Friday, April 5, 2013

E is for Emu

The Emu is a large flightless bird that lives in Australia. Whenever I have seen them in a zoo, I have been rather glad they have been on the other side of the fence. The Emu has a beady eye and a pecky beak. It would gladly take a stab at you for the hell of it.


Feeling peckish? (LT Shears)


As it happens, the Emu loomed large and terrifying over my childhood thanks to a rather unfunny man called Rod Hull who spent much of his life with his hand up the backside of a puppet called Emu that attacked folks on live TV.

Later on there was speculation that Hull was a bit pervy and used Emu to grope people. I mentioned this in passing in a previous blog.

In his biography the ex darts player, Eric Bristow, who was admittedly seeking publicity, told the Sun, Hull was a pervert.



"He used the puppet to feel up women and stick his hand between people's legs. It was out of order," said Bristow, who went on to launch into a diatribe about how he would knock him out cold on live TV if his "f..... silly bird" came anywhere near him.

Hull drew 11 million viewers at the peak of his fame with his show. He died penniless in 1999 after he fell off a roof during a botched repair.

The Emu is the second tallest bird in the world after the Ostrich, another bird that can't fly, thank God.



Emus, by their nature, are curious birds who Emus do not sleep through the night but get their kips in several short stints sitting down. Emus are farmed for their meat, oil and leather. The toe and claw of an Emu are 15 centimetres wide and their feet alone remind me of those of a raptor in Jurassic Park.

Useless Fact About an Emu.

Females are more aggressive and angry than males during the courting period, often fighting one another off for access to mates. Scientists have found thise behavior in few other places outside the Emu population of Eastern Australia, and some nightclubs in the north of England.

What Not to Say to An Emu

Bet ya can't peck me baby.







30 comments:

  1. I used to love Rod & Emu!!!!! So cute! But I didn't realize what a pig and perv he was!!

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    1. well yeah JoJo - according to Eric Bristow anyhow

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  2. The guy with the emu puppet...ewww.

    I'm with you in feeling glad that they're on the other side of a fence when I see them. They are intimidating looking things! I have to admit to being fond of their feathers...very soft and pretty. :)

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    1. very Tracy - wazzup guys with puppets freak you?

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  3. Why was a TV show like Rod Hull's allowed to exist? Weird premise!

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    1. well you know Dee - the Seventies and all that :)

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  4. I used to love watching Emu and Rod on telly on a Saturday at my Gran's place!

    There are loads of ostriches in South Africa and I've actually even ridden one.

    All the Best with the rest of the challenge.

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    1. Yep he was an institution Scots Lass - thanks you too.

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  5. I never saw that show as a kid, but he sounds like a very weird guy.

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    1. Hi Aviva - have a feeling he was. Thanks for dropping by.

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  6. Yeah, I think those birds along with the Ostrich are a little scary. They could do some damage. Entertaining posts. I'll keep checking in.

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    1. Thanks Dan - will check your blog out again too :)

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  7. The "botched repair" was Rod Hull going out on to the roof of his house to fiddle about with the TV aerial to improve reception while watching Man U play Internazionale in a Champions League match. Only a detail, but I always knew watching Man U was bad for you.

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    1. OMG watching Man U has always been bad for me as a Liverpool fan Mark. Miss the days when they were crap.

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  8. My daughter is crazy about ostrich & emus -- she has an ostrich puppet, but she isn't creepy, she is sweet!

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    1. well am glad to hear it Diana lol - thanx for visiting..

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  9. Glad to see you are a fan Teresa..

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  10. I always thought emus were kind of an odd, freaky sort of bird. I wouldn't want them around me. They would scare me. Those giant beaks and feet look threatening to me. Feet like raptors--yes!

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    1. yep Daisy they definitely remind me of dinosaurs..

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  11. The poor emu. It's not attractive and it also doesn't have a nice personality.

    xoRobyn

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    1. yes Robin nor can it fly - would be shunned at a nightclub I'm thinking..

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  12. I remember when I was a kid we'd visit a friend's farm every now and then, and they had a few emus. I'm not sure what the wild ones are like, but those emus were surprisingly gentle with kids.

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    1. see only in Australia could such a thing be said :)

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  13. i'll be sure to avoid some nightclubs in the north of England !

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  14. Bloody loved Rod Hull and Emu. Oh that Parkinson moment..
    As for the nightclubs up north, well, yeah. Good point.

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    1. God yes had forgotten about Parky - way to go..

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  15. I had no idea that people were eating them. I wonder if they taste like chicken.

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    1. ha ha - funnily enough probably - once ate ostrich, tho and it tasted more like mild steak

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On Blog PTSD

Now then. What the heck. It seems I had forgotten about my blog completely rather than just neglecting it this time. To return after so long...