Not long ago, someone wrote an enormous diatribe on this list against
Modern Ferret based on a cute photograph of a ferret with a rabbit.  These
two animals in question are part of Marc Marrone's crew of animals that
all harmoniously work together on his TV show (now they can all be seen
together as part of Martha Stewart's show).  So this was a photo of a
ferret and rabbit that are regularly together (and it said you can see them
on Metro Pets and on Martha Stewart Living).  Yet we had to endure tons of
criticism for this.
 
To understand this, I look to the photographs taken by some other ferret
photographer of renown - one who is never criticized.  What do I see?
(No offense to Jeanne Carley meant, her calendar is lovely, but hey - she
published a photo of a rabbit with ferrets long before I did without having
someone make it their job to help get her put out of business.)
 
Ferret Calendar 1995: November - a ferret standing up to a turkey (yep, a
ferret facing off with a bird - hard to believe considering all the flap a
photo of a ferret with a chicken caused)
 
Ferret Calendar 1997: March - a rabbit & a pile of ferrets (really!  long
before I took a photo like that)
 
Ferret Calendar 1998: June - a ferret underwater with fish (no one derived
from this that they are supposed to drown their ferrets?)
 
Ferret Calendar 1999: December - a ferret making a big "licking tongue"
while next to a bottle of Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt Scotch Whiskey
(perhaps that should be taken that you're supposed to give of ferret
whisky?  Or maybe that you're only supposed to give a ferret "the good
stuff?")
 
Which brings us up the current year 2000 calendar (visible at
ferretcompany.com).  Very wonderful pictures.  The front cover of the
calendar features ferrets sailing though the air on a runaway skateboard
(are their mouths open in excitement or are they screaming in fear?).
 
Since that wasn't enough, there is another photo in the year 2000 calendar
featuring a ferret flying though the air, having been launched by a see-saw.
 
Shouldn't everyone be whining about ferrets being turned into shelters with
broken bones due to horrible airborne skateboard accidents?  Especially
since Jeanne Carley's calendar gets a lot of distribution into stores where
no other ferret products are (calendar stores, gift stores, etc.).  Or does
someone selectively get some sense and realize that it's just a photograph?
 
Just because it's a photo, doesn't mean it's real.  (Especially if it says
it's a Halloween photo and has obvious fake stuff throughout - or does
someone actually own a cookbook for cooking ferrets?)
 
What advantage do people have in reading evil into Modern Ferret
photographs, but not into other photographs of similar ilk?  - Especially
on a board where many of you (including Bob Church, Jeanne Carley, etc.)
have all met Mary, myself, AND our ferrets (who are the reasons why we
started the magazine).
 
We don't believe that Jeanne Carley has any evil intents in her photographs
or that any ferrets are ever harmed in the making of any of her photos.
And we don't believe that she is encouraging people to perpetrate any evil
acts upon ferrets.  Jeanne loves ferrets - just like we do.
 
About our photos in this Halloween issue:
 
(Almost) all of the pictures in this issue of Modern Ferret were faked
using props from Harry's magic act.  To think otherwise would be rather
silly, considering how well readers of the magazine know us (and how some
voice opinions that they feel they know us too well).
 
Of course, not everything in the Modern Ferret photos could be faked.
 
For the centerfold, we could not successfully fake the dismembered finger
realistically, so we had Dashiell Anderson cut his own finger off for the
photo.  After the session, we went to the hospital where it was
successfully reattached - no harm done.  Tough kid - a real trooper -
really willing to sacrifice for his art!
 
For the photo of the ferret being eaten by the dinosaur on page 1, we
travelled to the REAL Jurassic Park (the actual genetic engineering
facility upon which the movie was based) and fed a young ferret to a hungry
dinosaur.  Sadly, we were sworn to secrecy as to the location of this
facility - but we would like to report that they are doing some absolutely
amazing work there!  Someday we'll all be riding wooly mammoths to work -
just like in the Flintstones!
 
- Eric
 
Modern Ferret Magazine - For ferret owners. By ferret owners.
Mary & Eric Shefferman & the Fuzzies: Sabrina, Marshmallow, Knuks, Trixie,
Bosco da Gama, Balthazar, Cauliflower, Koosh, and Gabrielle
http://www.modernferret.com
[Posted in FML issue 2783]