With his distinctive flowery voice and considered delivery, Sir David Attenborough has crowned an extraordinary six-decade broadcasting career with his most challenging subject yet.
The teenage female music fan.
Done in the style of the programmes that have made him the face and voice of nature, David Attenborough Observes Fangirls is a clever mash-up of classic Attenborough narration over footage of teenage fans at a music festival.
Posted on YouTube, the video pokes gentle fun at teenage music lovers and is done so well that it is almost believable that Attenborough had a hand in its production.
Over scenes of young fans assembling in front of a stage, Sir David says: ‘Each animal in the superherd is following its own instincts to survive. And travelling in huge numbers is itself very advantageous. But there’s no organisation or hierarchy, there are no leaders. Any animal could start moving and thousands might follow.’
Later he talks about their communication skills: ‘The gossipy banter can sound to scientists like sentences with words or even names for each other.’
Finally, after the various characteristics of female fans have been shown, Attenborough himself appears in a piece-to-camera monologue, concluding: ‘I’m very aware that this film could be seen as bleak and depressing. We’re at a crowssroads, where we can choose to co-operate or carry on regardless. Can our intelligence save us? I hope so.’
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