Listen Up, Jim Carrey!
by Betty Jo Tucker

For Jim Carrey’s next blockbuster comedy, I recommend a movie version of My Seven Years in Captivity – Tails and Misadventures in the San Diego Zoo. Carrey would be a smash portraying author Bill Seaton, who delights readers with descriptions of his crazy challenges and experiences — with people as well as animals — while serving as public relations man for San Diego’s World Famous Zoo. Ace Ventura’s adventures as a pet detective pale in comparison.

How does Seaton react to the idea of Carrey playing him in a movie? “I think Jim Carrey would be perfect as an allergy-prone PR man in a fish-out-of-water comedy like this,” he says. “There could be sight gags galore with those wild ‘bit players’ in the exotic San Diego Zoo setting. In fact, my own screenplay based on the book was optioned by a Hollywood producer at one time.”

Being chased by a mad rhino, pawed by a baby gorilla, attacked by Lassie, and clawed by a lion are only a few of the incidents described by Seaton in his witty, good-natured way. His warm sense of humor — peppered at times with a dash of sarcasm — always shines through, even in the catchy chapter titles. Here are my some of favorite chapters: “The Pink Panda,” “The Man-Eating Duck,” “How To Get Down Off an Elephant,” “Wrestling Camels,” “Animals See the Funny People,” and “Lassie, Go Home.”

Seaton’s encounter with Hollywood’s famous Lassie is a classic. After arranging for a photograph of Lassie meeting a sea lion, Seaton tried to pet the celebrity canine. Without giving away the full details of this humorous interaction between man and beast, I’ll simply report that it ended with Lassie’s handler saying, “I’ve never seen Lassie react so violently.” And Seaton, who admits he and his family were fans of this legendary animal star, claims he didn’t watch Lassie on TV much after that.

Calling himself a “non-zoologist,” Seaton obviously cherished his work at the San Diego Zoo. He seems particularly proud of helping Joan Embery and her painting elephant obtain a spot on the Johnny Carson show. I remember watching Carson on that particular evening and being fascinated along with millions of other viewers. Thanks, Bill!

Any adult looking for a funny and feel-good read will surely enjoy My Seven Years in Captivity, a worthy follow-up to Seaton’s first award-winning book, Humorous Letters from the Edge. Order a copy today.

From Booklist Magazine:

Most memoirs of life at a zoo are written by former curators, zookeepers, or veterinarians. In a change of pace, this book is written by a public relations director, the man hired in 1965 to run the San Diego Zoo’s TV show, Zoorama. He was also to write news releases, send photos, answer letters and put on promotions. After one of his initial meetings with the zoo’s director, in which author Seaton told the director that the zoo’s brochure “stunk” – and then found out that the director had helped design it—he hit the ground running. After meeting an escaped gray kangaroo on a pathway, being told that the apes needed a shower (with Lifebuoy, no less), introducing Lassie to the sea lions, watching a keeper pick hay from a hippo’s teeth, and arranging to ship reindeer droppings to a woman (she made jewelry from them) he felt like he belonged. Seaton’s narrative is lighthearted, and all zoo-loving readers will appreciate his book.

Review by Nancy Bent
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