by Michael Brown
(This blog reflects the overall opinions of Group #2). Our group traveled to the Hogle Zoo Saturday morning at about 11:30, the group consisted of Mike Brown (me), Avery Reynolds, Kajsa Vlasic, Chris Hom, and Brad Thomson. The weather was rather hot and made us feel like eating frozen lemonade which apparently the zoo does not sell. Utah’s Hogle Zoo was crowded that morning with a lot of families accompanied by their strollers filled with incoherent children. Our group members were impartial observers of this casual sunny day.
This location although “public” requires and egregious 9$ fee to enjoy the energy of the place. After paying the fee which keeps those of the “public” who do not have 9$ to spend to look at assorted animals from across the lands. After entering the gates of this enclosed estate we were greeted by ticket takers who were very friendly and assisted us in finding a map of our surroundings. The park was laid out in a very clear manner with paths that led from different animal keeps to others. Occasional food locations were spread out amongst the labyrinth of well connected streets.
As we observed the people of this location, we counted many middle class white families milling around with many small children. We also encountered the occasional Hispanic family, but did not notice any African American or Oriental people. The people we did observe were relaxed, wearing sunny clothes for the hot weather. Mothers festered over sunscreen for their small infants and dads looked relaxed and ignorant of the nefarious affairs that pestered their individual existences. Many of the families look like they merely want to escape the monotonous life for a day. Some parents just look bored.
The people of the zoo traveled an overall pattern throughout the zoo. While they could have followed any of the numerous paths that littered the park they chose to follow other groups of people, traveling like a herd of sheep throughout the land.
I must know discuss a very curious occurrence that occurred in our travels. With me on this day, I carried a backpack that resembled Chewbacca from the Star Wars franchise. Now I’m sure it is odd on any normal day to see an 18 year old traveling with a Chewbacca on his back, in which that individual carried a notebook and some liquid, for as previously stated it was a warm day. Now this backpack drew many curious looks from passersby’s, but when our group finally traveled to the Primate Forest is when something very humorous occurred. I had the backpack on backwards so it was on my chest, and the Chewbacca looked like a very furry child grasping my chest. A woman came up to us with many children and said, “Oh look guys! He’s got a monkey! Oh, can we pet him?” We as a group assumed this woman was saying this for the kids benefit as it was clearly not a monkey but a furry Chewbacca backpack, but as she approached she exclaimed, “Oh it’s not real,” and stalked away. This incident occurred twice more throughout our excursion. Many children also approached us with awed expressions and our group strongly believes that in this location more than others it would produce this reaction. In a city hall for example we do not believe they would be as interested but instead avoid us. The crowd’s reaction in wanting to believe I had a monkey on my chest is one that exists strongly in the Hogle Zoo…
While the zoo does not hold as much appeal at our elderly wise age of 18, it was still quite fun, and it makes us think of the outside world and the places these animals, and people, come from. What would their lives entail elsewhere? Seeing so many animals in cages brings to question, “Is there life better here?” and “are humans like a zoo to the animals?” We parade by everyday with our dumb expressions of awe. Are we their entertainment? The people were certainly entertaining in our excursion.
I agree with you, the entrance fee sort of defeats the "public" nature of the place and makes it feel more ostensibly like a business, but Hogle Zoo receives support from the county from the public--us! To stay afloat, to feed the animals and keep the zoo looking good they charge an entrance fee. At the Zoo the best public spaces seem to be the edges of exhibits where strangers gather together to ooh and ahhhhh at the animals, making funny or clever observations about what they say to people they don't know standing next to them. The seal show and such events don't function in a truly public way because the audience isn't really interacting with each other or the space except in a passive way. I assume there were primarily families or a younger crowd, but what does the zoo to even that out and attract a diverse crowd (if they're funded by public funds it ought to have a more general appeal)?
ReplyDeleteI hope you had fun, the zoo is a challenging public space to consider even though it was probably a fun outing.
Good job Michael on behalf of the group!