8. Blackfish Permanently Destroyed The Reputation Of SeaWorld
Blackfish is a documentary that was so effective it has permanently tarnished SeaWorld, an American chain of marine mammal parks. The documentary was directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and details the captivity of killer whales, and the ultimate dangers that this practice poses to the animals and to the general public. Specifically, the documentary focuses on Tilikum, an orca involved in the death of three people. The documentary follows Tilikum from the whale's capture off the coast of Iceland to its subsequent captivity, and the supposed aggression it began displaying while being held. So how'd the documentary change the world? Well, after the documentary aired, the response was absolutely massive, with many staunchly criticizing the barbaric captivity of the animals and holding the park responsible for the death of Dawn Brancheau, a trainer who SeaWorld claimed was killed by Tilikum because she wore her hair in a ponytail. But there's a difference between public outcry and tangible effect. For a start, Jim Atchison the CEO of SeaWorld since 2009 stepped down after the public demanded that the park be held culpable for the deaths of trainers Keltie Byrne, Daniel P. Park and Dawn Brancheau. On top of that, attendance massively fell, and the company reported a loss of twenty-five million dollars. The value of SeaWorld shares has also plummeted by forty percent since 2014. The documentary was so effective at exposing the company's controversial treatment of animals that public opinion of the company is practically unsalvageable. This diminished reputation has rippled into popular culture, too. The film adaptation of young adult writer John Green's novel Paper Towns, for example, was supposed to feature a key scene that takes place at SeaWorld, but this was ultimately cut as the film-makers didn't want to be seen as promoting the park. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G93beiYiE74
