I couldn’t believe the news when I heard SeaWorld is ending it’s theatrical orca show. Could it really be true? Was the Blackfish documentary truly successful in bringing about change?
I remember after the documentary came out, social media was ablaze with hate for the organization. CNN’s Twitter campaign for the airing was genius to say the least. The network encouraged viewers to join the conversation through the #blackfish, and boy did they. There were around 67,673 tweets with the hashtag seen by 7.3 million people.
To put it simply, people were pissed at SeaWorld and still are. No one can forget the stunt pulled by Jackass star Steve-O in 2014 or the more recent event in Los Angeles. He was so angry after watching Blackfish, he was willing to pull outrageous stunts in protest of the organization and get himself sentenced to prison.
The organization attempted a to make a comeback with their own Twitter campaign and commercial. They realized social media is extremely influential, and wanted to take advantage of it. They encouraged people to ask them questions in regard to their practices using the #AskSeaWorld. It seemed so simple. Create a hashtag, encourage conversation and make amends with those that are angry at you. The attempt backfired, however, as angry activists used the #AskSeaWorld to stab even harder at the organization.
As SeaWorld is finally making some changes in its practices I can’t help but think that Blackfish and its Twitter campaign are to blame. SeaWorld is certainly feeling the pressure as its stock prices and ticket sales have plummeted. People of the world are much more aware of what is happening around them and social media is at the forefront for making that possible. I’m curious, do we all truly want to make this world a better place, or are we only attempting to feel a part of the movement online?
The Bells and the Beat 