Tag Archives: Orcas

Seaworld kills Tilikum, punishes orca for starring in Blackfish documentary.

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Seaworld officials reported today that Tilikum, their insurgent killer whale whose mistreatment by the amusement park was documented in the documentary BLACKFISH, has contracted a bacterial infection in his lungs and is expected to die. Viewers of the documentary learned that orcas in captivity live significantly shorter lives and their dorsal fins collapse unaturally, contradicting what trainers tell Seaworld audiences as their “educational” outreach, purportedly the marine park’s purpose. Apparently Tilikum exposed himself to a contageon while on vacation or nocturnal walkabout, or work release. Seaword has full control over Tilikum’s biosphere ostensibly to protect Tilikum from contamination and infection.

BLACKFISH has a name, it’s TILIKUM

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Yes, Orcas aren’t fish. “Blackfish” is the English translation of a word Pacific Northwest indigenous peoples gave to killer whales, holding them in respectful regard while keeping a traditional safe distance. BLACKFISH is also the title of a new docummentary about how the sea mammals are mistreated by Sea World Marineland circus zoos and about instances of animal rebellion, instigated more often than not it turns out by one captive male named TILIKUM whose record of fragging trainers has been obscured by an entertainment system desperate to sanitize the plush-toy image of its “Shamu” brand. Documentary director Gabriela Cowperthwaite accuses Sea World of carelessly humanizing the ocean’s top predator, albeit whose social evolution appears to have exceeded that of humans. When it becomes apparent to audiences that Tilikum is actually the title character of Cowperthwaite’s expose, isn’t it unfair to refer to him in the generic? Yes “Blackfish” is a catchy title, but outside its Native American context the term is sinister and sub-mammalian. Let’s not vilify actions with which audiences find sympathy. Tilikum murdered his trainers wilfully and with premeditation. If we excuse him of murder it should not be because that’s his animal nature but because we understand his reason.

Attack of the Killer Killer Whales

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AK Press releaseIs it right to confine wild animals within concrete walls and train them to serve man’s amusement? Making the argument that some beasts cannot be domesticated, to defend Sea World’s killer orca showing his untamed nature, is to sell mammal brains short. In the wild, Orcas seize and subdue their prey to eat it. They’re called killer whales, not dunk-the-irritating-human-until-she’s-dead-then-play-keepaway-with-the-body whales. In the wild, Orcas don’t have jailers who force them to labor.

Wild animals don’t work for a living and Tilikum is apparently leading an insurgency against animal slave drivers.

Which is not how Sea World tells it. Their experts suggest that Tilikum mistook the trainer’s ponytail for a toy and then likewise her resultant submerged body.

SeaWorld is being incredibly disingenuous when it claims to know only about their killer whale’s criminal record while in their custody. In reality they bought the infamous Tilikum in a fire sale, when a Canadian marine theme park had to close due to pressure from animal rights groups. Public concern began because a trio of orcas were acting up, the result of which was two dead humans. The full story is detailed in an upcoming AK Press publication, Fear of the Animal Planet: The Hidden Story of Animal Resistance by Jason Hribal, the relevant excerpts can be read at Counterspin The Struggle of Nootka and Tilikum and How Orky and Kasatka Almost Sank Sea World. Alexander Cockburn concludes Feed Pete Peterson to the Whales.

iPeople

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Imagine the tubes being bright whiteThe iMac, iTunes. These terms are self explanatory aren’t they? The “i” used to denote internet, but Apple somewhere appropriated it for all its signature accouterments: iDock, iChat, iMovie, iPhoto et al. And the iPod has ushered a cascade of third party after-market iProducts: iBlaster, iSpeaker, iToenailClipper, iEtc. Again, all with names quite descriptive of their purpose. Even with the esoteric spin-offs: iDog, iPup, iGuy, iLittlePony.
 
But what is an iPod?

So what of the iPod itself? What does the Pod in iPod mean? Pod of Orcas? Peas in a pod? When I think of Pods in terms of people, I think of Pod People, not unlike the Doctor’s Peppers. I don’t think Apple tries to avoid that suggestion of team spirit. There was a B-movie called Invasion of the Pod People, it was a drive-in knock-off of Invasions of the Body Snatchers. Both concepts featured human replicants grown in vegetable pods. But I think the more recognized example is now from The Matrix, where human beings are grown and kept inside pods their whole lives, tapped of their life energy by the life-less machine world.

Is that where Apple gets the term iPod? People plugged in to the soothing opiate of pop music, wired in, unable to give themselves a free moment to think, to experience their ears for their intended purpose, people undulating complacently, willing to subject themselves to the basest, most soilent, commercial effluent needed to sustain their pod self lives. The veal industry force feeds their calves a mixture of milk and blood because it’s cheaper for us and because the poor boxed animals can’t object, they are wired in.