Why do we love dolphins?

It is revision time at East - For my Year 12 English class this means they have to spend two weeks looking at unfamiliar texts. I try (mostly in vain) to find something that might be somewhat interesting to them - sometimes I fail at this because there is a gulf between what I find interesting and what they find interesting. It should be noted that sometimes I fail at this on purpose as I don't want to just give them stuff that they would be drawn to themselves, I want to expand their horizons even if they don't want them expanded. I may have never read Shakespeare if my Year 12 teacher had not made me, and I may not have even read Janet Evanovich if my sister had not bought it for me for my birthday - sometimes we need pushing.
Anyway today I had run out of articles/poems/speeches etc and in a last minute decision got an article from a ESA workbook. This article was one that made you see the silly things we do as humans in a new or enlightening way, and it engaged some students who are over revision during last period on a Friday. This article was all about how as silly humans idolise dolphins and whales above almost all other mammals. It asked why these mammals are so special?

"How is it that we can stare at a paddock full of cows, who communicate with each other with sounds just as dolphins do, an dnot swoon at the lyric wonder of it? ...Sheep are friendly and curious souls, just like dolphins but people don't want to graze along side them as a meaningful experience"

I must admit I love the picture this last comment made me visualise - I want to see people rolling in paddocks having a one on one experience with a flock of sheep - and not in a dodgy New Zealand/Australian sheep shagger kind of way. Maybe I like this idea because I have never been one to be fascinated by dolphins or whales and so this equally ridiculous idea which is making a mockery of the fools who think it is meaningful experience tickles my funny bone; or maybe the idea of some hippy tree lover rolling in paddocks communing with sheep just makes me laugh. What ever it is it sure made me and my students laugh today...but not as much as a bit of toilet humour.

Another section of the article questioned why we made trinkets, china ornaments and even toilet paper depicting dolphins and this descended into being able to have personalised toilet paper with a picture of someone you didn't like too much on it, so you could have the pleasure of wiping your butt with it (much mirth was had at this thought) I must admit I would feel a bit funny about wiping any of my bits with someones face, even someone I don't like - I wouldn't want them getting that close... but it does make you wonder...who would you choose or maybe you would just stick with dolphins?