There was clearly an agenda hidden within her initial sales pitch, and, as the saying goes, hindsight is always 20/20. To trust your life’s dedication and your experience to an individual interested in only betraying and exploiting to create an appearance of credibility for those who obviously exaggerate their own time with the animals is disheartening. I am hurt that someone that presents herself as such a caring and compassionate person is capable of this extent of deceit and manipulation.
I have spoken with John, who is a dear friend of mine and colleague, and I currently refer to Blackfish as “The Little Film That Could.” I am proud of the message and credibility he lent to the film. It was one of the few moments honest and respectful to the capacity of these whales and of the relationships trainers like ourselves gave so much to. What could have been a film providing insight to a greater opportunity to inspire change, emphasize responsibility and encourage all to become accountable for our moral obligation to these animals devolved into a mouse trap for the power hungry, destructive and self-serving former trainers lost in their own delusional misrepresentations of their “experience” all in the name of proving something or pushing an agenda. It is encouraging to see another credible source like yourself being forthright with the fallacies prevalent throughout the testimonies of Jeff, John and Sam. I am grateful that Gabriaela was successful at bringing this topic to the mainstream, but I am disappointed it was done so under false pretenses. You are right. We can do better. We owe the animals that much. We have the experience dreams are still made of and that gives us the power to circulate the honest-to-goodness truth, free of hidden agendas and make believe careers. The rational voice amongst this topic is alive and well and reviving my hope of inspiring change for the animals.
In regards to conservation contribution comparisons between SeaWorld and Blackfush: A very bothersome truth to just one of the the plethora of double standards that are strewn throughout the film. Ridiculing for blame while critiquing and blaming themselves. The audacity of those like Jeff and Sam with extremely limited insight into killer whale care to point a finger at Seaworld for their ponytail “tale” yet later criticize, in very poor and in accurate form, the final session of a well-respected, highly experienced trainer is appalling. I could digress upon many such examples hours upon hours. But raising the question of what percentage of profits the very successful documentary Blackfish will contribute to any efforts towards conservation is wise and unavoidable. It’s another platform of blame the anti-caps use that’s assembled since the film’s release in an attempt to stain SeaWorld’s reputation. According to Naomi Rose, merely 1% of SeaWorld’s profits go towards rehab and rescue (May it be noted that, with the unreliable and inconsistent data this researcher has given us, I, personally, take this piece of data with a grain of salt), yet, has any money or will any portion of the millions being profited from this story go to supporting the very cause they are championing for? Or will it simply be parlayed into a down payment on a new house in the Hills? Maybe it’s already set for the next best story to be reenacted at the hands of a director incapable of revealing the whole truth. Rather, she is a master at orchestrating an agenda-based storyline based on many who have reliably misrepresented themselves and, therefore, misinformed the masses. I agree with both John and Mark in that we have a responsibility and an obligation to raise awareness of the truth behind the hype and provide an audience with a message from highly experienced, compassionate and dedicated individuals seeking only to create the best circumstances for animals we love. Collective, we can and we will do better than this little film that could but got lost along the way, intoxicated more by the power rather than by the purpose of the message.
What's wrong with these people!
