P. T Barnum and his competitors used to display people and animals who were not 'normal' and make money at it.  

Today, we have Inside Edition, the Kardashians, The Apprentice, Survivor, Mixed Martial Arts in the mainstream television market and all those tabloids by the check stand doing the exact same thing for the exact same reason.

As far as "critter" is concerned, when "he" or "she" or "him" or "her" are not  proper pronouns for whatever transgender is, one will have to be invented.  

I guess I could use "it" instead.  

The author uses the term 'media wh****e'; that is 'its' choice.