To Mock a Killing Bird

The Mockery

Mockery (Colin) comes in various Styles (Ryan), as is entertainingly evident on the brilliant improvisation show 'Whose Line is it Anyway?' where points do not matter but are resoundingly made regarding the awesome human capability of instant creativity.  There is definitely some Creative mockery at play in the design of creatures like the platypus, kangaroo, capybara, gecko, and the owl. Though this post is about the owl, let's take a short detour to celebrate the capybara. There's the oryx too, but I leave that to be covered by my friend who introduced me to the capybara and oryx.

The Capybara ->

The term rodent (biological name of this order is Rodentia, now called Zimbabwe which has literally gone to the rodents) is typically identified with a small creature, so having the world's largest rodent weigh in at 75 pounds is a disturbing anomaly. It's like Volkswagen trying to intentionally or unintentionally cannibalize it's luxury brand sales by launching a short-lived $95,000 beast called Phaeton. It's the folk's wagon by definition, and common folk would rather buy an Audi A8 if they want to splurge, so what's the idea? The capybara asks questions like these but does not get an answer because it is destined to lead its life in oblivion. You might argue that a lion and tiger are extraordinary large cats, but the range for feline creatures is defined and known. The capybara on the other hand exists outside our standard range curriculum because it doesn't even count - there might be some bravery in being out of range.

The Killing Bird -> 

So what possessed the Creator to design a bird with eyes in the front and then realizing his/her flaw, give it almost 360 degree neck-rotation capability, make it nocturnal, and give it ophthalmic goiters in order to help it see at night? Seems like a lot of patching done after an initially flawed design. While owls are considered manifestations of wisdom in western folklore, they have a sinister perception (magic, death, witchcraft) in many cultures possibly because of their nocturnal nature. In India, the owl is considered dim-witted and often invites references in derogatory/ridiculing phrases like 'owl' and 'son of owl' - I am not sure why. The owl is a preying bird, and it eats rodents among other living creatures - but the capybara is out of its range, thus validating my previous paragraph.

The Anatomy

Somehow the owl has gotten associated with the human anatomy, possibly by indirectly lending its name to a hooting restaurant chain. Come to think of it, many animals have gotten associated with the human anatomy, thus literally embodying the phrase 'animal instinct'. The cat, rooster, donkey, and owl must be occasionally getting together and commiserating by singing the Pet Shop Boys song 'What have I, what have I, what have I done to deserve this!'.

The Alien

Anyhow, I think the owl is an alien creature and OWL is an acronym. It stands for Other-Worldly Life!

The Hoot

Owl's well that ends well, and owl be back with more stories. Hoot Toot Toot, The Owl is a Hoot!

Mockery in Style (Owl and Gecko)

Note - Pun intended but no offense intended to these comic geniuses!