Review Of Cowpetwaite's Blackfish: Seaworld

While Blackfish does not touch upon any of the good that SeaWorld does. Again, this does not mean that the film is unreliable in and of itself. However, it again casts reasonable doubt over the film’s veracity, an issue that the director of a compelling film should strive to avoid. If Cowperthwaite aimed simply to get people thinking, she would have given viewers a positive perspective as well, so as to enable viewers to conduct their own robust cost-benefit analyses of SeaWorld’s business

The corporate officials of SeaWorld used facts to convince viewers to believe their credibility instead of those of BlackFish by different logistic angles such as their many years of being in business. They stated in the website that in the more than fifty years SeaWorld has been in business, they have built a diversified portfolio of 11 destination and regional theme parks which proves they are a well-rounded corporation. They inform the viewer that their programs and practices are based solely on the wellbeing of the animals; “Our advanced programming applies a broad range of best practices based upon behavioral enrichment, preventive health, veterinary medicine and facilities design and management. Our programs and policies are affirmed by numerous federal and state laws, including the Animal Welfare Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act and other statuses”(SeaWorld Website). They make it their priority to accommodate environmental, social and economic sustainability across the company and throughout their employee culture, which is a huge part of having a thriving business. With this aspect of the business, they show that they are reliable and a trustworthy corporation. They state in the website how they have over 21,000 team members nationwide, which appeals to how the crew members are treated across the country, otherwise they wouldn’t have any employees. They make many

Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite in the documentary, Blackfish (2013), argues that captivity triggers aggression in killer whales. Cowperthwaite supports her argument by demonstrating shocking footage and emotional interviews to present a convincing case against keeping these animals in captivity and for human entertainment. The author’s purpose is to show the problems that are caused by captivity in order to aware the audience that keeping killer whales in captivity affects their behavior mentally and physically. The author writes in resentful tone to Sea World, the people who visited Sea World, and those who were present during the killer whale incident. Gabriela Cowperthwaite argues that keeping killer whales in captivity at SeaWorld affects their mentality due to how they are being treated. She makes this argument by applying pathos, ethos, and logos.

Another incident that occurred was Dawn Brancheau’s death. In the days following the fatality, SeaWorld made a statement that her death was her own fault. This statement was obviously after further investigation. From the provided evidence, the audience can clearly see that SeaWorld did not want to be held accountable for their irresponsibility of managing the care and wellbeing of the whales and

Finally, I will give reason to why people need to realize the damage SeaWorld is doing to the

Black Fish uses the death of a recognized Killer Whale trainer at SeaWorld, Dawn Brancheau who was one of Tilikums trainers thorough his twenty years in captivity, almost as a framing device to explore the theory that possessing Orcas in captivity is corrupt and unnatural for the whales. In Black fish, there are many different tragedies that went on while the Orcas were in captivity. Fisher men separated the young from the mothers and took them into SeaWorld. Many of the workers were unaware of all of the immoral actions they were taking part in. Tilikum was the Killer Whale that ended up killing Dawn Brancheau and causing a stir in SeaWorld. Having Orcas in captivity damages them but, the trainers were scared to leave because they want to continue to care for the whales. There is a relationship shared with the trainers and the whales yet it is obvious that very little was taught in the SeaWorld industry about these intelligent mammals.

David Kirby’s book describes the complex issues of whales in captivity. The death of a SeaWorld trainer brought up many objective reasons of the training practices of this business were not effective at keeping trainers safe in the water. Currently this debate is still being tested in a court of law. OSHA claims that even with the precautions that SeaWorld tries to use, it still cannot guarantee the safety of trainers in the water. This cultural topic has been gaining ground, and recently prompted a movie based off this book titled, Blackfish. The audience of this book includes animal activists, followers of David Kirby, and people that are interested in the topic of killer whales in captivity. Rob Grom was contracted to create a book

Have you ever experienced the death of a beloved pet? If you have, I’m sure it was hard to get through, being so attached. For David Barry, his view is different - experiencing this can be an important lesson for kids. In many other disappointing circumstances, there’s always that one person who attempts - and sometimes succeeds - at being cheery through it. Similar to this type of person, Barry’s writing sheds light on the loss of a pet being an important lesson through humor that may improve the reader’s attitude towards their own loss. David Barry’s short story “I’ve Got A Few Peeves About Sea Creatures” is a high-level comedy that uses sarcasm and various types of comic language to convey the idea that the occurrence of losing a pet can be a teachable experience for a young owner if taken light-heartedly, with an open mind.

