really, one of the most beautiful and bizarre and weird and profound and just all around completely insane things i've maybe ever seen. personally, the final touch kind of ruins it for me a little bit, because it kind of drops the curtain on the whole deal i think, but still, fucking insane mindblow.
well, seeing something as simple as an elephant painting an elephant (mindfuck of the century, the more thought you give it beyond the simple fact of an elephant being able to paint) is so awesome and confounding, but then seeing it paint the flower also made me realize that what the elephant was painting wasn't an elephant, per se, it was just a series of lines it had been taught that as a whole meant to get tourists to feel inspired and cutesy and buy a copy on the spot. i mean, that's kind of the whole gimmick, it is what it is, so its not something to get all indignant about, but for me it kind of spoiled the simple pleasure of the mindfuck brought on by the idea of elephant painting itself/one of its own.
josh, i'm relieved that you responded to this post with this comment because i had the same experience of disappointment. i mean, an elephant painting an elephant would be evidence of like real self-consciousness in elephants (sweet!), and that would make the case that they are on a similar level of consciousness as humans. but that's not what this is. this is just the end result of a trainer's hard work and labor. and it's kinda tacky.
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You care to elaborate on your beef with the final part of the video?
well, seeing something as simple as an elephant painting an elephant (mindfuck of the century, the more thought you give it beyond the simple fact of an elephant being able to paint) is so awesome and confounding, but then seeing it paint the flower also made me realize that what the elephant was painting wasn't an elephant, per se, it was just a series of lines it had been taught that as a whole meant to get tourists to feel inspired and cutesy and buy a copy on the spot. i mean, that's kind of the whole gimmick, it is what it is, so its not something to get all indignant about, but for me it kind of spoiled the simple pleasure of the mindfuck brought on by the idea of elephant painting itself/one of its own.
josh, i'm relieved that you responded to this post with this comment because i had the same experience of disappointment. i mean, an elephant painting an elephant would be evidence of like real self-consciousness in elephants (sweet!), and that would make the case that they are on a similar level of consciousness as humans. but that's not what this is. this is just the end result of a trainer's hard work and labor. and it's kinda tacky.
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