April 04, 2011

Ssssilly Gender Defaults

First, it escaped.

The director of the zoo expressed confidence that the snake was still in the reptile house and said the snake would probably avoid open areas. “To understand the situation, you have to understand snakes,” Jim Breheny, the director, said in a written statement. “Upon leaving its enclosure, the snake would feel vulnerable and seek out a place to hide and feel safe. When the snake gets hungry or thirsty, it will start to move around the building. Once that happens, it will be our best opportunity to recover it.”

Then it started to tweet.



Then it acquired a tweeting wife.



Then a tweeting mistress.



Then it was recaptured.

The adolescent female snake is in good condition after her weeklong foray into cageless freedom. "We're really happy to announce that cobra missing for seven days has been found," Jim Breheny, director of the Bronx Zoo, said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. "She's alive and well ... resting comfortably and secure."

Or rather, then she was recaptured. The original tweeting snake is still in pretty good condition, but the wife and mistress? I think they've got more problems than a #snakeonthetown.

Oopssss.

5 comments:

Becca said...

Isn't it equally silly to assume a heteronormative default? I think @bronxcobralesbianloversnakes has a nice ring to it.

Stephanie Zvan said...

If you look at the tweets, I'm quite happy with the cobra's non-heteronormative language. The others both use specific gender pronouns, though (and some boring, gendered ideas about relationship behavior).

Heather M. Rosa said...

Not to mention totally sssilly ideasss about sssnake behavior

Anonymous said...

I loved this and wanted to follow the bronx cobra, but the account had +50 tweets per day! I don't have that kind of time - I have Dr. Who to watch!

Stephanie Zvan said...

Go, Doctor Who! The tweets are more fun to read in a batch, anyway.