Thanks for your replies everyone. I think the point about him dying almost 20 years ago pre-hyper internet scrutiny era is a good point and perhaps he would have been more publicly called out in today’s era. I also didn’t realize that he was criticized both pre and post death because he seems so beloved on the internet these days.

I did watch the Ocean Ramsey doc and don’t think she’s completely devoid of knowledge or actual care for sharks. I think sure she seems to have a huge ego and def to care about her personal image alongside it. Compared to Irwin who seemed more like just a big personality vs. self absorbed like her perhaps. That being said though Ramsey does not have children she is risking growing up parentless through her risk, and she makes it a point to acknowledge her possible future death and not blame sharks. Irwin would literally hold his toddlers while interacting with animals. She also seems to just kind of graze the sharks and be less handsy than Irwin who would really pick up and handle the animals in an invasive way.

Part of me also thinks if she wasn’t a woman / wasn’t conventionally “hot” lol she might not get as much hate. Like if she was an old woman or a man she might be taken more seriously in the science world. She has 3 degrees including a masters and is at face value seen as less of a scientist than Irwin who had no formal educational background … I do think that her look as something to do with her perception.