The wild

[Rexenm]

In the wild, where animals would talk, what could possibly happen??

I was thinking of a newborn, and animals running back and forth, declaring the newss.

what ideas do have you

 

[ThinkerX]

What species of animals would be able to talk? And how many members of each species?

That said, life in the wild is mostly about mating, shelter, and obtaining food - food that could very well be other talking animals.

 

[pmmg]

I always kind of wondered about that in the Lion King. All those animals so happy that the Lion was king, even though, he was probably going to hunt and eat a number of them. Why should I be happy about that?

I see something tribal, or gang like. Maybe something like west side story with hyenas and lions

 

[Genly]

Yeah, the Lion King was always a little problematic in that regard. They tried to explain it in the movie with the "circle of life" concept, relying on a sort of biological inevitability as a moral justification for why lions eat antelopes. I suppose that could be developed into a "willing sacrifice" type of society, where lesser animals recognize the right of animals higher up the food chain to cull them now and then. What if some clever antelope comes along to dispute that concept?

I like the "West Side Story" idea. "When you're a Lion you're a Lion all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dying day..."

 

[Prince of Spires]

Maybe they meant the Lion King as a metafore for how we tend to worship our kings, even though they still use us to get their way without giving anything back, other than piles of shit after they are finished with us.

Sounds pretty deep to me. Especially for a children's movie.

If the only thing changing was that animals talked then I don't think much would change. After all, animals already communicate with each other. They get everything they need to say said. Two things perhaps:

- hunting would be harder, since they could more effectively communicate and thus work together.
- There could be more vegetarians. If all animals would suddenly start talking, then I bet more people would have trouble eating Betsie the cow.

Although, in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Douglas Adams has a brilliant scene with a talking cow who comes to the protagonists table, and tries to sell them on a few pieces of her...

 

[Jackarandajam]

Yeah, the Lion King was always a little problematic in that regard. They tried to explain it in the movie with the "circle of life" concept, relying on a sort of biological inevitability as a moral justification for why lions eat antelopes. I suppose that could be developed into a "willing sacrifice" type of society, where lesser animals recognize the right of animals higher up the food chain to cull them now and then. What if some clever antelope comes along to dispute that concept?

I like the "West Side Story" idea. "When you're a Lion you're a Lion all the way, from your first cigarette to your last dying day..."

I think the circle of life idea would negate the food chain concept, the grass that grows on the lion-carcass-compost feeding the antelope, etc.

Talking animals differentiating between moving and non-moving life would be Interesting. Tumbleweeds would be like a confusing middle ground.

 

[Jackarandajam]

Come to think of it, the Circle of Life sounds EXACTLY like an ideology that would be preached by lions.