: We're voicing the concerns of a lot of people, especially
concerned parents out there who never liked the message of Steve Irwin,
basically through his TV show, telling people to go and attack wild
animals.

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: OK, but the guy died. All right? He's got children. He's got a
couple kids. He's got a wife. I imagine -- wait, let me finish my
question. You can, I would think, find better ways of getting your
message out there than piggybacking on the tragic news of this guy's
death and making his family feel bad. What kind of ghoul are you anyway,
Dan?

MATTHEWS: We said the same things about how he harassed animals and the
bad messages sent to kids about harassing animals in the wild. We said
it while he was alive. And when asked, we responded after his death.

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: That's the difference. The guy is dead now, so you back off.
Look, there are a lot of people who I don't care for, when they die I
pull back. I am not like, you know what? I am glad he died.

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: Because I have a sense of restraint, unlike you.

MATTHEWS: Well, Tucker, the whole word is watching. It's our
responsibility as an animal advocacy group to talk about the real
message here, which is to leave wild animals alone. To portray him as an
animal advocate is, pardon the expression, a crock.

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: You know what? Your absolutist attitude doesn't help animals at
all. There are tagging programs, for instance. People who care about
wildlife, I think as...

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: They tag animals...

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: This show is like "Fear Factor." This was not a tagging
program. This was not a nature lover's show. This was a show about
harassing wildlife. That's a very dangerous message to send to kids. And
responsible parents and animal advocates all agree that this is a bad
thing to glorify.

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: I don't care whatever some phony (UNINTELLIGIBLE). The fact is
the guy got people interested in the great outdoors. Kids, you know, get
them to stop playing computer games and actually get outside and meet
the animals.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: That's like saying a good way to get people interested in
women's issues is having a TV show in which the host goes out and
attacks women. It's not the same thing. This is a bad show. It's a bad
message to kids. It's bad for animals. And that's why PETA exists...

(CROSSTALK)

CARLSON: It was a game defense. You guys are too mean, though. That's
your problem. But I appreciate you coming on. Thanks.

MATTHEWS: It's responsible. Thanks.