penguins, polar bears and igloos

November 29, 2015 by Elaine - I used to be indecisive 24 Comments

I just have to get something off my chest… Penguins, polar bears and igloos do not go together! Penguins and polar bears are not found together (unless in a zoo) and neither of them would live in an igloo!! There – I feel a bit better now.

Every winter the place is awash with cute ‘winter scenes’ involving polar bears and penguins – advertising, Christmas cards, wrapping paper, children’s clothing, picture books… the list goes on.

This is the sort of thing I am talking about.

Last week I spotted a winter scene which had been built in the Christmas department of a Garden Centre with the happy couple (polar bear and penguin) sitting in front of an igloo fishing through the ice. Good grief! Even the Coca Cola company shows polar bears and penguins together. You would think that someone in that massive company would have pointed out the advertising agency’s mistake.

Polar bears live in the Arctic, penguins in the southern hemisphere particularly in Antarctica – they won’t be partying together!

Now, on to the matter of penguins and igloos. I’m pretty sure no penguin has ever built an igloo. Correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t think there is anyone south of the equator who would live in a house or shelter built from snow blocks. Yet here we have Pingu, living in his igloo.

I suppose the flaw in my argument is that neither penguins nor polar bears drink Coca Cola (particularly out of the bottle – they should really be using a glass of course!), nor do penguins play the accordion, wear party hats or eat party food, but having them live in an igloo is just all wrong!

I try not to let it annoy me, but can you tell that I am not succeeding? As a teacher, I often have to correct children’s confusion over where these animals come from, so perhaps that’s why I have such a bee in my bonnet about it.

And now a silly joke to finish off with – it is one of my favourites,

Q. Why do polar bears not eat penguins*?

A. Because they can’t get the wrappers off.

* I think this might be a particularly British joke – Penguins are milk chocolate covered chocolate sandwich biscuit bars filled with chocolate cream.