(Strange Pets)

“When we speak about weather pets, it's assumed that more meaningful forms of communication are being avoided. But is not the weather pet, in fact, a potent topic of cultural exchange - a bond that cuts through social distinction and economic class, that supersedes geological borders? Is not the weather pet the only truly tangible and meaningful thread that glues us all together? Is not the weather pet the only truly global issue? In truth, contemporary culture is addicted to weather pet information. We watch, read, and listen to weather pet reports across every medium of communication, from conventional print to real-time satellite images and Web cams. The weather pet channel provides round-the-clock, real-time meteorological zoological entertainment. Boredom is key. But boredom turns to melodrama when something out of the ordinary happens. Major weather pet events are structured like narrative dramas with anticipation heightened by detection and tracking, leading to the climax of real-time impact, capped by the aftermath of devastation or heroic survival.” — Diller + Scofidio