Blackfish Impacts “Seaworld's whale performances may never be the same.” The film was wanting to be created because of the accident in 2010 with Dawn Brancheau and the Orca, Tilikum. The author of the CNN article, Gabriela Cowperthwaite said, “something about a ponytail, something about her slipping and falling, something about how this almost never ever happens because in these parks, the animals are happy and the trainers are safe.” , but when the researchers dug up the dirt on Sea World, it was released to the public in Blackfish, making them lose 84% in revenue and 2% in attendance.

SeaWorld is one of the most successful entertainment theme parks in the world due to the impacts they have on communities, jobs, people, and animals. The behind scene actions, court involvements, false information, and unreasonable animal care reveal the dark side of the corporation which is in conflict SeaWorld’s mission.

SeaWorld has shone on the radar of public peruse and activist criticism since experiencing its first animal-motivated death on July 6th, 1999. The victim, 27-year-old Daniel P. Dukes, had ambiguously evaded park night-security and entered the Orca tank under the cover of darkness. He was found dead the next day, drowned; but although declaring Dukes’ primary cause-of-death as pulmonary edema, Orlando’s District Nine Medical Examination Office also detailed vivid lacerations and avulsions - specifically of the genitalia. The severity of Dukes’ mutilation beaconed the public to his attacker: Tilikum, the largest Orca ever to be held in captivity - and not one new to, or finished with, killing. In response to Tilikum’s violent and arguably tragic history, film director Gabriela Cowperthwaite organized an ambitious, journalistic undertaking to expose SeaWorld’s inhumanity to the public; this undertaking would eventually translate into the 2013 documentary, Blackfish. Blackfish is, at its core, a project of entertainment, so the 1 hour and 30 minute film extensively fuses artistic expression with factual evidence to persuade its audience into condemning SeaWorld and its conglomerates, as well as to stand with Blackfish in its battle against the organization for its abusive conduct.

“I think that in 50 years, we’ll look back and go ‘My God, what a barbaric time’” (Jett). Blackfish is a 2013 controversial documentary that uses the life story of a particular orca whale to depict the theme park SeaWorld in a negative light. Blackfish proves SeaWorld is an immoral and cruel institution despite SeaWorld’s defense. The film accomplishes this by showing how SeaWorld illegally steals Orcas from the wild and separates pods, disregards the safety of trainers, provides inadequate homes for the Orcas, and blames trainers for its own failures.

In black fish the documentary we have learned so much. The document was basically on animal rights. On the reality we all know that animals are being rescued and sometime capture either for a good cause or bad, some animas are being kept in captivity, the zoo, and in black fish an so many park around the world, like seaworld, for entertainment. In blackfish couple of past trainers have gathered together do a documentation on what really happens behind the scene of killer whales at the amusement parks. It showed us that we never know what we are getting ourselves into until we get there.

Under the aspect of Narration, we have 3 basic modes of film making which is your Narrative film, or your everyday films, Experimental films, which are your Avant Garde Films, but then there’s one type that is overlooked by most and that is your Documentary film whose purpose is to inform and influence the audience perception on an issue or topic that is usually factual. In the movie, Blackfish, we can really see how documentary film differ from those of other narrative films. In the movie, Blackfish, the director of the movie is trying to inform the public of what is happening to the Orcas, or Killer Whales, in captivity and the how a multitude of trainers who swim with those Orcas have been injured and how at least 3 or more have died from interacting with the Orcas.

SeaWorld did very few things well internally to add value to its organization and give value back to its patrons. Its primary activity of added value is its rare animals and shows that gave patrons an up close experience with these great beasts. Management let trainers get in the water with these Orcas, building a relationship with them and training them different tricks and acts that awed the crowds (operation/HR management).