Shark Night 3D: sharks once again villified on film for thrills

(Sigh...) As shark conservation continues to make progress on the legislative front with shark fin prohibitions passing in Hawaii and Washington state and moving forward in California and Oregon, there are always reminders that come along that misconceptions and myths can not only persist but they can be promoted for mindless entertainment.

Coming this September, from the people who brought you "Snakes on a Plane" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", we now have "Shark Night 3D" which follows the formula of previous teenage horror flicks - with hyper-hormoned guys and gals on a wild weekend retreat who find themselves gruesomely set upon not by psychotic Jason or Michael Meyers but by, you guessed it, sharks.

(Sigh...) The reality is that there will always be movies, television shows, and books that will always capitalize on primal fears of things that go bump in the night, no matter how misplaced or unfounded those fears might be. Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! And sharks, too. Unfortunately, these roller-coaster, cheap thrill forms of entertainment are often geared towards the most impressionable of minds, those who will leap out of their seats and spill their popcorn when the boogeyman suddenly pops out of the closet.

But it's those same impressionable minds that many ocean conservationists and shark advocates are trying to reach. I have often said, when speaking to groups about the need to protect sharks, that shark conservation is a tough sell. With centuries of demonizing sharks behind us to contend with, it may always be, at best, two steps forward and one step back.

Coming soon: Penguins Gone Bad. Kittens from Hell. Attack of the Alien Dolphin. All in 3D at a theater near you.

(Sigh...)

McDonalds & Shark Conservation: advertising that misses the mark

My friend and long time advocate for shark conservation, Melanie Marks CEO of Shark Trust Wines, is taking on McDonalds regarding a radio commercial that apparently perpetuates the myths and misconceptions regarding great white sharks. Here was her initial salvo aimed at the McDonalds corporate headquarters:

"I recently heard a radio commercial for McDonald's that referenced the great white shark. More specifically, it promoted McDonald's at the expense of the great white. Sickened would not begin to describe how I felt about McDonald's when I heard this commercial.

The great white shark is on the endangered species list. It's population has declined by roughly 80% in the last 15 years and is expected to become extinct within the next several decades unless something is done to reverse this trend. In light of that, how can McDonald's approve an ad that contributes to the negative, and incorrect, image of this animal. Clearly, someone did not do their homework! A great leader once said, if you are not part of the solution than you are part of the problem.

I request that you immediately remove these extremely ignorant and inflammatory commercials from the air. I am prepared to organize a boycott of McDonald's if you do not do so immediately. And, to give you a sense of the power behind this statement, 30 million viewers tuned into Discovery Channel's Shark Week last year because they are interested in the fate of the shark.

I am an active voice in the ocean conservation community and I am not opposed to using that voice to send a message to McDonald's that your advertising campaign is malicious and contributing to the extinction of one of the great ocean animals.

I request that you respond to my request within 5 business days, or I will have no choice but to begin a PR campaign against McDonald's for your slander of an endangered animal."

Regards,

Melanie Marks
President Shark Trust Wines

RTSea Note: As a followup, Melanie has said she has received word from McDonalds requesting a few days to look into the matter, suggesting it might be a regional ad coming from a local agency. The ad apparently refers to great whites sharks as "killing machines" and promotes the Big Mac as able to take on the great white. Melanie is very well connected within the shark conservation community and can rally the troops if need be.

If we are to change the underlying mindset of people regarding sharks then we must address the perpetuation of false stereotypes and misconceptions, no matter whether used in earnest or jest. Let's hope McDonalds does not choose to blithely dismiss Melanie's concerns.