Will California ban SeaWorld's whale shows?
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Richard Bloom, a California lawmaker, is still so shaken from his viewing of the SeaWorld-shaming documentary Blackfish that the Democrat is proposing a bill that would outlaw whale shows at amusement parks. He said there is "no justification for the continued captive display of orcas for entertainment purposes," because the animals are too smart and too big to be forced to perform for the entirety of their lives.
The proposed bill, written by Bloom, contains three objectives: Prohibit the import and export of the animals, end captive breeding, and put a stop to the killer whale performances, which are SeaWorld's central attraction. Whales would still be allowed to be on display in aquariums where they aren't forced to amuse an audience.
Since Blackfish's debut on CNN, SeaWorld has been fighting allegations that it mistreats its killer whales, and calls the film nothing more than "propaganda."
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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
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