Photo: Emperor penguin who arrived in Western Australia in early November. Courtesy Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
An emperor penguin surprised a local surfer when it appeared on Ocean Beach in Western Australia, after making an epic journey from its home in Antarctica. Ocean Beach is more than 2,200 miles due north of Antarctica.
A spokesperson described the penguin as “malnourished”, and said the animal remains in the care of a trained and registered local wildlife caretaker.
That story, by reporter Jack Guy on CNN, was one of the two news stories that caught my eye over the weekend. The other story was published by WIRED.com
I suspect the two stories have more in common than we’d like to believe.
The WIRED article, by Vittoria Elliott and Angela Watercutter, bore the title: “After Trump’s Victory, the 4B Movement Is Spreading Across TikTok”.
I already knew about penguins, although I didn’t know a penguin could swim 2,200 miles.
I had also heard of TikTok.
But I had never heard of “the 4B Movement”.
Apparently, the 4B Movement is a feminist protest that started in South Korea, and translates roughly as “The Four No’s”. Bi means “not” in Korean, and the Movement advocates four refusals:
Biyeonae (no dating of men)
Bisekseu (no sexual relationships with men)
Bihon (no heterosexual marriage)
Bichulsan (no childbirth)
The movement in South Korea urges women to avoid these four practices until the Korean government and society fully embrace gender equality.
Here in the U.S., interest in the 4B Movement has surged in the days since the election, with Google searches spiking and hashtags taking off on social media, with young women promoting the movement on platforms like TikTok and X. It seems to be related to frustration with how the nation voted on November 5.
From the WIRED article, published last Thursday:
“I think it’s time for American women to participate in our own 4B movement,” one woman posted on TikTok. “If men won’t respect our bodies, they don’t get access to our bodies.”
Another post says, “Doing my part as an American woman by breaking up with my Republican boyfriend last night and officially joining the 4B movement this morning.” It has nearly 9 million views…
Now that the election is nearly over, a number of media outlets are looking for something newsworthy to write about. I was able to find stories about the 4B Movement on NPR, Vox, Salt Lake Tribune, Harpers Bazaar, Washington Post, USA Today, CBS News, Dallas News, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times.
And now, on the Pagosa Daily Post.
Speaking as a person who has posted on social media, and who has also been involved in romantic relationships, I can say with some confidence: posting on social media is the easier of the two.
Nevertheless, I find this story of the 4B Movement intriguing, even if it turns out to be a passing craze.
Because it might not be a passing craze.
Which brings us back to the malnourished penguin who appeared on a beach in Western Australia, 2,200 miles from home.
According to CNN, a female emperor penguin lays one egg per breeding season, then passes it over to her male partner to incubate while she forages for food for about two months.
Four out of five emperor penguin colonies analyzed in the Bellingshausen Sea, west of the Antarctic Peninsula, saw no chicks survive in 2022. This “catastrophic breeding failure” is the first such recorded incident, and supports grim predictions, according to CNN.
I’m thinking, maybe mom never came back home?
And I’m thinking, how desperate would a penguin need to be, to swim over 2,200 miles looking for a girl willing to date him?
I could tell him a thing or two. “Just forget about it, buddy. It’s not worth the effort.”
Nevertheless, it supports a grim prediction.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all. You can read more stories on his Substack account.