Summary Of The Film Blackfish

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.

"People always wonder whether I believe SeaWorld should be closed down. I always say no. They have tremendous financial resources and could play a key role in creating sea sanctuaries which could be a profit-making endeavor. I believe people would flock to a site where a killer whale is being a killer whale for the first time -- something infinitely more satisfying than seeing a killer whale dance the Macarena." - Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Cowperthwaite, the director of the documentary film Balckfish, is one of many that urges for change at the infamous marine park SeaWorld. For years on end SeaWorld has been a place of family fun and amazement; using one animal in particular as their spokesman and main attraction, Killer Whales. However, in recent years that image has gotten more than just a meager makeover. Over the past six years, following the tragic death of Dawn Brancheau, SeaWorld and the captivity of Killer Whales has been under serious scrutiny. There have been several findings of how captivity negatively affects these great creatures and the conversation of keeping Killer whales has only been gaining momentum. It is clear that the death of Dawn Brancheau is what sparked societies ideological shift, yet another key part in the start of this discourse is, without a doubt, the release of Gabriela Cowperthwaite 's documentary film Blackfish.

If you have ever been to Seaworld you would have had to go see the Killer whales in fact its one of the top attractions there. Through the eyes of a child, these gentle giants seem to be happy, healthy, and enjoying a playful game with their trainers. The question is are they really happy, do they get treated the right way, and why have there been deaths and injuries. Many people wonder about these things and after the movie Blackfish came out more and more people began to question how well Seaworld treats their animals. “The truth is that Sea World keeps its animals for entertainment and money and helps no one but themselves.”- Animal Legal Defense Fund

“If you love something, set it free.” This is a quote that has circulated for years, and nowhere else is it more applicable than in SeaWorld’s parks. Trainers and corporate alike claim a deep love for the animals they keep captive, but in recent years, the topic of holding orca whales in captivity has become more controversial than ever before. The CNN documentary “Blackfish” brought the conditions Seaworld provides for its orcas to the public eye in a way that had not been done before, which led to much public outrage. The containment of orca whales for educational and entertainment purposes has, in almost every way, been brought into question. Ranging from the physical and psychological damages they experience, the issues in their family structures, and the dangers that their human trainers experience, orca whales are not fit to be kept in captivity.

Animals such as killer whale shouldn't be kept in captivity. Director, Writer and Producer of Blackfish, Gabriela Cowperthwaite, argues that while in the wild there are no records of orcas attacking humans, but over 70 incidents have occurred while in captivity. Cowperthwaite begins building her credibility by interviewing former Seaworld workers, stating the conditions and behaviors the animals endorsed, and successfully employing emotional appeals.

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.

In the well-known documentary, Blackfish portrays what really happens behind the closed walls of SeaWorld and the enclosure of killer orcas. The purpose of this film was to give an inside look into the controversial life of whales and trainers. The audience was able to witness unfortunate events during SeaWorld shows and the capturing of the mammals. Many witnesses were interviewed to give factual and opinionated evidence. The usage of rhetorical devices in the documentary such as Ethos, Logos and Pathos contributes to its persuasive stance that although orcas can be kind and friendly mammals, being kept as performing animals can have deadly consequences.

Blackfish is a movie about how Sea-world is treating their orcas and trainers that are there. It came out in 2013 and was directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and her goal of the movie was to try and get the facts across to the people of how bad Sea-world actually is. The film shows credible information throughout it and hooks people into watching it and supporting their cause by using tones and emotions however it lacked the ethical side. Overall the movie had great Logos and Pathos parts but was left with an emptiness of Ethos

Sea World rebuttal was not considered in the documentary of “Blackfish” which clearly defines the bias views of the creator. So without choice, viewers are marked to take the side of the creator or leave the documentary feeling like a kid in a fine china shop, unable to touch or lose your balance for fear of shattering the look of the shop. Unfortunately, the problem with animal activist groups is that they force their religious views of animals on others with no other biases to consider. Hence, their real arguments are skewed and we are unable to clearly see the real poignant side without the opinions.

For years the killer whale, also known as Orcinus orca, has been drawing the attention of the public through the entertainment industry. These marine mammals have been bringing in billions of dollars to amusement parks such as Sea World, but at what cost? An idea that these killer whales can live happily and content while in captivity may be going through the minds of the public, but this cannot be further away from the truth. To have such complex creatures in captivity is not morally correct and there are many points against it, such as their level of emotional competence, violence between the killer whales, violence of killer of whales towards trainers, shorter lifespans, physical harm, and their level of intelligence. After taking a look at how these creatures function and the conditions they are put in while in captivity, there is no question about whether or not these mammals should be kept in captivity; an experience such as this affects these marine mammals just about the same as it would affect a human because of their high highly developed emotions and complexity. Since these industries do not have a natural authority over these creatures no matter the cause, the best thing they could do for these killer whales is to stop capturing them and return those who are capable back to the wild.

The general argument made by author Kelly Wallace in her work, Blackfish effect, is that the future will be changed by the announcement of SeaWorld saying they will no longer house killer whales. More specifically, she argues that many animal rights activist and parents will be influenced and may not allow their children to visit circuses, aquariums, and zoos. Wallace is suggesting that The Blackfish Effect is taking place in the United States. The public is starting to disagree with forcing animals to stunt for human entertainment. They also may be against the fact that animals in the circus or zoo will never have a normal life like they would in the wild, or where they belong. In conclusion, in this passage Wallace’s belief is that in the

Animal entertainment is when you use animals to entertain people for their pleasure. It began in the 1960s, when corporations such as SeaWorld, captured wild animals from their natural habitats. In 1993, when Free Willy, a film about a captive orca and his journey to freedom came out, it was the first time a worldwide audience fell in love with these amazing creatures of the ocean. However, the issue with orcas being held captive is still an issue today. There is animal captivity all around the world, but the issue at SeaWorld, is one of many documentaries, articles and speeches, made to fight the neglect towards orcas in SeaWorld. SeaWorld’s entertainment has caused arguments and disagreements since the 60s.

Gabriela Cowperthwaite‘s use of the accounts of retired SeaWorld trainers exposes the harsh reality of captured animals in her documentary Blackfish. In creating a piece focused on the life of one individual orca, Cowperthwaite allowed viewers to catch a glimpse of the lives of captive Orcas at SeaWorld, and the similar effects on other captured animals under this umbrella of issues. Even when the topic is centered, researchers on this matter have drawn inspiration and gathered evidence through the large following of SeaWorld's accumulating issues. This has nevertheless shown the greater social issue of animal rights, and the treatment of animals for research and the need for actions taken against these certain industries and

Through a collection of research, commercials, and interviews, the documentary, Blackfish, reveals the possible reasons for the number of recent killer whale attacks. Blackfish argues that killer whales experience frustration and abuse when held in captivity. In addition, many theme parks, like Sea World, withhold information about the treatment and natural history from both employees and tourists.

Many people believe that orcas, commonly known as killer whales, do not belong in forty foot tanks, when the have over 300 million cubic feet of ocean in the wild. Others see Sea World as an opportunity to view animals in an intimate way that would not be possible elsewhere. “A Whale of a Business: Pro-Captivity Views” offers insight on the pros of animal captivity from Jim McBain and Brad Andrews, both employees at SeaWorld. “A Whale of A Business: Anti-Captivity Views” encompasses views from animal advocates, Ric O’Barry and Naomi Rose. As I side with the Anti-Captivity groups, I argue that captivity of large, migratory animals for the pleasure of humans is inhumane and ultimately non-comparable to life