That song's been in my head all week having learned a Great White Shark has been snacking on seals off South Beach in Chatham.
Official advice to beachgoers: "Don’t swim with seals, don’t wear seal suits."
Selectman Ronald J. Bergstrom, doing his best Larry Vaughn, said he was not concerned about shark sightings scaring away tourists.
"All I can tell you is the town is packed, and I don't see anyone rushing back over the bridge," he said.
"But, as you see, it's a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time. Amity, as you know, means 'friendship.'"
I’m miles away from Chatham. I'm familiar with the stats. I watch Shark Week every year.
There hasn't been a fatal shark attack in New England since 1936. According to GreatWhite.org, Great White Sharks have been responsible for only 63 deaths worldwide since 1876, with a mere 232 recorded non-fatal attacks worldwide. And most attacks were supposedly cases of mistaken identity.
I know the facts from the fiction.
Yet all I hear in my head the voice of Mr. Quint. "Bad fish...This shark, swallow you whole. No shakin', no tenderizin', down you go."
6 comments:
Here's to swimmin with bolegged women!
"We're gonna need a bigger boat"
I saw this article yesterday and thought:
A) KJ is probably all over this. When it comes to the biggest fan of Jaws of people I know it goes 1) KJ, 1A) G.O.G.
B) This guy is totally Mayor Vaughn – it’s almost like he didn’t see Jaws and didn’t realize what he was saying to the media.
C) I hope this doesn’t result in Chatham’s poor little Alex Kintner or Pippet getting it.
Lastly, if you haven’t read “In Harm’s Way”, you should (James pointed this book out to me). It will make you appreciate Quint so much more in Jaws.
Pippet. Oh my God. Dying!!! Diet coke right out the nose. Freaking Pippet.
BTW-I did read "In Harms Way"...right after you. Didn't we have a discussion round the dinner table in EB? Probably after several bottles of J. Lohr.
"So, 1200 men went into the water, and 316 came out, and the sharks got the rest, and that was June the 14th, 1945."
I think we did have the conversation in EB, and I think I was aware that you read it. My comment was intended more for the faithful PU readers. Pick up the book - it's a great read about a terrible tragedy that could have been easily averted.
It was always that moment in Jaws which sobered me terribly; I have studied the history of the naval war of the Pacific and, as a former sailor, was horrified to hear of the tragedy that befell the men of the USS Indianapolis.
I saw the movie uncut last night on TCM, and that whole scene left me shaking. It's one of the most effective, memorable, and unnerving scenes in American cinema. I searched the internet for information about Quint's odd sea-song and landed here.
Kind of an odd intersection!
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