Like humans, other animals also copy seemingly pointless behaviours from one another.
– Behaviour 162 (2025) 459–476
“Micky! Check this out.”
“Check what?”
“You blind? That chick with a … skinny bendy thing … grassy thing … ”
“A ‘blade’?”
“Sticking out her ear. That is so hot.”
“That’s hot?”
“Out her ear, for chrissake! A ‘blade’! Dangling, wavin’ in the wind. And she knows it, you can tell, how she tosses her head. It dangles and she tosses and the thing waves. It’s like a whole new style. Those other chicks picking through that field? Lookin’ for something dangles? They’re into it. It’s the style.”
“Losers. Suck ups to biologists. Vamping for their cameras.”
“Hey, Mister Vocabulary, c’mere. I picked you a nice ‘blade.’”
“For my ear? How about you stick it in yours?”
“Which tells me what about how it looks on a guy? You see any mirrors? We’re in a frickin’ jungle. Use your head. But if I get to see the look on you, I can … infer. Which is a word Mr. ‘Watch Me Type Till Shakespeare Comes Out my Butt’ didn’t know I knew.”
“That was a scientific experiment.”
“Mr. Let Me Suck Up to Biologists. We could tear their faces off.”
“Stick it in your ear and I’ll infer.”
“Suddenly you’re a fashionista? Have you ever looked at yourself? Maybe not. We are in a frickin’ jungle.”
“You got a blade in your hand. Use it.”
“Alright already. Tsuris I don’t need. Any chicks lookin’ this way?”
“Nada.”
“No prob. See how I ease into it, become the blade. … I’m dangling, oh yeah … Tossing the head … ”
“You call that waving?”
“When she does it, it’s so hot. Tell me when they’re looking. I can dial it up.”
“Nobody … Nope … Nope … Nobody … Now!”
“Copy that. Dangling activated … preparing to wave … ”
“Aaaannnd … not looking.”
“Doin’ what? Making out? Not that there’s anything wrong with that. She is hot. “
“Vamping for the biologists.”
“That does not compute. I mean, look at me, even without grass in my ear.”
“Maybe that’s not a good look for guys.”
“Micky, you’re a genius! Of course! Not the ear … Here.”
“Oh, god, no. Not there.”
“It feels fantastic.”
“Why did I look?”
“Oh, yeah. Here comes a wave.”
“This is gonna haunt me.”
“Don’t knock what you won’t try.”
“No way I’m ever touching that blade.”
“C’mon. Let’s dangle. Two guys dangling? From there? Two babe magnets.”
“Whatever. Just don’t make me look.”
“Just wait’ll you start to wave.”
“FYI, it does not feel fantastic. Uhh … Sid? Incoming!”
“Chicks?”
“Biologists. Cameras.”
“Go for it.”