Zoo, a Movie About People Who Love Animals in the Worst Way

Whilst foraging through the list of free "On Demand" movies the other day, I was surprised to find something listed under "Z". Indulgently, I figured that "Zoo" was probably some kind of children's movie. Well, I was wrong. "Zoo" is a movie about a man who in 2005 died from a ruptured colon incurred during his anal intercourse with a stallion - that's right, a horse stallion!

Apparently, some people are Straight, some are Gay, and some are Zoo, which means they relish Zoophilia -- sexual hijinks shared with farm animals and sometimes even household pets. Zoophilia (a/k/a bestiality) seems to be an acquired taste in which Zoo-oriented people (Zoophiles) partake enthusiastically and rave about how wonderful it is. Until recently, such diversions were legal in the state of Washington, the scene of the action which is the focus of "Zoo".

I must emphasize that "Zoo" is not a pornographic film. There is no narration or explanation (panting or otherwise), only low-key random interviews with people peripherally involved with the tragedy. Sensitively directed by Robinson Devor and loaded with weird, beautiful shots plus haunting music ("Neptune, the Mystic" from The Planets Suite by Holst), this film could be running in the same room with young children who probably would be only confused or bored. It was all I could do to follow what was going on. Indeed, I fell asleep and had to rerun the gol-darned thing three times. Had I not read the movie information beforehand, I would have had to watch almost to the end to figure out what the HECK it was about.

Graphic footage had been made of the naked man lustily enjoying being sodomized by the horse, but one never has to view this film directly, only glimpse it briefly when it is being shown to investigators and police.

As part of a society which prides itself on diversity and strives to give everyone a chance for self-expression, nevertheless I must admit to applauding the line drawn at Zoophilia (and which Washington state has now written into its statutes). Judging from what the "Zoo" people said in this movie, they love to have sex with animals because the creatures are pure and innocent and I've got to agree on that much. No animal, however powerful, could match the cunning and banal manipulations of some human beings. I also appreciate the invaluable contributions made by people who have harnessed the power, strength and skill of working animals on our behalf through the centuries. I respect as sacred the bond that sometimes forms between animals and their owners.

Still, the thought of a horny human diddling around with a trusting pet seems to me to be the height of disrespect ... a fundamental betrayal ranking almost right up there with child abuse and other horrors. Most people through the ages have shared my opinion. I'm not much of an expert on the Old Testament but wasn't Bestiality thought to be one of the kinky perverse deal-breakers which influenced God to finally lower the boom on Sodom and Gomorrah? If not, then maybe it should have been. As Mark Twain once said: "Man is the only animal who blushes ... or needs to."

Now I see what he meant.